Book Review Break

photo by Lizard10979 on Flickr

Sad to say, but yesterday was the last book review for this school year. (Don’t worry, I As all books are due back the library on Friday (May 25, 2012), it only makes sense not to tempt with with titles you can’t checkout until the fall.

However, I will be posting to the blog over the summer.  Tomorrow I’ll tell you how to get some free audiobooks to listen to courtesy of a program called SYNC.  I’ll also be posting about YA titles coming out, movies that might be of teen interest, YA author gossip, and author event around the Bay Area.  If there is anything in particular you would like to hear about, just drop me an email at alexandraprovence@berkeley.net.

Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson

Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson

When sixteen-year-old Alison wakes up in a mental hospital, she truly believes she made the most popular girl at her private school “disintegrate” and die.  She saw this with her own eyes, and has already confessed to it numerous times to both her parents and the police.  But Tori’s body was never found, and you can’t just make another person disappear into thin air, right?  Despite all logic, Alison believes she has killed Tori and that it’s somehow connected to her extraordinary sensory abilities, that allow her to taste colors and see sounds.  Her mother has always believed that Alison is mentally damaged in some way, and has always kept an emotional distance between the two of them.  And now she acts like she’s afraid of her own daughter, hardly even visits the hospital, and eventually refuses to allow her to come home out of fear for her younger brother’s safety.  It’s not until Alison meets Dr. Farady, that she learns she has an actual condition called synesthesia, and that maybe she’s not crazy after all.

This book is full of plot twists and surprises, and will keep readers enthralled and on their toes to keep up.  While I found the ending a little disappointing, I think many readers will love this title because Alison is drawn so skillfully by Anderson, that one is quickly pulled into her world.  I recommend this to teen girls, especially fans of paranormal romance.

Vote for YALSA’s Teens’ Top Ten

 

Every year the professional teen librarians in YALSA(Young Adult Library Services Association) sponsor this event which allows YOU, the teens, to select your favorite top ten books.  Young adults across the country can read the nominated books all summer; voting will be happen over August and September, and the winners will be announced during Teen Read Week in October.

The BHS Library already owns most of these titles, so just ask for help finding them if you need it!

Austen, Catherine. All Good Children. Orca Book Publishing. 2011. (9781554698240). Max, his sister Ally and their mother return home to Middleton to find Ally’s classmates acting strange. It is the future, and the government has created a “vaccine” to make kids easier to teach- they are less rowdy, less likely to question, and willing to obey any direction. Max’s family has a choice: to be “vaccinated”, to flee their home, or stay and fight.

Bick, Ilsa. Ashes. Egmont USA. 2011. (9781606841754). Alex, Tom, and Ellie join forces after an electromagnetic pulse sweeps through the sky. The pulse kills most of the world’s population and destroys all computer devices, but it also turns some who remain into zombies or gives them superhuman senses.

Cabot, Meg. Abandon. Point. 2012. (978-0545040648). Pierce has experienced death before and barely escaped. When she moves from her old town to a town called Isla Huesos – Island of Bones – for a new start, she realizes that death wants her back. Can she escape death once again?

Cross, Julie. Tempest. St. Martin’s Griffin. 2012. (9780312568894). Jackson is a typical college kid until the day his girlfriend, Holly, is shot. Jackson decides he must use his one incredible gift, the ability to time travel. He goes back in time two years, trying to discover a way to alter the future so that Holly lives. The future is full of uncertainty and the past is full of betrayal- is there anyone Jackson can trust?

Dessen, Sarah. What Happened to Goodbye. Penguin Group/Viking Juvenile. 2011. (9780670012947). Ever since Mclean’s parents divorced, she has lived in four towns in two years – each time taking on a new persona. Mclean expects to leave Lakeview in six months, but soon finds that she doesn’t want to – she just wants to be herself.

DeStefano, Lauren. Wither. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 2011. (9781442409057). In the future, experimental genetics ensures that males only live to 25 and females to 20. When 16-year-old Rhine is kidnapped and sold into marriage, she is determined not to let her walls down for anyone so she can escape and go home to her brother. But when she meets her sister wives and Gabriel, a handsome servant, she finds it harder than ever as she tries to plan her escape under the watchful eye of her sinister father-in-law.

Forman, Gayle. Where She Went. Penguin Group/Dutton Juvenile. 2011. (9780525422945). This sequel to Gayle Forman’s If I Stay is narrated by Adam, Mia’s ex-boyfriend. Shortly after the devastating accident that killed Mia’s family, the talented cellist moves to New York, where an accidental meeting brings them back together.

Gaughen, A.C. Scarlet. Walker Children’s. 2012. (9780802723468). Will Scarlett is one of the Merry Men, Robin Hood’s legendary band of thieves, but what few people know is that Will Scarlett is actually…a girl! Disguised as a boy to escape from her past, Scarlett robs from the rich and gives to the poor. When an old enemy of Scarlett’s appears, she must choose: Keep her identity hidden? Or keep the people of Nottingham safe?

Goodman, Alison. Eona: The Last Dragoneye. Penguin Group/Viking Juvenile. 2011. (9780670063116). As the battle for ultimate control of her home draws near, Eona finds herself waging an internal battle that might cause more damage than the war threatening to break out across the kingdom.

Green, John. The Fault in Our Stars. Penguin Group/Dutton Juvenile. 2012. (978-0525478812). Hazel and Augustus meet and forge a relationship at a support group for kids battling cancer. As Hazel and Augustus struggle with the “side-effects of dying,” they come to learn the strength of wishes, the complexities of long human lives, and the wondrous ways of the universe.

Gulledge, Laura Lee. Page by Paige. Abrams/Amulet Books. 2011. Illus. (9780810997219). When Paige Turner and her family move to Brooklyn from rural Virginia, she tries to make sense of her new life through her sketchbook, which exposes her true personality and helps her find herself.

Lu, Marie. Legend. Penguin Group/Putnam Juvenile. 2011. (978-0399256752). June, a fifteen-year-old military prodigy, is hunting Day, the outlaw she believes is responsible for her brother’s death. What will happen when the two meet and discover the government is corrupt?

McEntire, Myra. Hourglass. Egmont USA. 2011. (9781606841440). Emerson Cole
sees dead people- ghosts from the past blending in with her surroundings. When a new consultant from a secretive organization shows up at her door to try to cure her, everything changes. But diving into the world of the mysterious Hourglass Society proves to be dangerous as the past merges with the present.

Meyer, Marissa. Cinder. Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends. 2012. (978-031261894). A futuristic retelling of the classic Cinderella, Cinder, a cyborg and talented mechanic, lives with her cruel stepmother and two stepsisters in the plague-ridden New Beijing. Soon after meeting Prince Kai, Cinder must find the truths of her past, which may help to save the future.

Myracle, Lauren. Shine. Abrams/Amulet Books. 2011. (9780810984172). When her best friend falls victim to a horrible hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover the culprits in her backwoods town in North Carolina.

Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls, Inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd. Illus. by Jim Kay. Candlewick. 2011. (9781406311525). Conor suddenly wakes up just past midnight to find a monster outside his window. This monster wants something from Conor that he is reluctant to give: the truth.

Oppel, Kenneth. This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein. Simon & Shuster Books for Young Readers. 2011. (9781442403154). In this prequel to Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein is on a dark quest to save his twin’s life. With help from his best friend Henry and his lovely cousin Elizabeth, the three go on a quest to concoct the mythical Elixir of Life. How far is he willing to go to save his twin?

Revis, Beth. Across the Universe. Penguin Group/Razorbill. 2011. (9781595143976).  Cryogenically frozen centuries ago, Amy and her parents are on their way to a new planet aboard the spaceship, Godspeed. Unplugged from her cryo chamber, Amy discovers she has been awoken 50 years early, in a failed murder attempt. With Elder, the future leader of the ship, by her side they are on an adventure filled with murder, lies, dreams, and stars.

Riggs, Ransom. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Quirk Books. 2011. (978-1594744761). When Jacob was little, his grandfather would tell him stories of the fantastical children’s home where he grew up and the seemingly magical kids who lived there with him. When his grandfather is killed, Jacob sets out to find the home where these children lived, unearthing a magical secret and uncovering his true heritage.

Roth, Veronica. Divergent. HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books. 2011. (978- 0062024022). Abnegation (selfless), Erudite (intelligence), Candor (honesty), Amity (peace), or Dauntless (brave): where would you fit? Beatrice lives in a society where she must choose either to remain with her family’s faction or set off towards independence and her beliefs. And what happens when the unity between these factions begins to fall apart?

Sepetys, Ruta. Between Shades of Gray. Penguin Group/Philomel Books. 2011. (978-0399254123). In 1941, Lina, her mother, and younger brother are taken from their home in Lithuania and sent to Siberia. The only thing that keeps her going is her secretlycreated art and the hope that one day she’ll be be reunited with her father.

Stiefvater, Maggie. The Scorpio Races. Scholastic/Scholastic Press. 2011. (9780545224901). Every November, the beaches of Thisby come alive with the Scorpio races. The water horses are vicious, the terrain is treacherous, and death is likely, but the reward can be beyond anything you could imagine. Puck Connolly is racing for her family, Sean Kendrick for his passion—but only one can win The Scorpio Races.

Zarr, Sara. How to Save a Life. Little, Brown Books For Young Readers. 2011.  (9780316036061). A year after Jill’s father dies, her mother decides to adopt a baby.  Mandy’s been living in different places, but now that she’s pregnant, she wants to make sure her baby has the love and support she never did. A story of two girls dealing with grief, new life, and everything in between when their paths cross.

Zevin, Gabrielle. All These Things I’ve Done. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 2011. (978-0374302108). In 2083, water is rationed, paper is rare, and coffee and chocolate are illegal. Anya Balanchine balances a mobster family, ailing grandmother, and forbidden love – until it all comes crashing down.

New and Newish Dystopian Titles

It seems like everyone is asking us about dystopian titles lately, so we thought we’d post another list.  These are books written within the last few years, some of them very recently.  We own all these unless you see a note that says ON ORDER at the end of the description.

Divergent by Veronica Roth.  In a future Chicago, sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis.  Teenaged Amy, a cryogenically frozen passenger on the spaceship Godspeed, wakes up to discover that someone may have tried to murder her. We have the sequel, A Million Suns, on order.

Matched by Allie Condie.  All her life, Cassia has never had a choice. The Society dictates everything: when and how to play, where to work, where to live, what to eat and wear, when to die, and most importantly to Cassia as she turns 17, whom to marry. When she is Matched with her best friend Xander, things couldn’t be more perfect. But why did her neighbor Ky’s face show up on her match disk as well?  We also have copies of the sequel Crossed.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver.  Lena looks forward to receiving the government-mandated cure that prevents the delirium of love and leads to a safe, predictable, and happy life, until ninety-five days before her eighteenth birthday and her treatment, she falls in love.  We have the sequel, Pandemonium, on order.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi.  Ostracized or incarcerated her whole life, seventeen-year-old Juliette is freed on the condition that she use her horrific abilities in support of The Reestablishment, a postapocalyptic dictatorship, but Adam, the only person ever to show her affection, offers hope of a better future.  ON ORDER.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young.  In a distant future, eighteen-year-old Lugh is kidnapped, and while his twin sister Saba and nine-year-old Emmi are trailing him across bleak Sandsea they are captured too, and taken to brutal Hopetown, where Saba is forced to be a cage fighter until new friends help plan an escape.  ON ORDER.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness.  Pursued by power-hungry Prentiss and mad minister Aaron, young Todd and Viola set out across New World searching for answers about his colony’s true past and seeking a way to warn the ship bringing hopeful settlers from Old World.  We also own multiple copies of both other books in the trilogy.

    

Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.  In a future North America, where the rulers of Panem maintain control through an annual televised survival competition pitting young people from each of the twelve districts against one another, sixteen-year-old Katniss’s skills are put to the test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister’s place.

We have multiple copies of all three titles, but are always willing to accept donations if you want to give your’s to the BHS to share with our students!

Feed by M. T. Anderson.   In a future where most people have computer implants in their heads to control their environment, a boy meets an unusual girl who is in serious trouble.  This is a great choice for the internet addicts out there as it takes it to a logical conclusion where everyone is always on the internet via a chip implanted in their neck.

        

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.   Tally lives in a world where your 16th birthday brings aesthetic perfection: an operation which erases your flaws, transforming you from an ‘Ugly’ into a ‘Pretty’. She is on the eve of this important event, and cannot wait for her life to change. But then she meets Shay, and her whole outlook is different.  We have copies of all four titles in the series, and even the guide to the world of the Uglies.

Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow.  Jules is a young man barely a century old. He’s lived long enough to see the cure for death and the end of scarcity, to learn ten languages and compose three symphonies…and to realize his boyhood dream of taking up residence in Disney World.  Disney World! The greatest artistic achievement of the long-ago twentieth century. Now in the care of a network of volunteer “ad-hocs” who keep the classic attractions running as they always have, enhanced with only the smallest high-tech touches.  Now, though, it seems the “ad hocs” are under attack. A new group has taken over the Hall of the Presidents and is replacing its venerable audioanimatronics with new, immersive direct-to-brain interfaces that give guests the illusion of being Washington, Lincoln, and all the others. For Jules, this is an attack on the artistic purity of Disney World itself.   Worse: it appears this new group has had Jules killed. This upsets him. (It’s only his fourth death and revival, after all.) Now it’s war: war for the soul of the Magic Kingdom, a war of ever-shifting reputations, technical wizardry, and entirely unpredictable outcomes.

House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer  . This book tells the story of Matt, the clone of 142-year-old El Patron, dictator of Opium, a country between the United States and Aztlan. In Opium, clones have one purpose, to extend the lives of those whose DNA they possess by providing them with a source for spare parts. The brains of most other clones are destroyed at birth, but Matt’s is left intact on the orders of El Patron.  But at the beginning of the story, Matt doesn’t know any of this…

Shade’s Children by Garth Nix.   In the brutal world of the future, an unspeakable fate awaits the human children of the Dormitories when they turn fourteen. It is from this Sad Birthday that Shade’s Children’Ella, Drum, Gold-Eye, and Ninde’have escaped. Hunted ceaselessly by savage mutant creatures, they join forces to form a resistance movement. Cunning, clairvoyance, and sheer desperate force of will help them. But ultimately their fate rests with the charismatic Shade, who calls himself their friend . ..

Unwind by Neal Shusterman.   In a future world where those between the ages of thirteen and eighteen can have their lives “unwound” and their body parts harvested for use by others, three teens go to extreme lengths to uphold their beliefs–and, perhaps, save their own lives.

Descriptions from WorldCat.org, the world’s largest online catalog at: http://www.worldcat.org.

Fire by Kristin Cashore

Fire by Kristin Cashore

Fire is a companion book to Graceling; I couldn’t wait to read it after I finished Graceling. I love reading fantasy, and I thought Graceling was a truly creative and imaginative story. Fire equals Graceling in creativity, characters I cared about and suspenseful plot. In the kingdom of the Dells, Fire is a human monster who is afraid she may turn out to be as vicious as her father, a human monster who advised the last king. When the royal family needs her help to protect the king from competing lords who want to overthrow him and seize power, she goes to the capital to help. There Fire finds people who instantly mistrust her and others who completely support her. She finds plots against the king and her personally, including a mysterious assassin who seems to be working for a shadowy figure no one knows. As the action builds, Fire realizes people respect and cherish her, which causes her to take risks on their behalf. The book stays suspenseful until the very end!

Review by Ms. Goldstein-Erickson

A Scholarly Gift

If you have a smart phone, I’ve run across the perfect apps for any student.  They are bibliographic citation makers, just like many of you already use online.

My favorite is Easy Bib, used my many of our programs here are Berkeley High.  Unfortunately, it’s only available for the iPhone at the present time, but it is amazing.  It has a built in barcode scanner that lets you skip typing in the title or ISBN.  Best of all, it’s FREE!.  Here’s a description for the App Store:

“Create accurate MLA, APA, and Chicago style citations in seconds by scanning a book bar code or by typing the name of a book. Build and manage your works cited. Once done, email your citations and then export your citations to EasyBib.com’s popular bibliography management service.

Works best with iPhone 4.

Also works with iPad and iPod Touch, but camera on these devices requires that barcodes need to be held steady and at a proper distance for the scanner to pick up.”

If you have a regular smart phone, you’re still in luck.  For 99 cents, you can buy Quick Cite, which works similarly to Easy Bib.  The App Store description reads, “Snap a picture of a book’s barcode and send a citation for the book to your email. Choose from APA, MLA, Chicago, or IEEE styles.”

Recommendation:  If you have a choice, I would suggest Easy Bib.  It’s very similar to the online app many student already use, it has more powerful features (like making your entire bibliography for you), and will also share citations with its online version.

Book Christmas Trees

The folk over at Galley Cat are collecting photos of book trees for their Book Christmas Tree Farm.  You can see their entire collection by clicking HERE.

Here’s my personal favorite:

You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch

Here you go, in case you missed one of the many showings of the original 1/2 hour cartoon this year.  It’s still one of my favorites, and in my opinion, far superior the the more recent movie starring Jim Carrey.

The Latke Song

Those of us who were raised visiting synagogues regularly, or even irregularly, probably know and love the music of the amazing Debbie Friedman.  Even though she passed on nearly a year ago, her music will always be a part of our family’s Hanukkah celebrations and all Jewish activities.  HAPPY HANUKKAH!!!

Here’s a version of the song with Debbie leading a huge group of children and their grown-ups in Boston in 2001.

Ready for Hannukah?

Although I won’t be posting book reviews over the next two weeks of Winter Break, I thought I’d share some seasonal thoughts and fun.  Today’s entry is one of my favorite Hannukah songs, just in time for the holiday starting Tuesday night.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a huge tradition in my family.  My husband wanted to go see it live when we visited our daughter in New York City last year, but was outvoted by saner minds.

Feel free to leave one of your family’s turkey day traditions as a comment!

Trash by Andy Mulligan

Trash by Andy Mulligan

Raphael, Gardo and Rat are “dumpsite boys” living in an anonymous third world country.  They literally live in a village inside the city dump, and spend their days sorting through trash, looking for anything they can salvage for a little cash. As partners, Raphael and Gardo watch out for each other and share their finds, but Rat is one of the few boys who has no family, and works alone and lives by himself in an underground cave hidden someplace in the dump.  When Raphael finds a wallet with eleven hundred pesos inside it, he and Gardo are thrilled, until the police come that night looking for something in a small, black plastic bag, just like the one the boys’ wallet was in when they found it.  The police are acting pretty suspicious, especially considering the wallet belongs to a man who works as a household servant.  Raphael decides to keep the wallet overnight, and they hide it at Rat’s place, since no one would ever go in there, not with all the rats that share the hole with him.  As it turns out, there is a huge mystery involving a rich politician or is said to have robbed the country of millions of dollars.  Jose Angelico, the servant, worked for this potentially crooked man, and may have stolen some money from him before fleeing.  The boys also found a city map and a key with the wallet, so they are sure there is something more than a lost wallet at stake here.

Most of the book is a high speed chase as the three boys try, not always successfully, to avoid the police and figure out what Jose was hiding.  The action is non-stop, making this the perfect book if you need one to finish up in a hurry. I especially liked that the author did not give to much as the story galloped along, keeping me guessing and on the edge of my seat.  I recommend this title to all readers, especially those looking fora fast-paced mystery.

Welcome Fall 2011!

It’s hard to believe that we’re already starting the third week of school here at Berkeley High.  The summer went by so fast, as always, but students and staff alike seem eager to begin the new school year and put forth their best efforts.  We have a new computer circulation program in the library that we’re learning to use, hence the long delay on starting the blog again this fall.  We’re relieved to finally be able to check out books using a borrowed tablet computer this week, and have met lots of new freshmen who are avid readers, and love the fact that they can check out six books at a time.

Stay tuned to this blog for lots of great book reviews for the upcoming year.  Please drop me a line if you’d like to help review books or have suggestions for us to purchase Ms. Provence.

Diversity Reading Challenge

I think I’m going to join this challenge sponsored by YA writers  Malinda Lo and Cindy Pon.  I really need to get out of my reading comfort zone and look at some books that better reflect our society and my students at Berkeley High School.  Here are the details of the challenge from their diversity blog:  (obviously we would fit into the readers/bloggers category).

Here are the details:

Libraries: We invite librarians to incorporate diverse middle grade and young adult novels into your summer reading programs, whether it’s as a book display, a book club event, or a book list you’ve created to share with your patrons. Please take photos or shoot video of your display or event and share them with us!

Readers and Book Bloggers: We invite readers and book bloggers to read diverse MG and YA books throughout the summer (you choose the books!) and write an essay (at least 500 words) about your experience. You can post it on your website, Blogger, LiveJournal, Tumblr, or on Facebook; we only ask that your post be publicly readable.

What to read: You can read whichever diverse books you like! By diverse we mean: (1) main characters or major secondary characters (e.g., a love interest or best friend kind of character) who are of color or are LGBT; or (2) written by a person of color or LGBT author. If you need some suggestions, check out our monthly lists of new books, and these book lists at Black Teens Read.

Judging: Cindy Pon and Malinda Lo will select one grand prize winner in each category, and that winner will receive a giant collection of fabulous MG and YA books. In addition, our favorite blog posts may be posted on www.diversityinya.com later this year.

Prizes: Many major publishers have generously donated books to serve as prizes for our challenge. You can check out the preliminary list of prizes here, and we will update the page as more donations come in.

Fine Print: This challenge is open to US libraries only, and prizes can only be sent to a US mailing address.

How to enter: Go to this page and fill out the form when you are ready.

Deadline: The deadline for all entries is September 1, 2011.

Cindy is the author of Silver Phoenix and Fury of the Phoenix and can be found at her website:  www.cindypon.com.

Malindo has written Ash and its companion novel Huntress and can be found at: www.malindalo.com.

Feel free to comment here if you are joining the challenge.  I will be reviewing the books for next school year’s blog, but probably listing them here over the summer, too, as I read them.  I’ll probably start off by reading Malindo Lo’s Ash, since that’s on my summer reading pile and I’ve been trying to get to it forever.

Win Free Stuff @ the BPL Teen Summer Reading Program!

What a great program!  I tried to enter for the IPad and was laughed at;   they’re saving it for one of you guys!

Teen Summer Reading

how it works

• Sign up at any Berkeley Public Library! Program runs Friday June 17 through Saturday August 13.
• Turn in (online or in person) at least one book review and receive a free book, a $5 Pegasus Books coupon & an entry in the teen summer raffle!
• Each review entered after that will get you another entry in the raffle.
• Raffle prizes include gift certificates from local merchants.
• Participants who submit 10 or more reviews are eligible for the touchscreen tablet computer and acoustic guitar raffle.
• Prizes available while supplies last.

the fine print

• Players should read books that they enjoy and that are appropriate for their current reading level.
• Reviews of books, graphic novels, and recorded books (CD, tape or downloadable) will count as entries into the Summer Reading Raffle. One review per manga series, please.
• Books may be read in any language.
• All regular prizes must be claimed in person by Saturday, August 20.

Summer Blogging Plans

Since the Berkeley High Library is closed during the summer, we’re going to suspend our book reviews until late August when our kids return.  Although I posted reviews last summer, many of our regular readers told me that they missed reviews since the blog was just off their radar when they don’t come to classes.

What I will do is post articles of interest, video book trailers and other goodies that I think readers might enjoy.  I am also online over at Goodreads (under alexandra provence) and put very brief reviews of the books I read if anyone if interested in friending me there.

(photo of New Zealand coast by http://www.freenzphotos.com)

Girl Parts by John M. Cusick

Girl Parts by John M. Cusick

This humorous book satires our online, internet culture by taking it to an almost ridiculous extreme.  When David Sun and 750 other people watch a classmate commit suicide online without giving it a second thought, his parents decide he has an emotional disorder which keeps him from connecting with other people. Their ironic solution is MORE technology, even though his thousands of online friends are clearly one of his issues.  The parents quickly purchase him a Companion Bot, a gorgeous life-like android, named Rose to “dissuade dehumanizing behaviors and encourage healthy human interaction.”  Although Rose is programmed to be agreeable to her human, when spoiled David realizes she has no real “girl parts,” he rejects her, breaking her heart.  Luckily for Rose, when she tries to drown her electronic self, she is rescued by Charlie, a shy boy who is nearly the exact opposite of David.  Readers won’t be able to wait to find out what happens with Rose, David and Charlie.

This book was a funny and enjoyable read.  I would recommend it to readers looking for something humorous, or who are technology fans.

Winter Break

Morning Everyone,

We have no great plans for break this year; I plan to Rest & Read as I told anyone who asked the last few days of school.  I will also be trying to catch up on movie viewing so my sweet husband and I are ready for the award season, having seen all of the Big, Nominated Films.

So…I will not be posting reviews over the next couple weeks, but rest assured that much reading is going on.  I will try to make some interesting posts about the seemingly millions of Top Ten book lists of 2010, and maybe some juicy author and book gossip.

Have a wonderful holiday season!  I’ll be thinking of all my BHS students as I curl up in my comfy chair and read.  Be sure to say Hey! if you see me around town.

Hugs,

Ms. Provence

Official trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows movie

Here’s the trailer for the movie in case you weren’t one of the lucky few to see the movie last night.

Local author Seth Harwood

SETH HARWOOD presents YOUNG JUNIUS

Friday, October 8, 2010 – 7:00pm

A Great Good Place for Books
6120 LaSalle Avenue (Montclair Village)
Oakland, California 94611

Come meet author of Seth Harwood, author of Jack Wakes Up, on Friday October 8th at 7:00 p.m as he reads from his new book YOUNG JUNIUS.

Description:

In 1987, fourteen-year-old Junius Posey sets out on the cold Cambridge streets to find his brother’s killer in a cluster of low-income housing towers–prime drug-dealing territory. After committing a murder to protect his friend, he finds himself without protection from retribution. His mother gives him fifty dollars and instructions to run, but Junius refuses to live a life in hiding. Instead, shocked by the violence he’s created and determined to see its consequences, he returns to the towers to complete his original mission.

As Junius, his friend, two drug crews, and the police all move inexorably toward a final confrontation, a series of surprising events and shifting loyalties transforms this day into a bloody turning point that none of them could have foreseen.

About the author:

Seth Harwood grew up in the Boston area, graduated from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop in 2002 and currently lives in Berkeley, CA with his wife Joelle and their dog. He teaches writing and literature at Stanford University and the City College of San Francisco.