Slob by Ellen Potter

Have you ever started eating Oreos and suddenly half the bag is gone? That is what it feels like for Owen, the fattest kid in school. Owen is also a genius, or at least one point away from being one. Owen is constantly picked on at school and now someone is stealing the Oreos from his lunchbox every day. Owen is sure it is Mason, the scar-faced thug, that is stealing them. If only he could devise a way to stop him, to get his sister to stop acting like a boy, and figure out how to make his latest invention actually work. He's sure that once his TV to work, everything will work out for the better. Owen just has to realize that getting the TV to work and living in the past won't solve his present problems. Can Owen make the changes he needs to fix his life? Read and find out!

Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Are they wings, or aren't they? Laurel has a big problem. She's always been a little different-she's a strict vegan and has been home-schooled her entire life. Now her family has moved into a new town and she's sprouted what looks like wings or a flower blossom. Upon a visit to her old house, Laurel runs into a beautiful young man named Tamani. He explains to Laurel that she is different-she's a faerie! How will she explain this to her parents and what is she doing living in the human world? Read and find out!

This is clearly going to be a new series. I enjoyed the book until the end when things started to get a little crazy. If you like fantasy, check it out!

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen

What happens when you are the son of a billionaire and the world is under nuclear attack? You hide out in a luxury bunker for 15 years until it is safe to come out again. Eli and his family have been living underground for 6 years since the attack and for that time Eli has done nothing but worry about what happened to his twin brother Eddy and his grandma that didn't make it the night of the attack. Life in the bunker is monotonous and Eli is anxious to get out. He begins to get suspicious when his father starts acting strangely and the food supply starts to get low. Why is his dad so secretive about his office, why isn't there enough food, and why doesn't anyone else know the code to get out of the compound?


A creepy book that will keep you wondering if Eli will ever make it out!

Boot Camp by Todd Strasser

You are asleep and someone wakes you up. Next thing you know you are handcuffed and put in the back of a car. You have no idea where you are going. You've been kidnapped, only these people have already been paid. By your parents. To take you away. This is the story of Garrett. His parents have sent him to "boot camp" to change him. At Lake Harmony Garrett is subjected to physical and psychological abuse to make him into the son his parents always wanted. But what if he shouldn't have been sent there?

"In 2005 more than 10,000 teens were incarcerated in boot camps, most of them against their will. " -http://www.toddstrasser.com/html/bootcamp.htm

This is a very disturbing account of what really takes place all over the U.S. and surrounding countries. Not for the weak of heart!

Beauty Shop for Rent by Laura Bowers

Abbey has a plan. She is going to be a millionaire by the time she is 35. This is the only way she can break the cycle of sadness in her family. You see, her dad left and then her mom dropped her off with her great-grandma, Granny Po, and left. Granny Po runs a struggling beauty shop and Abbey works as many hours as she can to earn money. When someone comes into town to finally rent the run down shop, Abbey is worried her days of making money may end. However, with the help of the new manager Abbey opens her eyes and heart to the world around her. That is, until her mother shows back up.


I really enjoyed this book. It has just the right combination of drama (when Abbey's mom comes back), love (the hunky yard guy!), and humor (gotta love the Gray Widows-Granny Po's funny beauty shop friends).

A Map of the Known World by Lisa Ann Sandell

If you've ever had a person close to you die suddenly, then you will relate to this book. Cora's brother, Nate, was an angry teen. In a rush of anger he leaves and has a car accident. Cora's family is left to deal with their grief and get on with their lives. Their anger and sadness is slowly tearing apart the family and art seems to be the only thing that holds Cora together. She is starting high school, where her brother was known for his behavior, and her art class with the upperclassman is her refuge in spite of Damian, Nate's best friend who was with him the night of the accident. She soon finds herself falling for Damian as he begins to show her the brother she never got a chance to know.

This book is intense to those that are grieving. If you are not a mature reader, this may not be for you!

Kaleidoscope Eyes by Jen Bryant

Like a good treasure hunt? Lyza does. Set during the Vietnam War, this is the story of Lyza and her two friends, Malcolm and Carolann search for treasure in an unsettled time. When Lyza's family goes to clean out her grandfather's house, she finds a package with her name on it. Lyza find in this package a set of three maps of her town. With the help of a letter written to her grandfather, Lyza realizes this map will lead to a buried treasure left behind by a pirate long ago. Lyza recruits her two best friends, Malcolm and Carolann to help her find it. Will they locate the treasure and what will they do if they find it? Read to find out!

I enjoyed this book because not only is it exciting to find a buried treasure, but this book also portrays the confusion and uneasiness of the country during this time period. Malcolm's brother is drafted and sent out to dangerous places because of the color of his skin. Lyza's sister is a free-spirited, anti-war hippie. The characters give insight to younger readers about this time period.

Yikes!

Wow! It has been a while but I promise to have lots of new posts soon! I'm currently reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I bet this author was always last in line at school too!

Into the Wild/Out of the Wild

Into the Wild is about a girl named Julie, who just happens to be the daughter of Rapunzel and her prince. Rapunzel and many other characters from your favorite fairy tales have escaped the Wild, which holds them captive in their fairy tale and forces them to replay their role over and over again, and now live across the United States. They have done their best to fit in with daily life in order to have their own thoughts and dreams. In order to do this they must deny their real identity. The Wild has been reduced to a pile of vines stuffed under Julie's bed and it her her family's job to keep the Wild from growing and sucking everyone and everything into fairy tales. Someone is working against them and making people act out parts of different fairy tales. Soon the Wild has grown and is threatening to take everyone in with it. It is up to Julie to save everyone!

If you like fairy tales and girl heroines, you'll like this book. It has has action, adventure, and just a hint at love. Want to see if Julie can save the day? Read the book!


Out of the Wild is the sequel to Into the Wild. Everything is back to normal, or as normal as it can be after Northboro is named the Fairy Tale Capital of the World. The Wild is back under Julie's bed and everything is great...until one of the 3 Blind Mice runs into the Wild. And, now Julie's dad, Rapunzel's prince, is standing right in front of them. While trying to figure out how the prince has returned, Sleeping Beauty is kidnapped and the prince decides it is up to him to save her. Only problem is, someone needs to save him! The fate of the real world rests upon Julie-can she save us all from eternal fairy tales? Read and find out!

Lots of reading to do!

I've been slacking in my reading lately. I read several books over the winter break and will get those up ASAP. Some of them are not available for checkout yet, but will be soon!

Here are some of the books I read over break:
Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
What Would Emma Do? by Eileen Cook
Madapple by Christina Meldrum
Out of the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst