WELCOME TO THE ARK, LISTEN

Stephanie S. Tolan. WELCOME TO THE ARK
This novel is set in the near future in a world full of terrorist attacks and bombings all over the world. Four brilliant kids, who seem to be connected in some way, are chosen to live together in an experimental home. The two doctors who direct the experiment live with them as parental figures. They give the kids access to the Internet to connect with kids all around the world who are similarly gifted. The house where they live is called the Ark. They kids are hoping to find a way to ensure survival in the bleak current state of violence an mayhem in the world. This book had some really cool ideas. I couldn’t believe that Tolan wrote this back before 9/11.





Stephanie S. Tolan. LISTEN

Charley is looking at a boring summer recovering from an accident that injured her leg. Her mother passed away, her friend is away at camp and her father works all the time. Then an encounter with a stray dog changes everything. Charley meet the dog in the woods near her house. He won’t let anyone come near him. She names him Coyote and sets out to tame him. Charley has an amazing summer with the dog and reminiscing about her mother. This was a really heartfelt novel. It is well written and beautiful! (Suitable for readers as young as around 5th grade)

SECRETS OF MY HOLLYWOOD LIFE, FACE VALUE

Jen Calonita. SECRETS OF MY HOLLYWOOD LIFE.


16-year old Kaitlin Burke seems to have it all. She's a successful, famous actress on a weekly TV show. But she's exhausted by the pressures of her fame. She decides to go undercover in an ordinary high school just to be normal for a while. High School turns out to have its own challenges. Kaitlin finds out people don't have to be in the "business" to be mean. This was a fun book! If you ever wanted to know inside information about Hollywood, check this out. It showed me just how many people it actually takes to keep a famous person's life going, and it made me tired! I'll keep my non-famous simple life, thank you.




Catherine Johnson. FACE VALUE

Lauren is discovered by a modeling agency on a school trip to London. Her mother, who passed away just after her birth, was also a model. Her guardian, Nessa, is worried about Lauren and doesn't want her to get caught up in the shallow world of glossy photos. However, Nessa soon finds out that her own past is what they really should be worried about. Nessa and Lauren's mom were friends and their lurid past is catching up with Lauren. This turns into an unexpected, suspenseful and enjoyable book. It's quite different from your everyday young adult book. I think it feels so different because it's based in London. There are lots of words and phrases that are strictly British.

HALF MOON INVESTIGATIONS, I'D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU, BUT...,

Eoin Colfer. HALF MOON INVESTIGATIONS

This is great new book by the author of the popular ARTEMIS FOWL series. It's a funny mystery. Also, it has some interesting twists and turns that readers will enjoy. Fletcher is a 12-year old detective living in a small Irish town. He has an actual official badge he earned from a mail order detective school in Washington D.C. When one of the popular girls calls on him to solve a mystery for her, all sorts of things unravel. This is a funny, great book. Also, the end hints at more to come; this could be a fun new series.

Ally Carter.

I’D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU, BUT THEN I’D HAVE TO KILL YOU.

This was a really unique concept. It's about a private school for girls, but as you find out on the first page-it's a school for girls training to be SPIES! It’s fantastic! A lot of humor, adventure, and regular girl stuff, too! Plus, it's already optioned for a movie by Walt Disney. I hope it really does get filmed; it should be great.

THE LIGHTNING THIEF

Riordan, Rick. THE LIGHTNING THIEF

This was so exciting and really intelligent. For those of you who studied the Greek Gods last year in 7th grade (all of you, I think), you will love this. It is a wonderful way to remember the different Gods. Percy Jackson has always been a little different. Since he gets in trouble a lot, he's gotten kicked out of many different schools. He also has a little trouble with school because of his ADHD and dyslexia. Well, he suddenly finds out why he's so different. He's a demigod. His father, who he thought ran off when he was a child, is actually a god. I won't spoil it by telling you which one; you get to discover for yourself. Anyway, he ends up at a camp for half-bloods (that's what they call themselves), and he makes friends with other half-bloods. He also has been fighting monsters along the way, so he learns crucial skills like swordfighting. This was an amazing book that I really loved. The sequel just came out & I can't wait to get it. Oh just wait until they explain his ADHD & dyslexia-it's so cool. Makes total sense too.

CRACKBACK, RUNNING OUT OF TIME, ESCAPE FROM MEMORY

Coy, John. CRACKBACK

If you like football, you will love this one! Miles is a varsity football player. His team is expected to go to State this year. His dad, his coach, and his best friend are all pushing him Miles to be stronger and faster by any means necessary. He faces some tough decisions. Just how important is football to him? What will he risk? I enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the football games. Great read!

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. RUNNING OUT OF TIME

After hearing Margaret P. Haddix speak at the Teen Book Festival, I've become interested in her other books, besides Among the Hidden. She told us how she came up with the idea to write this book, so I really wanted to read it. It's about a girl named Jessie who lives with her family in the frontier village of Clifton, Indiana in 1840. However, she soon finds out that it is really 1996 everywhere else. Her village was set up for tourists to see through hidden cameras. The only reason her mother tells her the secret is because the children in the village are dying from diphtheria, a disease cured long ago in the modern world. She sends Jessie out to get medicine for the dying kids. Jessie is a little freaked out by the modern world, at first. Plus, she's threatened by the man who was supposed to help her. This was a great mystery from Haddix that I just could not put down!

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. ESCAPE FROM MEMORY

Wow, this was a really cool book! Kira gets hypnotized at her friend's house. Afterwards her friends are baffled by what she has said. Apparently, she spoke another language and has unusual memories of a strange land that she doesn't know anything about. She asks her mom about all of it, but her mom refuses to tell her anything. Then the next day, her mom disappears. Then someone claiming to want to help her shows up at her house to take her to her "homeland." This is a wonderful mystery. Another great one from Haddix!