Reading Abounds

Title:  The Boundless Canadian Author :   Kenneth Oppel Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 97004 Description:    Aboard "The Boundless," the greatest train ever built, on its maiden voyage across Canada, teenaged Will enlists the aid of a traveling circus to save the train from villains. Rubric Rating:  Level 3 - Laud It Why I Read It:  Read aloud with my son.  First read aloud that he, as a dyslexic, read to me.  Notes:   William Everett is an artist.  However, his father doesn’t want him to study art – he wants him to work on the railway in a good paying job.  Will has lived both poor and privileged – growing up poor as his father worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway, and as a child of privilege going to private school after his father is promoted within the organization after saving the life of Cornelius Van Horne, the owner of the railway.   Van Horne’s greatest creation is the Boundless, a 13 mile long t...

Title:  Liesl & Po Author:  Lauren Oliver Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 71661 Description:    A mix-up involving the greatest magic in the world has tremendous consequences for Liesl, an orphan who has been locked in an attic, Will, an alchemist's runaway apprentice, and Po, a ghost, as they are pursued by friend and foe while making an important journey. Rubric Rating:  Level 3 - Laud It Why I Read It:   Read the Delirium Series by this author and thought I would try this stand alone title. Notes:   An intricately connected novel, with a wide cast of interesting characters.  Liesl, after the death of her father, has been relegated by her horrible step-mother to a room in the attic (very reminiscent of many fairytales).  There she meets the ghosts of Po and Bundle. They are drawn to Liesl literally by her drawings. Po becomes the go between for Liesl and the otherside.  Meanwhile, Will, the magicians apprentice ...

Title:  Beholding Bee Author:  Kimberly Newton Fusco Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 107760 Description:    In 1942, when life turns sour at the carnival that has always been her home, eleven-year-old Bee takes her dog, Peabody, and piglet, Cordelia, and sets out to find a real home, aided by two women only Bee and her pets can see. Rubric Rating:  Level 3 - Laud It Why I Read It:   Interesting title and write up Notes:   This book was a very slow start for me.  Bee, short for Beatrice, has been an orphan since the age of four.  Since the death of her parents in a car accident she has been living and working with Pauline in Ellis’ traveling circus.  Bee is now eleven years old and while she only works in the hotdog stand Ellis wants to put her in the show because of her “diamond”.  The port wine stain birthmark that is on her face. Her diamond draws the attention of everyone who see her so Bee uses her hair as a sh...

Title:  Salt to the Sea Author:   Ruta Supetys Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 143529 Description:    In this novel based on real-life events, Prussian World War II refugees find their hopeful exodus turning into a desperate fight for survival when the ship on which they are escaping sinks in the Atlantic. Rubric Rating:   Level 4 - Love It Why I Read It:    I have read all of Ruta Sepetys’ other books and knew I wanted to read this one as well. Notes:    This novel had a bit of a slow start for me but I loved the opening lines of each characters’ chapters – For Joana guilt is a hunter, for Florian, Fate is a hunter, and for Emilia, shame is a hunter, and for Alfred fear is a hunter.  The book alternates perspectives between these four characters and I either loved or hated them all. Joana is a Lithuanian fleeing from the invading Russian forces. She is trained nurse traveling with a group of fellow refugees. Flor...

  Title:  Ollie and the Science of Treasure Hunting Series: A 14 Day Mystery Series #2 Author:  by Erin Dionne Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 82274 Description:  While at Wilderness camp on the Boston Harbor Islands, Ollie must navigate new friends, new enemies, and a high-stakes game of tag, so the last thing he needs is a mystery. But then Ollie meets Grey, an elusive girl with knowledge of the island’s secrets, including the legend of a lost pirate treasure, which may  not  be a legend after all. Rubric Rating:  Level 2 - Like It Why I Read It:   Picked as a Read Aloud Notes:   Turns out that this is actually the second book in a series.  Generally, this didn’t affect the reading of this book with the exception that it made reference to the outcome of the first adventure.  Ollie, having spoiled an art heist in the first book, is sent away to Scout camp to escape the media frenzy that his life has become. ...

Title: A Map of Days Series: Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children Book 4 Author: Ransom Riggs Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 147358 Description:   Having defeated the monstrous threat that nearly destroyed the peculiar world, Jacob Portman is back where his story began, in Florida. Except now Miss Peregrine, Emma, and their peculiar friends are with him, and doing their best to blend in. But carefree days of beach visits and normalling lessons are soon interrupted by a discovery—a subterranean bunker that belonged to Jacob’s grandfather, Abe. Rubric Rating: Level 3 - Laud it Why I Read It: Continuing on with the series.  Notes: Jacob's peculiar friends have returned.   And not only have they returned they're here to stay.  With the collapse of their time loop they have somehow also managed to escape time itself.  Now able to live in the present they leave Devil's acre and visit Jacob in Florida.  It's hard to believe that it's only bee...

  Title:  Thirteen Chairs Author: Dave Shelton Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 128181 Description:  When Jack enters a deserted house on a cold night, he finds a dozen people, sitting at a table, who invite him to take the thirteenth chair and share a ghost story--with unexpected ramifications. Rubric Rating: Level 2 - Like It Why I Read It: It's a book of short ghost stories.   Notes: I'm not sure it's ever taken me longer to finish a book.  I loved the cover, title, and premise of this book.  I picked it up last summer to read at the cottage figuring a book of short ghost stories would be great to read at night in front of the fire.  The premise of the story is good.  Jack enters a haunted house to find himself invited into a room with 12 other people each holding a candle.  Each relates their story and blows out their candle.  As each story is told Jack is filled with more and more trepidation as he comes to realize thes...

Title:  Hollow City Series: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Book #2 Author: Ransom Riggs Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 95713 Description: Jacob and friends have escaped Miss Peregrine's island and flee to London, the peculiar capital of the world, where they are chased by Miss Peregrine's brother. Rubric Rating: Level 4 - Love It! Why I Read It: Continuing with the series and enjoyed the first novel. Notes: Hollow City was a much faster and more engaging read for me than Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.  Jacob and the peculiar children are on a quest to find another ymbryne so that they can return Miss Peregrine to her human state.  Using the only items they have available to them - their peculiarities and the book of tales, Jacob, Emma, and the others set out on a quest to find other loops and peculiars.  Their quest leads them not only from place to place but from time to time. In this book we learn more about the differen...

Title:  Reached Series: Matched Trilogy Book #3 Author: Ally Condie Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 79293 Description: In search of a better life, Cassia joins a widespread rebellion against Society, where she is tasked with finding a cure, and must choose between Xander and Ky. Rubric Rating: Level 3 - Laud It Why I Read It: Final Book in the Series. Notes: Unlike Matched which is Cassia's story, and Crossed which is Cassia and Ky's story.  Reached Begins with Xander.  We now have three points of view while reading.  Xander is an Official working for the "Society" but he is also working covertly for "The Rising" waiting for the signal of when they will start their overthrow of the current order.  Xander will know it is time when he hears the "pilot's" voice.  Cassia and Ky have also joined the rising and have been separated again - Ky is a pilot (literally) along with Indie, Cassia has been reintegrated into the society as a sorter....

Guest Post: ANGELA THOMPSON - East Northumberland SS Title: Walk on Earth a Stranger Series: Gold Seer Trilogy (Book #1) Author: Rae Carson Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 108610 Description: Lee Westfall, a young woman with the magical ability to sense the presence of gold, must flee her home to avoid people who would abuse her powers.  When her best friend heads out across Gold Rush-era America to stake his claim, she disguises herself as a boy and set out on her own dangerous journey. Angela's Rubric Rating: Level 4 - Love It! Why Angela Read It:  Truth be told…the cover got me this time.   The title is also poetic and I needed to see if Rae Carson was as skilled a writer as her title lead me to expect.   I have yet to read any of her previous work (Girl of Fire and Thorns series). Angela's Notes:  Walk on Earth a Stranger is the first novel in Rae Carson’s trilogy that centres on the California Gold Rush of 1849. This story begins in Da...

Title:  Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children  (Book 1 in the series) Author: Ransom Riggs Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 72163 Description: A horrific tragedy sends sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island, where he discovers the ruins of an old orphanage that was home to children who were more than just peculiar, but possibly dangerous -- and they may still be alive. Rubric Rating: Level 3 - Laud It! Why I Read It: Interesting cover and title, and it's being made into a movie. Notes:   Jacob Portman was always close with his grandfather, loved the stories he used to tell, liked looking at his strange collection of photographs.   But as Jacob got older he stopped believing.   When Jacob receives a frantic phone call from his grandfather, and finds him on death’s doorstep, all of his stories begin to feel real.   Could his grandfather have been telling the truth?   Jacob is struggling in the aftermath of his grandfather’s dea...

GUEST POST:  ANGELA THOMPSON - East Northumberland SS Title:  The Conspiracy of Us and Map of Fates Author:  Maggie Hall Conspiracy of Us: Perma-bound Catalogue #: 113033 Map of Fates: Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 113032 Description - Conspiracy of Us: When sixteen-year-old Avery West learns her family is part of a powerful and dangerous secret society, and that her own life is in danger, she must follow a trail of clues across Europe. Description - Map of Fates: Accompanied by Jack and Stellan, Avery jets around the world, unraveling the mystery of the Circle with the aim of setting herself and her mother free, before it's too late. Angela's Rubric Rating:  Conspiracy of Us: Level 2 - Like it Map of Fates: Level 3 - Laud it Why I read these books:   An “ordinary” girl gets thrown into a treasure hunt, attracts the attention of two fabulous looking boys, and has a role to play in a conspiracy that could end the world as we k...