Monthly Archives: December 2009

Acceleration by Graham McNamee

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accelerationDuncan works in the lost and found at the Toronto Transit Commission. Items that are lost on buses and the subways are brought to the subbasement of the Bay subway station, and it is Duncan’s job to retrieve them from the bins when a person comes to request their lost item. Sometimes when work is slow, Duncan sets a lawn chair up in front of the book bin and searches for an entertaining book. A plain brown leather journal catches his eye. As he flips through the journal, he finds newspaper clippings and very disturbing journal enteries. Duncan believes the journal writer is just one step away from committing murder but because he has a juvenile record Duncan thinks the police will not believe him if he brings the journal forward. But Duncan has a plan.

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

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The Truth About ForeverMacy is all set to have an uneventful summer. Her brilliant boyfriend, Jason, is off to Brain Camp. She’s filling in for Jason at the public library reference desk. Boring! In the evenings, she studies vocabulary for the upcoming SAT. Yawn! Macy and her mother don’t really talk much since the loss of her father. They haven’t truly dealt with his death. When an opportunity occurs for Macy to work with Wish, a very disorganized but close-knit catering company, she decides to take it on. Through Wish, Macy meets Wes. Wes and his Truth-telling game help Macy break down the wall she’s built up to hold back her feelings.

Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson

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saving the worldSaving the World and Other Extreme Sports is James Patterson’s third book in the Maximum Ride Series. Max and her flock are genentically-altered humans that have wings. Yes, they can fly and each of these extraordingay kids as other powers. They are on the run from their enemies, evil scientists who want to control the world. Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, the Gasman, Angel and her talking dog, Total set out to save the world from the over-zealous scientists. Max struggles with trust issues. This third installment is action-packed. Check out the whole series: Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment, School’s Out Forever and The Final Warning.

The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Enola Holmes Mystery by Nancy Springer

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case of the missing marquessEnola Holmes wakes up on her 14th birthday to find her mother missing. Her two older brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft, find clues that suggest Mrs. Holmes has run off and plan to send Enola to boarding school. Enola deciphers clues left for her by her mother and decides to run away herself. On her journey, she gets involved in another mystery involving the missing Marquess of Basilwether, a young boy who’s parents fear has been kidnapped.

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

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stormbreaker“…a car accident…called the ambulance…intensive care…nothing anyone could do…so sorry.” The voices of the police at the door at three in the morning drift up the stairs to Alex as he listens from his bedroom door. Ian Rider, his uncle and the only parent he ever knew, is dead. But circumstances of his death don’t sit right with Alex. Ian Rider, a banker, always wore his seat belt and he made sure Alex wore his; but he wasn’t wearing one the night of the accident according to the police. Then when Alex returns from the funeral to see a Stryker & Son moving van pulling out of their home and discovers Ian’s upstairs office is empty, Alex decides to do some investigating on his own. He locates Ian Rider’s BMW at J. B. Stryker Auto Wreckers and discovers the driver’s side has been riddled with bullets. After narrowly escaping danger in the wrecking yard, Alex is summoned to the Royal & General Bank, where Alex learns that Ian Rider was not a banker but a spy for the British Intelligence Agency, MI6. Ian was undercover on a case investigating the release of the Stormbreaker computer when he was killed and MI6 needs Alex Rider’s help to finish the job.

Avalon High by Meg Cabot

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Avalon High“You are so lucky.”
Ellie’s best friend Nancy tells her. Ellie Harrison gets a chance to start over at her new high school while her parents (college professors) are on sabbatical near Washington, D.C. Ellie has spent most of her summer in seclusion floating on a raft in the pool, but that will change when she starts Avalon High.
At Avalon High, she finds herself attracted to Will whose girlfriend, Jennifer seems to be attracted to Will’s best friend, Lance. Complicated? That’s just the beginning. Ellie soon discovers that she is wrapped up in an old legend. Will she have the courage to step-up when she is needed?

Pretties by Scott Westerfield

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prettiesPretties continues the story of Tally whom Scott Westerfeld introduced in Uglies. Tally is a pretty and she hopes to join the Crims. The Crims are a group of Pretties who plan and execute edgy tricks to make themselves feel “bubbly”. Her friends, Shay and Peris, are Crims. Does Zane think she has what it takes to become a Crim? Zane plans to let her know at the masquerade bash at the Valentino mansion. While searching for Zane in the mansion, Tally notices she is being followed by someone dressed as a Special. The lurker appears again right as Zane is about let Tally know if she made it into the Crims. Tally leaves Zane in mid sentence and chases after the lurker who has a message for Tally. A message from her ugly past.

Blizzard! by Jim Murphy

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BlizzardOn Sunday afternoon , March 11, 1888 the Great Blizzard hit the East Coast. Snow and wind whipped through cities and farms for four days dumping 40-50 inches of snow. Winds swept through the cities at up to 45 miles an hour snapping powerlines. Snowdrifts, some up to 50 feet high, blocked buildings. Transportation was shut down when trains could not move along the blocked tracks. Big cities like New York looked like ghost towns. Jim Murphy relates first person accounts of how different people experienced the storm that confined people to their homes for a week and froze the East River solid for a short period. If you find natural disasters intriguing, you should enjoy reading Blizzard!

The Great Fire by Jim Murphy

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great fireOn Sunday night, October 8, 1871, a small fire broke out in the O’Learys’ barn in Chicago, Illinois. Due to weather conditions and human error the fire became a roaring inferno that burned for 31 hours causing 100,000 people to flee the deadly flames. Through Jim Murphy’s skillful writing, the reader experiences the confusion and terror of four characters as they flee the great fire. Illustrations, photos and maps enhance this Newberry Honor Book.

Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata

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crackerWhen Willie Stetson finds out he can’t keep his beloved German shepherd in his new apartment, he decides to give Firecracker to the United States Army. Cracker is paired with Rick Hanski, her handler, and together they train to become part of the Scout Dog platoon destined for Vietnam. After a slow start Cracker and Rick become a great team, pass their training and ship out to Vietnam. In Vietnam, Cracker and Rick head out on different missions where Cracker alerts the team of booby-traps and the enemy. Both Rick and Cracker experience the intensity of warfare but they help each other through.