What Should I Read? Book Talks and More

If you are a regular reader of this blog (crickets chirping), you know that I have been reading a lot of fantasy and talking with people who do, too. I received a funny titled list in email the other day...called Clean Vampire Books. That's because kids are asking my colleagues and I for vampire books ALL THE TIME right now. Twilight and all that...so my friend asked around and found a bunch. I will post it later and you can tell me what you think!!!

We have some real readers at Hadley Middle School. One of my helpers in the library, Chris, reads SO much that he is always telling me about new series and new books. He told me about the Darren Shan series The Demonata (Shan is known for Cirque Du Freak of course--and Chris is one of the people who helped me want to read that series). I am reading book 2 of The Demonata , just because I couldn't get the first one at the public library. Oh yeah, it is called " Demon Thief ." link It is pretty intense so far. The main character came back from "beyond" -- and I don't know where that was. This protagonist isn't any help because he doesn't REMEMBER anything about where he was. But, I think he brought someone back with him!!!! Shan's website says " The Demonata" is a ten-book series which will take readers into new realms and universes, all of them populated or threatened by demons. Fast-paced and bloody, horrific and fantasti...

This is the second in a series--it is a super hero book! Here is the synopsis from the card catalog: "After an unknown adversary leaks their true identities to the world, Titan and his partner Diamond flee to the United States with their friend, Danny Cooper, and together the trio learn how to master their powers and use them for good. " Some series really need to be read in order and this is one of them. There are a bunch of characters in the stories and that is part of my confusion. Plus, I read the first one Quantum Prophecy a LONG LONG time ago...ok a couple of years ago. It seems that Carroll is finally getting going on this series...I found this link... http://www.iol.ie/~carrollm/qp/main.htm

I finished reading Vampire Mountain in the Darren Shan Saga. An interesting thing about this book is that readers learn about the rites and code of vampires in this series--of course Shan creates his OWN world and does not necessarily follow all the ideas about vampires that have been written before him. It keeps things interesting! Next I am ready for Trials of Death and I am very lucky because someone just returned it to the library TODAY! Here's a synopsis of Vampire Mountain from the card catalog: Mr. Crepsley leads Darren Shan on a dangerous trek to Vampire Mountain, the very heart of the vampire world, to be presented to the Council, but an encounter with the Vampanese along the way means trouble. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darren_Shan

Ms. Olson was telling me about this book, which is also YA (that classified for Young Adult readers 15-19 years old). It sounds very interesting--based on talents like swimming, mind reading, and everything in between and beyond! Although we won't have it in the middle school library, you may want to take a look at the public library. Ms. Olson has moved on to the Fire, which is described as "a loosely-related companion to Graceling." Here is a link! http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/hmhbooks/graceling/

A STOTAN is half Stoic and half Spartan in the Greek tradition. The plot of STOTAN is centered around 4 senior swimmers. Each has his own problems--and they are typical of what Crutcher writes about (child abuse, apathetic parents, no parents, love issues, bullies, sports...). It is the last year for a swim team at the jock school, Robert Frost High . The swimmers want to do as well as they can, but of course they cannot forsee the many challenges they will face duing the year. I checked this one out from the public library. I think I mentioned before that Crutcher writes YA, and much of it is not appropriate for middle schoool. As a matter of fact, he has been at the top of the list of challenged authors for the last 10 years! This book is really pretty tame compared to many of his books!

Yes, I am continuing to read Jenny Nimmo's books! The latest is Charlie Bone and the Shadow --it is my turn to read it at last! This book takes its name from the shadowy figure which is behind the Red King in his portrait. This figure, Count Harken--a magician, won't let Charlie into the painting. He is causing Charlie other problems, too. Here is the synopsis from the card catalog..." Magically-gifted Charlie Bone, accompanied by his best friend's dog, Runner Bean, comes to the rescue when the enchanter Count Harken takes revenge on the Red King's heirs by kidnapping and imprisoning Charlie's ancestors in the dark, forbidding land of Badlock. "

By Jenny Nimmo. Dinah is a very smart girl. She and her mother move from place to place--mostly because they don't have much money. Dinah's mother has found love--and Gomer, her mother's boyfriend, has put them in a house that is crumbling and falling apart. Dianh finds it an extraordinary place. She starts at a new school, makes a few friends and finds a couple of mysteries to solve--like where did the lion and the bear living in her garden come from?

Please share what you are reading! Just keep in mind who your audience is: kids at school. Please follow these guidelines: Use appropriate language. Don't use fighting words or provoke anyone. Avoid the use of chat language. Try to spell everything correctly. Only give constructive criticism. Use only your first name. You may make comments anonymously—without making an account. It is nice if you put on your first name or initials. Know that I keep an eye on this…but let me know if you find something that shouldn't be there. Also, please don’t do spoilers—tell too much about a story so it ruins things for others. Comment by clicking comments--which is underlined below...I'd love to hear from you...

Charlie Bone is a series that is every bit a good as Harry Potter! If you haven't read it, you are in for some great reading! Nimmo doesn't use quite the extensive vocabulary that Rowling does, but the story is so wonderful. I just finished Charlie Bone and the Beast. From the card catalog: "When Asa Pike, a Bloor's Academy student, goes missing, twelve-year-old Charlie Bone suspects a new classmate, the magically gifted Dagbert Endless, of foul play." I am waiting my turn at home to read Charlie Bone and the Shadow. I understand that CB and the Wilderness Wolf will be out soon! Someone put some good and reliable information on Wikipedia about this series--I have used their description and referenced it below: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Bone#Children_of_the_Red_King : The protagonist of the series is Charlie, a 12-year-old boy endowed with supernatural talents to converse and "visit" people contained within photographs or paintings. As a ...

Two more Jenny Nimmo books I read are Ultramarine (1990) and Rainbow and Mr. Zed (1992)--it is the sequel to Ultramarine . The brother, Ned, and sister, Nell, in this book are sort of orphans--but we don't understand that at first, because they have been adopted. There is a mystery involved there, of course! And since it is Jenny Nimmo --some skill or talent that is supernatural. The kids live by the sea and Nell sticks close to her older brother, not just because he takes care of her, but because she has discovered she can hear the footsteps of the sea when she is close to him! Both stories have a strong current of environmentalism in them and definitely show an appreciation for nature. Both books were enjoyable!

I recently read several of Jenny Nimmo's books. http://www.jennynimmo.me.uk/index.html She's a kids' author I always enjoy!! One is from her Snow Spider series-- The Chestnut Soldier . It is the third book in the series. The first is The Snow Spider (1988), the second, Emlyn's Moon (1990) the last of the series of The Chestnut Soldier (1991). This series was written before her Red King/Charlie Bone Series. The snow spider series is set in Wales. A boy discovers he is the ancestor of a powerful magician--not an illusionist--but a magic magician! The spider helps him with the magic...and of course the magic causes him trouble. Here is a short synopsis from Wikipedia --which is usually a good place to look up stuff about book series: The books, set in 20 th century Wales, revolve around a boy named Gwyn. His grandmother gives him five odd gifts for his ninth birthday. They take him on a quest to discover whether he is a magician like his Celtic ancestors, and help hi...