Overdrive

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Art for the Library

For the second year in a row, Mrs. Block, Stafford's art teacher, and I have worked with a group of her students in an effort to create some masterpieces in the library. We focus on the recreation of book covers. This year's group of students completely took my breathe away. These are some very talented artist. I cannot wait to see what they do in the future. All of these will be on display in the library all next year. Enjoy!


This is all of the amazing art that was donated to the library. 

Josh 

Samantha

Ramya

Monica

Stephanie

Kianna

Sara

Ben

Sarah

Ashley

Christine

Anna

Chris

Fallen by Lauren Kate


Summary
There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori. Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move. Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her. 


Mrs. Lassley's Review
I had given this to a student to read and they loved it, so I knew I had to put it on my list of "Must Reads" and I will tell you, it was awesome! Set in Georgia, Luce is a student who has a lot of guilt for what happened a party, but she is still not quite sure what happened. At Sword and Cross, we see her dealing with being sent away from her best friend and having to adapt to a group of students who already seem to have it out for her. As time goes on she starts to feel more comfortable but there is always this sense that she knew Danial before. If you are a fan of the Twilight books, then this is a must read for you! 

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Dirty Little Secrets by C.J. Omololu

Summary
 Everyone has a secret. But Lucy's is bigger and dirtier than most. It's one she's been hiding for years that her mom's out-of-control hoarding has turned their lives into a world of garbage and shame. She's managed to keep her home life hidden from her best friend and her crush, knowing they'd be disgusted by the truth. So, when something happens to her mom, all Lucy wants to do is protect her mom's secret...but at what cost?

Mrs. Lassley's Review
Ever watch Hoarding: Buried Alive on TLC? I catch it every now and then and I am always horrified by what I see. I also feel the need to clean everything in sight. This is basically that show but it a book that is so well written it will give you the chills. Lucy has secluded herself from everyone except her one friend and now she has a possibility of a boyfriend, but how do you have that and not share your life? Then a life changing event happens and Lucy has no one to lean on. Told in the course of one day in her life with each chapter being a specific time, you get a feel for the struggles she goes through. Although it is only one day, you get the background from the flashbacks Lucy has as she deals with everything.

I would recommend this book, but be ready...

Also Known as Rowan Pohi by Ralph Fletcher

Summary
Will the real Rowan Pohi please stand?
To dispel boredom while waiting for tenth grade to begin, Bobby and his friends create an imaginary kid named Rowan Pohi (that’s IHOP backwards) and apply to the prestigious Whitestone Prep in Rowan’s name. When, surprisingly, Rowan’s application is accepted, Bobby impulsively reinvents himself as Rowan and embarks on an edgy life of deception in the rarefied world of Whitestone. (Taken from Amazon.com)

Mrs. Lassley's Review
This is one of those books that you can read in one sitting, and the idea will leave you thinking. Although this book felt disjointed and did not spend enough time in certain areas, the whole idea is interesting. A group of boys applying to a private school and getting in. What person who is having a rough time has not thought that they would do anything to make it better. That is what Bobby does, but I think it was a little easy, and not as messy as it would be in real life. The characters were all made different so Bobby was the only one who could actually make it. Although there are some potential secondary characters, they are not flushed out enough for you to form a bond.

Overall, this is a great idea, I just wish there was more to the book. I would grab it if you wanted a quick read.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Summary
One choice can transform you or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves and herself while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love. Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

Mrs. Lassley's Review
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Before reading this book, I did have to reread Divergent. I wanted to go in fresh with the characters. Once I jumped in to Insurgent, there is no getting out. Even when I put it down I was thinking about it. Tris's character was well developed in Divergent, but in Insurgent you meet a very different side of her. She is vulnerable but  tough. You see her break and sometimes Four is not there to help her pick up the pieces. There are so many twists and turns that at times it is hard to keep up, but the ending will leave you craving more...MUST READ!