Reading Abounds

Title: 882 1/2 Amazing Answers to your Questions about the Titanic Author: Hugh Brewster and Laurie Coulter                Painting by Ken Marschall Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 87033 Description: Here is the book with all the answers to your questions about the Titanic.  From the building of the ocean liner to its tragic sinking and its discovery on the ocean floor.  Illustrated with paintings, diagrams and photographs. Rubric Rating: Level 4 - Love it Why I Read It: I read this in 2012 to do research on the 100th anniversary of the sinking. Lori's Notes: A non-fiction question and answer format book about the Titanic.  A really interesting read.  Gives enough information to be interesting but not so much as to be overwhelming.  Some good Canadian content about some of the Canadians on board and who perished.  The type of book that makes you want to read more! Recommended Readers: Grade 4 ...

Title: Between Shades of Gray Author: Ruta Sepetys Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 49070 Description: In 1941, fifteen-year-old Lina and her family are sent to Siberia, where her father is sentenced to death in a prison camp, and she vows to honor her family and others by burying her story in a jar on Lithuanian soil. Rubric Rating: Level 4 - Love It Why I Read It: A debut novel by this author. Lori's Notes: This is Ruta Sepetys' debut novel and it is amazing.  The story is based on the Russian occupation and Stalin's deportation of groups of Lithuanians, Estonians, and Latvians to Siberia during WWII.  Lina's life in Lithuania is suddenly thrown into chaos when the Russian NKVD (the precursor to the KGB) arrives at their home telling them they have 20 minutes to pack.  Lina's 10-year-old brother Jonas and their mother Elena hastily pack up some of their belongings and are immediately taken to the train station and loaded into cattle cars.  Their journey take...

Title: A Tale Dark and Grimm Series:  The Grimm Series Author: Adam Gidwitz Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 51063 Description: Follows Hansel and Gretel as they walk out of their own story and into eight more tales, encountering such wicked creatures as witches, along with kindly strangers and other helpful folk. Rubric Rating: Level 3 - Laud It Why I Read It: A fantastic title and a love for all things Grimm! Lori's Notes: A re-writing of a few fairy tales to include Hansel and Gretel (including their own). These two children run away from home, have adventures including a rescue, a trip to hell, and outwitting a murderer.  Some of the stories are dark - just as the Grimm stories were - and bloody.  The narrator who interjects throughout the stories is funny and sarcastic.  I really enjoyed this book and having read many of the original Grimm tales I liked the return of the more grisly parts! Recommended Readers: This book would be a great read aloud for ...

Title: Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock Author: Matthew Quick Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 70518 Description:   A day in the life of a suicidal teen boy saying good-bye to the four people who matter most to him. Rubric Rating: Level 3 - Laud It Why I Read it:  An interesting title and cover piqued my interest. Lori's Notes:  The title seems to indicate that this book is Leonard's suicide note.  The story becomes an explanation of what happened to Leonard that leads to his decision to kill himself and he is asking the reader to forgive him.  The writing is fairly fast-paced but I did find many of the footnotes on the pages rather distracting and long.  I couldn't help but draw comparisons between this book and 13 Reasons Why . Leonard seems to be counting down the list of people in his life and the events that have led to his decision to kill Asher (a call out to the author Jay Asher of 13 Reasons Why ?) and then kill himself. Not everyone in his life i...

Title:  Memory Boy Author: Will Weaver Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 194696 Description: Sixteen-year-old Miles and his family must flee their Minneapolis home and begin a new life in the wilderness after a chain of cataclysmic volcanic explosions creates dangerous conditions in their city. Rubric Rating: Level 3: Laud It Why I Read It: This book was a recommended read from a co-worker. Lori's Notes:  Miles has absolutely no interest in completing his oral history project, he prefers to work with his hands, to tinker and build.  But when he gets paired with the cantankerous and elderly Hans, who has a keen knack for telling a story, Miles finds himself engaged in his stories of wilderness survival.  A series of volcanic eruptions has thrown the environment into chaos, Miles must use his tinkering skills to help move his family from a Minneapolis that is becoming more and more dangerous, to his family's summer cabin.  However, when they arrive, instead o...

Title: Thirteen Reasons Why Author: Jay Asher Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 40739 Description:   When high school student Clay Jenkins receives a box in the mail containing thirteen cassette tapes recorded by his classmate Hannah, who committed suicide, he spends a bewildering and heartbreaking night crisscrossing their town, listening to Hannah's voice recounting the events leading up to her death. Rubric Rating: Level 3 - Laud It Why I Read It : A friend recommended I add this book to my reading list.  I finished it in one sitting. Lori's Notes: Thirteen Reasons Why is an emotionally charged novel regarding the suicide of Hannah Baker.  The novel opens with Clay Jenkins holding a box.  The box contains 13 tapes recorded by Hannah Baker who we learn has recently committed suicide.  (It was not lost on me that this is a Baker's dozen).  Hannah records her 13 reasons with instructions to forward the tapes on to the next person on the list along with...

Title: Tuck Everlasting Author: Natalie Babbit Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 307191 Description: The Tuck family is confronted with an agonizing situation when they discover that a ten-year-old girl and a malicious stranger now share their secret about a spring whose water prevents one from ever growing any older. Rubric Rating: Level 4: Love It!  This is one of my all-time favourite books. Why I Read It: I first read this book when I was about 10 or 11 years old and I loved it.  I re-read it every now and again. Lori's Notes: I really enjoy this book and it's one of those stories that I can read again and again.  I am fascinated by the Tuck family and the idea of immortality.  Who hasn't wanted to live forever?  Not only are the Tuck's immortal but they are also ever youthful, never growing older and never changing. Jesse Tuck is stuck at 17 wandering the world with his parents and brother.  That is until he meets lonely Winnie Foster.  An on...

Title: Life as we Knew It Series: The Last Survivors Series (Sometimes called the Moon Crash Series) Author: Susan Beth Pfeffer Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 10855 Description: After a meteor hits the moon, teen Miranda must quickly grow from self-absorbed to selfless as she and her family try to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. Rubric Rating: Level 4 - Love It! Why I Read It: This book was given to me by a co-worker to read.  I love that the colophon (the page with the publication date, printers information etc) is designed like a moon. Lori's Notes: Life as we Knew It is a dystopian look at the world after a series of environmental catastrophes.  The first book in the Last Survivors series we find Miranda and her family struggling to survive in the country after a meteor has crashed into the moon pushing it closer to the Earth.  This throws the seasons out of balance and the family must struggle to find food, heat and safety in a new, sometimes hostile w...

Title: Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 Series: Michael Vey Author: Richard Paul Evans Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 57580 Description: Michael Vey, a fourteen-year-old who has Tourette's syndrome and special electric powers, finds there are others like him, and must rely on his powers to save himself and the others from a diabolical group seeking to control them. Rubric Rating: Level 4 - Love It! Why I Read It: This book was recommended to me by a co-worker.  The cover looked very interesting too.  Although, at first glance I thought it might be a more sci-fi oriented title  He looks like he's on a space ship to me.  Nope, he's not.  That's the prison cell. Lori's Notes:   Michael has always been a little bit different.  Dealing with his Tourette's Syndrome and constantly moving form city to city has made life hard for Michael.  He has a good friend in Ostin who is exceptionally smart, funny and lives in the same apartment building...

Title: Catching Fire Series: The Hunger Games Trilogy Author:  Suzanne Collins Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 36682 Description:  By winning the annual Hunger Games, District 12 tributes Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark have secured a life of safety and plenty for themselves and their families, but because they won by defying the rules, they unwittingly become the faces of an impending rebellion. Rubric Rating: Level 3 - Laud It! Why I Read It: I enjoyed the Hunger Games so much I immediately picked up this novel to read next. Lori's Notes:  As a special 75th Hunger Games approaches, the districts are showing signs of rebellion and President Snow wants to maintain his oligarchy.   This year the combatants in the Hunger Games will be chosen from previous winners putting Peeta and Katniss in jeopardy once again.  They must find a way to outwit the games and escape from the Capitol once and for all.  But we also see Katniss winning over citizens o...