Reading Abounds

Title: The Scar Boys Author:  Len Vlahos Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 80705 Description: In a college admission essay, eighteen-year-old Harry Jones recounts a childhood defined by the hideous scars he hid behind, and how forming a band brought self-confidence, friendship, and his first kiss. Rubric Rating: Level 4 - Love it! Why I Read It: A great title and an interesting write up. Lori's Notes: This book had me captivated in the first couple of pages.  The first page consists of a college admissions essay question.  The following pages and in fact the rest of the book is Harbinger "Harry" Jones' answer to that question.  Each chapter starts with a song title and performer.  The story begins with the critical event that caused Harry's disfiguring scars.  I must say this for me was a graphic scene.  I was brought to tears and laughed out loud within the first 15 pages of the novel.  Harry must endure a painful recovery that has him addic...

Title: Mockingjay Series: The Hunger Games Trilogy Author: Suzanne Collins Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 44898 Description: Katniss' survival in her second Hunger Games has angered the Capitol and all those she loves are in danger. Rubric Rating: Level 4: Love it! Why I Read It: As the last book in the Hunger Games Trilogy I had to see how it all ended. Lori's Notes:  The Capitol has made a fatal error by creating a symbol of rebellion in Katniss.  She has escaped to District 13 - a district that is beyond the Capitol's control.  The districts are rising up to gain power against the Capitol but those wishing to wrest control may be no better than those in power now. Katniss struggles with her feelings for both Gale and Peeta, but her love for Prim is unwavering.  In the end, Katniss becomes the instrument she feared she would become.  I enjoyed this read whole-heartedly.  The series ended how I preferred and I felt that the consequences of the ac...

Title: The Dead and the Gone Series: The Last Survivors Series Author: Susan Beth Pfeffer Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 25844 Description: After a meteor hits the moon and sets off a series of horrific climate changes, seventeen-year-old Alex Morales must take care of his sisters in the chaos of New York City. Rubric Rating: Level 3 - Laud It Why I Read It: I enjoyed the first book in this series so much I had to read the next book. Lori's Notes: The Dead and the Gone focuses on Alex and his sisters Julie and Bri in New York City during the same time period as Miranda and her family in Life as we Knew It.  Being parallel novels, either book can be read first but I recommend reading this one second.  We meet Alex and his sisters at the time of the moon crash.  We never meet his mother or father and the kids are left to fend for themselves in their apartment in the city. Food, clothing, and heat quickly become issues and they must break into apartments and steal ...

Title: As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth Author: Lynne Rae Perkins Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 44333 Description: A teenaged boy encounters one comedic calamity after another when his train strands him in the middle of nowhere, and everything comes down to luck. Rubric Rating: Level 3 - Laud It Why I Read It: Looking for a fun read that would be good for a boy. Lori's Notes: A series of comedic events lead to the isolation of Ry from his family.  Trying to phone his grandfather Ry gets off his train and left behind in Montana, his parents are sailing in the Caribbean and his grandfather isn't answering the phone.  The dogs (who receive their own chapters in graphic novel format) are trying to make their way back to their old home and no one seems to be able to find each other.  There were moments that had me giggling but I have to admit that throughout the novel I was waiting for "something bad to happen" and while bad things do happen they'r...

Title: The Uninvited Author:  Tim Wynne-Jones ***Canadian Author*** Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 34459 Description: Mimi arrives at her father's vacation cottage and is surprised to find someone living there. She's even more surprised when the someone accuses her of leaving strange and threatening tokens inside. Now she must figure out who's responsible and, more importantly, what they want? Rubric Rating: Level 2 - Like It Why I Read It: I had already read a couple of titles by Wynne-Jones and picked this up as part of an author study. Lori's Notes: This book was not what I was expecting from the cover.  I was expecting more of a supernatural story, perhaps a haunted house, but this novel was nothing like that at all.  After a bad break up, Mimi travels to Canada to spend time at her estranged father's cabin but finds someone else living there.  Turns out she isn't an only child and has a stepbrother. They are plagued by break-ins and strange messag...

Title: Across the Universe Series: Across the Universe (Vol. 1) Author: Beth Revis Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 49097 Description: Seventeen-year-old Amy awakes from frozen animation to find herself hundreds of years in the future and racing to save herself and the inhabitants of the spaceship Godspeed. Rubric Rating: Level 3 - Laud It Why I Read It: I have been reading a lot of dystopian titles and was looking for something a little different. Lori's Notes: Amy is cryogenically frozen, along with her parents and a few hundred scientists and technicians, to travel to Centauri-Earth to start a colonization project.  A trip that should take 300 years. But something has gone wrong - someone is unplugging and killing people.  Amy survives and meets Elder, the next leader of the ship GodSpeed.  Elder is being taught by Eldest to lead the now monoethnic inhabitants of the ship. But who is the strange man who looks so much like Elder and who is unplugging the frozen ...

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...