Overdrive

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Playing Catch Up



So as you can see from my previous posts, I am reading. But because I have not been home for most of June, I have not been able to post anything. BUT I AM READING AWESOME BOOKS!! Since we have been traveling, I get to sit in the passenger seat and read. My husband is okay with this as long as I keep my five year old, one year old, and two dogs quiet. And because I hate to drive, this is the perfect arrangement...except when your one year old decides to start screaming...but you know how that goes.

I cannot believe it is almost July 15th. In one month I will be reporting back and getting ready for a new school year. I have many new ideas to implement, and lots of books I cannot wait to share with my students. And I will say... I miss my Spartans!!!!

So now I have a favor....please comment below and tell me any YA books that you have been reading that you would recommend. I can only read so many and I would love some suggestions!!



Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

Summary
Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it's also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster. Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though. Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters. These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful Gorgon maligned in myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight. (From publisher, taken from titlewave.com)

Mrs. Lassley's Review
I have had this book in my "Must Read" pile for awhile. I even have an ARC for Sweet Shadows, book two in the series. After reading it, I am kicking myself for waiting so long. Anyone who loves mythology, but is tired of Percy, this is your book. Each girl is bringing to the table something different and they each have their own strengths. This is further brought out in Sweet Shadows. They are also each trying to have a semi-normal life, which is not really working for them. Between this and the author's other series, Just for Fins, I am having a fun summer!

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate


My students know that I do not normally read books from the point of view of an animal. But I picked this up on a recommendation from another librarian, and I was not disappointed. Ivan is a silver back gorilla who still remembers what it is like to be free. Ruby is a baby elephant who is having to be trained and fighting it. With help from a human friend, freedom is at their finger tips.

Katherine Applegate has written a beautiful book from the point of Ivan. It will open your eyes up to the possibility that animals might understand us more than we think. Every time I go to the zoo I think about the animals being caged up, but I do not think about the fact that some of them are actual being brought in from something worse. I see this book winning a ton of awards and I look forward to sharing it with my kids and students.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer


Summary
 Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl. . . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.(Written by the publisher, taken from titlewave.com.)

Mrs. Lassley's Review
I will say it took me a couple of chapters to get into this book, but after that I was hooked. BUT readers looking for a complete Cinderella remake may want to look elsewhere. Although there were places that you can see the fairy tale, the whole vibe of the book was something so new. BUT that is what helps it stand on its own...and a fairy tale this is not. I know that boys will not pick this book up because of the cover, but with chapters from Prince Kai's point of view, this is a great read from both girls and boys. It is a possible Lone Star list candidate, and I think we will see it on there. AWESOME!