The Library Book Nook

Switched by Amanda Hocking

2012-01-24T17:21:00.000-08:00

When your mother tries to kill you at the age of 6 you know your life won't be easy. Wendy knows that 11 years later something is different about her and she is determined to figure it out. When a new boy shows up at school she is sure that Finn knows something as well. Wendy soon discovers she was switched at birth and isn't even a human but a trylle. Her life is turned upside down when she is taken to her true "mother" and finds out all about her life and how she is expected to live.

I am excited about this trilogy and can't wait to read the next book!

Book Review from Goodreads

2011-07-28T16:48:00.001-07:00

Jump by Ginger Rue

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a book I received from the giveaways on this site (Goodreads). I had intended to read it sooner but became bogged down in my other reading that needed to get done. I wish I had read it sooner.

Brinkley is the meanest girl in school and has bullied several students out of school. This puts her into counseling to be able to stay in school. She soon starts learning that life may not be easy when she finds herself in the shoes of other students. She tries to understand how she keeps jumping into these other people and finds out that their life is not always what she thinks it is like. Will Brinkley learn to not judge or will she be trapped forever in this world of jumping?

View all my reviews

Baskeball Belles

2011-06-12T18:40:00.000-07:00

I found it only appropriate that while the NBA finals were in their halftime I read a book about the beginnings of women's basketball.

Basketball Belles: How Two Teams and One Scrappy Player Put Women's Hoops on the Map
Written by Sue Macy
Illustrated by Matt Collins

This book tells the story of how the first intercollegiate basketball game to happen and the history that it made. The story focuses on Agnes Moreley a girl from a ranch in New Mexico who has never been a girly girl who liked to be dressed up but would rather be out working with the cattle. When her parents sent her to Stanford their hope was that she would become a lady. Little did they know that she would soon be a member of the schools first female basketball team that would play against Berkley.

The story is told in a pacing that will keep the reader interested in finding out what is happening in the game much like you would with any basketball game. The information provided at the end of the boo was the best part to me. Finding out about the history of this particular game as well as that of all of women's basketball is something I had never seen before which makes this book much more original.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars and would definitely encourage girls to read if interested in basketball. Boys will like the book too but I think it will mean more to girls.

More TLA books...

2011-06-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

These are 3 books I read during the 48 Hour Book Challenge that I had picked up at TLA. The first two were freebies from the Capstone booth and the last was a purchased book (I think for $3) that was autographed.

This book is part of the "Claudia" series that I had heard about at our library review meeting but had not read yet. I think this book will be excellent for upper elementary and middle school readers.

The book begins by giving a rundown of the characters to help keep everyone straight.
Claudia has had a crush on a classmate for the longest time and he is finally talking to her, even if it is just for help on a class assignment. Then a new boy moves to town and asks Claudia on a date. What should she do? Does she wait around for Brad, her longtime crush, or go for Rusty the new boy?

A very cute story that will be loved by the girls in school.
I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars.

This book is by same author as the "Claudia" series. This is another series for girls that has some of the same characters as the Claudia books.

Monica loves to ride horses and is excited for the overnight trail ride. Everything is looking good until her horse throws a shoe and can't go on the trail ride. She is given the choice of missing the trail ride or riding another horse called Joker. Monica finally chooses to ride Joker but isn't happy that everyone makes fun of the horse and he isn't as nice as everyone's horses. Monica soon learns that having the "prettiest" horse may not be the best thing when her horse is the only one on the trail ride able to do certain things.

I found the format for this book to be cute and creative. The characters are talking to each other on "Friend Book" and texting each other throughout the story. I think students will relate to this part of the story especially.

I gave this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Kate is happy that summer is here and she is enjoying her life in Utah when she comes home one day to find her mother packing and announcing that they would be going to Cape Cod for the remainder of the summer. Suddenly Kate finds herself giving up everything to go with her mother. After arriving in Cape Cod, she finds her childhood friend is not as friendly as she remembers and that her best friend from back home has suddenly got a boyfriend. Soon Kate meets a boy who she is very attracted to named Adam. She thinks he is great and is excited to have a boy to spend her time with. Kate soon has to decide if it is just a carefree friendship she and Adam have or is it truly more.

This book is a great summer time read since it is set in the summer at the beach. Readers in middle and high school will enjoy reading about Kate and her trip to the Cape.

I gave this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

My goal for the summer is to be adding reviews every few days so be sure to check back since I have a TON of books to read and review!

Wrap up posting

2011-06-05T17:25:00.000-07:00

I have completed my 48 hour reading challenge!! It was great fun to lie around reading for most of the weekend (even though I tend to do that a lot anyway). I had set a goal of 20 hours of reading knowing that I would be out of the house for several hours but managed to surpass my goal. I will blog my reviews of the last 3 books I finished later tonight or early tomorrow.

Total time reading: 22 1/2 hours
Total time blogging/networking: 3 hours

Grand total time: 25 1/2 hours!!!

Total books completed: 6 books

I am excited about participating again next year and know better how to plan my time.

This year I will be making a donation to my library aid's family. Her son was in an accident recently and the medical expenses will be huge. The total I plan to donate is twice the amount of hours I read so I will be donating $51 dollars to assist the family.

Midday update

2011-06-05T10:01:00.000-07:00

Well I didn't get as much reading done as I wanted because of an extra nap that I snuck in. I did finish another book and have started two others in that time. I started Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy but have decided to put it aside for now and then started Boy Trouble: The Complicated Life of Claudia Cristina Cortez.

This was an ARC that I picked up at TLA in April. It was also published in April so it can be seen with the color pictures in the book while the ARC did not have the color pictures and was even missing a few of the sketches.

Louise Lambert has always loved vintage clothing and when she gets an invitation to attend the Traveling Fashionista Vintage Sale she is excited and ready to find a dress for her 7th grade dance. Little does she know that her life will soon be drastically changed. Louise finds a pink vintage dress that she loves and tries on to be transported back to 1912 on a ship. She is in shock that this has happened but the worst shock is yet to com....she is on board the Titanic. She soon tries to change history and save the passengers only to be told she is crazy. Will Louise make it back to her regular life? Will she save the passengers of the Titanic? Read the story to find out more about Louise's adventure.

This is the first book by this author and the first of this series. The next book won't be out until April 2012 but should make for an interesting follow up to this story. The author found an interesting way of mixing history in with fiction in order to find the right mix.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Reading time total: 15 hours 30 minutes
Blogging time: 1 hour 45 minutes

My next update will include any other books I read today and my final time total.

End of the first 24 hours of reading...

2011-06-04T19:38:00.000-07:00

During the first 24 hours I have managed to read 2 whole books and part of 2 other books. Not as much as I hoped for but that's okay.

My second complete book read was The Calder Game.

For this book I chose to listen to the book as an audio book since I was traveling in the car and at a graduation party for most of the day. The travel time allowed me to listen to over half the book and the other half was done between visiting with family and friends.

In this third book of the series, Calder and his father travel to England. While there Calder is allowed to roam and visit places on his own. He soon finds that Alexander Calder the sculptor he was named after has a piece on display in the town. The town's people don't appreciate it and wish it were gone but Calder is fascinated by it. One day he visits the maze of town and doesn't return that evening. His father panics the next day and calls for reinforcements to help look for Calder: Calder's friends Petra and Tommy. More than one mystery will have to be solved in order to get all of the answers in this story that keeps the reader on the edge of the seat.

I gave this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Great choice for upper elementary and middle school students. Even though it is part of a series it can be read as a stand alone but is better if read after the others.

Total reading time: 10 hours 19 minutes
Blogging time: 40 minutes

I have already started my next books and am having a hard time deciding which to finish. More to come later!!

Book 1 complete!

2011-06-04T10:11:00.000-07:00

After reading for 3 hours I have finished book number 1!!! I know I will get many more read and will update as soon as possible but this weekend is getting busier by the minute.

In this modernization of Pride and Prejudice the characters are students at private school who can do nothing but plan for prom. Lizzie Bennet is a scholarship student at Longbourn Academy who has had a difficult time. The other girls in the school don't like the scholarship students and take it out on them by hazing and torturing them until they leave the school. Lizzie has only two true friends, her roommate Jane and another scholarship student. Jane decides her roommate needs to get out more and introduces her to some of the boys from the neighboring school. Lizzie is happy that Jane and Charles are back together after being separated for a semester while he was in London but is not impressed with his friend Will Darcy. Lizzie takes an instant disliking to Will, but Will seems to be everywhere she is. Soon Lizzie finds that she shouldn't judge others without knowing the whole story and has a revelation about others that are in her life as well.

Author Elizabeth Eulberg does an excellent job of keeping the characters true to the original Pride and Prejudice but makes it much more hip and modern for the readers of today. Students in middle and high school will surely enjoy this tale even if they have never read Pride and Prejudice.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Reading time: 3 hours 3 minutes
Blogging time: 15 minutes

Check back for the next blog this evening!!

And we're off...

2011-06-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

I started the 48 hour Book Challenge sponsored by Mother Reader at 7 p.m. Friday and will end 7 p.m. Sunday. I had planned to start earlier in the day but had to work late due to the end of the school year wrap up.

My goal will be to read for at least 20 hours during the 48 hours. My goal would be longer but I have a graduation party on Saturday that will take out some of my time.

Okay back to reading... my book list isn't getting any smaller.

http://www.motherreader.com/

Check out the site and join in on the fun!!

Books from TLA Conference....

2011-06-01T21:19:00.000-07:00

Here are the first of a few of the reviews I will do for books that I picked up at TLA in April.

This was a free book given away from the Follett booth and signed by Richard Peck. At first I had considered giving it away to a student but I didn't think a 5th grade boy would want to read a book about girls.

Kerry has always been the invisible girl that no one notices until she starts hanging out with the three most popular girls in school. Kerry thinks life is great once she joins the "in" crowd but soon discovers she may have to give up everything in order to stay a part of their group.

The story has great pacing and is a "ghost story" that is more current with the times. An enjoyable read that would work great in a middle or high school library.

I will be keeping my copy and not placing it in my school library since I am in a PK-3rd grade school.

This book also had me pick up some of Richard Peck's other books. I am currently listening to Here Lies the Librarian. I thought it was appropriate when I didn't have a job for next year but now I am enjoying it while knowing I DO have a job for next year!!

This was a book that I picked up at TLA for $5 in hardback. It was one of the few that I payed for mostly because I was aiming to get as much "free" stuff as I could during the trip.

Cassia lives in a world in which all her choices have been taken care of for her by the officials of her society. She has always trusted those choices until her Matching screen doesn't show the face she expects to see. Cassia is challenged to make a choice between her best friend as her match or going against everything she knows to be with Ky, the boy she discovers she loves.

This book was AWESOME!!! I am so excited and don't know if I can wait all the way to November for the next in the series.

Sixth Annual 48 Hour Book Challenge | MotherReader

2011-06-01T20:51:00.000-07:00

Sixth Annual 48 Hour Book Challenge | MotherReader

I have signed up to participate in the 48 Hour Book Challenge. My goal will be to read for at least 20 hours during the 48. I have a huge stack of books from TLA that I haven't had a chance to read yet and am so excited to get to set aside some time to read these. This wonderful event is being hosted by another blogger that I follow MotherReader. Feel free to join in or just check back with me throughout this weekend to see what I have been reading.

Long Absence

2011-01-17T21:34:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been missing in action for a few months. This fall was a busy and crazy fall! Even though I am no longer in school I seem to have more and more to do. I promise to update with some of the reviews I have done for books in the last few months. There have been some great books and I have a whole stack of books to review in the next few weeks. I will try to pick out some of the better books to showcase on this blog!!

I promise to get back in the hang of things!!

Blog Hop

2010-10-10T09:42:00.000-07:00

Blog Hop is brought to us by Crazy-for-Books.

What's your favorite beverage while reading or blogging, if any? Is it tea, coffee, water, a glass of wine, or something else?

My favorite beverage (at all times) is a Diet Dr Pepper with Vanilla from Sonic. For those who know me, I stop each morning and get one just so I can make it through the day. I know this habit is costing me about 5.50 a week so it will soon end when the house purchasing begins. I know the habit won't be completely gone but I will definitely cut back.

Do you have a favorite drink for when you are reading or blogging?

Read-a-Thon

2010-10-09T18:24:00.000-07:00

While I did not sign up for the read-a-thon I have been doing some reading of children's books today. So far I have made it through 6 picture books. Here is a little about each.

Dexter Bexley and the Big Blue Beastie on the Road by Joel Stewart

Dexter Bexley and the Big Blue Beastie are kicked out of the town and travel through the forest. They run into Sir Percy Pecket who asks for their help in waking up the princess. Once she's awake they banned together to travel singing, dancing, and telling tales with the help of the Frightful Dragon. Once they get back Sir Percy Pecket finally gets them to sleep by singing a lullaby.

This very cute story will have children and adults using their imagination to travel right along with this strange troupe of characters.

A Picture Book of Cesar Chavez by David A. Adler

This picture book biography gives the details of Cesar Chavez's life and how he went about to bring change for farm workers across America.

Amazing Faces by Lee Bennett Hopkins

This poetry anthology gives a variety of poems about the emotions that are seen on faces of people of all ages, races, and nationalities.

Daddy Loves His Little Girl by John Carter Cash

This sweet story told in rhyme tells a little girl how much her daddy loves her and all that he will do for her. This would make a great bedtime story for dads to read to their daughters.

Good-bye, Sheepie by Robert Burleigh

Owen and Sheepie have been best pals for a long time. Owen has played fetch with him, taken him for walks, and just enjoyed having him as a dog. Owen has noticed that Sheepie doesn't move as fast as he use to and finds him under a tree one day not moving at all. With the help of his dad they bury Sheepie near the river and discuss how Sheepie lives on in our memories.

This was a tear filled book for me because I have been in this situation. For those who love pets this could be a difficult read.

Too Many Fairies: A Celtic Tale by Margaret Read MacDonald

A little old woman is tired of all the housework that must be done and makes a complaint. Suddenly a fairy arrives and takes over. This continues until there are four fairies making noise and continuously cleaning her house. Fed up, she heads to town to talk to the wise old woman and finds out how to get rid of her helpers for good. She learns in the end that it is better to do the work yourself than to complain.

The colorful pictures will draw the reader in and make them notice all the little details of the pictures.

All of the books were books for my book review group. I will be taking Too Many Fairies with me to the group to share with them since it is just so cute.

Jessica Darling Series

2010-09-12T18:22:00.000-07:00

This series of books is about Jessica Darling. She starts in high school at the age of 16 and the final book ends as she turns 26. The series touches on all of the major milestones that teens and young adults face from prom, first sexual experiences, choosing a college, and even a career. Megan McCafferty depicts life as it truly is for anyone who is going through this age of their life or has gone through it previously. I have to say I devoured the first, second, and third books of the series but didn't get into the fourth and fifth right away. I wish I had because the fifth book was probably the one that I read the fastest. In this book, Jessica encounters her high school boyfriend again for the first time in over 3 years and must face some truths that even she doesn't realize. I couldn't put the book down and finished it in just a few hours. I think that anyone around the ages of Jessica in the books will enjoy her story (especially if you ever had trouble fitting in during high school).

Mockingjay

2010-09-03T20:54:00.000-07:00

While I was a person who didn't jump right on the band wagon when told to read this series of books, I did finally read (well, listen to the audio book) the first two of the series. I then had to join the masses who salivated waiting to find out what happened to Katniss, Peeta, and the other characters from the story. I was very excited when the book came out but very sad because it was the first week of school and I was supper busy. I started the book but wasn't able to read much (maybe a chapter a day) until last weekend. That was when I stayed in bed until I had basically finished the book. I have to say there were things I loved and hated about the story. I do agree with many others that this series is not written as a love story but much more than that. I will try not to spoil the book for those who have not read it but beware at the end I will have a spoiler section so don't read past if you don't want to know.

Mockingjay is the final book of the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. It continues the story from where Katniss has been rescued out of the second Hunger Games by the rebels. She has many tough decisions to make in order to decide how her future as well as the future of all of those in Panem and District 13 will unfold.

Honestly, if I tell more it will give away too much of the story. If you are into this series I believe you will enjoy the last book even if parts will be expected and predictable.

I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for 13 years and up.

Don't continue reading if you don't want to have part of the book spoiled.

**********************Spoiler Alert*******************Spoiler Alert*******************

Several times I had to go back and reread sections of the book because I was sure I had miss read the information. But each time I was right it was written that way. For example near the end Katniss is going to assassinate President Snow but kills someone else instead. I had to read that 3 times before I was sure I had read it correctly. It didn't make sense and yet again it did.

Welcome

2010-08-07T18:45:00.000-07:00

I decided to start a new blog about the various books I am reading. I love reading which is a good thing since it is a part of my job as an elementary school librarian. I plan to share some of the books that I am reading which can range from books for the littlest all the way to adult books. I am part of a library review group so many of the books may come from these books. Other books may be from the public library, our school library, or books I have purchased. I hope you will enjoy the reviews and give me your opinions and suggestions as well.

Thanks,
Megan