Welcome Back!

Here are some books I read over the summer that I think you might like:

I discovered Orca Books. These are 100-page books are contemporary, fast-paced, realistic fiction or mysteries that you won't want to put down. Search Orca on the online catalog to find them all!


Fakie by Tony Varrato: A mystery about a boy and his mom who are in the witness protection program so have to keep moving or be killed!





Need a multicultural book? Try Home of the Brave, by Katherine Applegate, a 2010-11 Golden Sower nominee, tells the story of Kek, an African refugee who comes to America after his family is killed by war. Written in free verse, it is a quick read.


Lawnboy by Gary Paulsen Is a comic story about how a 12-year-old "boy turns a mountain of grass into a mountain of cash" (description from the cover of the book.



Looking for SciFi or Fantasy books? Try the City of Ember Series: City of Ember, People of Sparks, Yonwood Prophet and the Diamond of Darkwood by Jeanne DuPrau

City of Ember: The lights in the City of Ember start to flicker and Lena and Doon, two teens who have just finished their education and entered the world of work, join forces to figure out what is going on. City of Ember has a cliff-hanger ending that makes you want to read People of Sparks to see what happens next!



Here's a repost from my blog from 2008 listing some great light reads I've classified as appetizers and snacks. Enjoy!

Appetizers

Chicken Soup for the Soul books--too many titles to list but each one full of short stories that will make you laugh, cry, and reflect on life. These will be in the non-fiction section of most libraries.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (a novel in cartoons) and Rodick Rules by Jeff Kinney
Frindle by Andrew Clements (Realistic Fiction)
Lunch Money by Andrew Clements (Realistic Fiction)
Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen
Nancy Drew books by Carolyn Keene (Mystery)
Shredderman by Wendelin Van Draanen
The SOS File by Betsy Byars, Betsy Duffey, and Laurie Myers
The Stupendous Dodgeball Fiasco by Janice Repka, illus. Glin Dibley
The World According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney


Snack Bar
"Skinny" books

Babe & Me by Dan Gutman (155 pages)
The Black Pearl by Scott O'Dell (100 pages)
Black Star, Bright Dawn by Scott O'Dell (103 pages)
Brian's Return (115 pages) by Gary Paulsen (first read Hatchet, The River, and Brian's Winter (133 pages)
Disney Adventures Series by Joan Lowery Nixon (under 100 pages)
Heroes Don't Run: A Novel of the Pacific War (113 pages)
Island, Everest, Dive, Kidnapped, On the Run Series by Gordon Korman (130 pages)
The Legend of Red Horse Cavern by Gary Paulsen (55 pages)
White Water by P. J. Petersen (107 pages)

2010 Golden Sower Winners

Watch these book trailers for the 2010 Golden Sower Winners:

Intermediate Winner
Deep and Dark and Dangerous: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn

Intermediate Honor Books
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart; illustrated by Carson Ellis

The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies


Young Adult Winner
Cracker!: The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata

Young Adult Honor Books
The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin

Peak by Roland Smith

Peak 2

Do you know the Monkey Man by Dori Hillestad Butler. Sam hasn't seen or heard from her father since she was 6 years old. Dad left when Sam was three. Right after the accident. Dad and Sam's twin sister Sarah went out in the canoe. But it tipped over and Sarah was killed. Dad took off and the only time Sam heard from him was a postcard he sent from the zoo. It had a picture of a monkey on it and a short note but nothing else. And now Sam is consumed with finding Dad. She is so desperate, she goes to the local psychic for information. But that was no help. The woman only told her that Sarah was alive. So much for being psychic! So Sam sets out on a journey that she hopes will lead to her father. Counterfeit Son by Elaine Marie Alphin. When serial killer Hank Miller is killed in a shoot-out with police, his abused son Cameron adopts the identity of one of his father's victims in order to find a better life.