tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29412209759652653632012-02-16T15:40:03.788-05:00Gloucester High School Library Media Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932942364276474271noreply@blogger.comBlogger181100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2941220975965265363.post-46720784282874497962009-06-04T12:39:00.003-04:002009-06-04T13:08:24.727-04:00

Animal, Vegetable, Miracleby Barbara KingsolverNovelist Kingsolver and her family commit to living off the farm in Virginia for one year. Raising their own crops, canning and freezing, shopping at local farmer's markets, even making their own cheese, everyone in the family gets involved in the project. Nine year old Lily sells chicken eggs and meat, her husband Steve compares industrial

srasmussenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05548720843812086922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2941220975965265363.post-36875470548151851362009-06-04T08:54:00.002-04:002009-06-04T09:34:57.112-04:00

The WatchmenBy Alan MoorThe Watchmen, a now disbanded and aging group of superheroes are being hunted down and killed. A young woman searches for the identity of her father. And the ultimate superhero comes to terms with his identity. This critically acclaimed graphic novel has won awards and has spawned a movie. It has been said that this is the greatest of the genre. The Watchmen disproves

srasmussenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05548720843812086922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2941220975965265363.post-35677323335878960442009-06-03T11:21:00.002-04:002009-06-03T12:23:49.442-04:00

Truth About ForeverBy Sarah DessenMacy is a teen who has witnessed her father's death and deals with it by becoming a perfectionist. She gets good grades, has a perfect boyfriend, and is always neat and tidy. Despite the facade, Macy is drowning in grief. Summer comes, her boyfriend leaves and eventually rejects her. Her carefully crafted life begins to unravel when she takes a job at Wish

srasmussenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05548720843812086922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2941220975965265363.post-24117447432755867762009-05-15T11:35:00.003-04:002009-05-15T12:05:07.911-04:00

Rough and Tumbleby Mark BavaroThis best-seller is a "must read" for any sports fan. The main character is an aging pro football player. In one week, his girlfiend rebuffs him, the team's star defensive player is severely beaten and left in the parking lot dashing his hopes to play in the Superbowl, and he discovers that he has a career-ending injury. Confronted with the reality of life without

srasmussenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05548720843812086922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2941220975965265363.post-2555028826951642482009-05-14T11:43:00.005-04:002009-06-03T10:10:23.292-04:00

Death of a Red Heroineby Qiu XialongThis is a remarkable crime drama, set in modern Communist China, because it is written by a Chinese author and breaks out of the conventions of the genre. Inspector Chen of the Shanghai Police must find a murderer and then risk his own life and career to see that justice is done despite the political implications. The main character, Inspector Chen Cao, is a

srasmussenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05548720843812086922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2941220975965265363.post-42438619793256403892009-05-14T10:08:00.003-04:002009-05-14T11:41:08.513-04:00

Curse of the Blue TattooBy Louis A MeyerThis fast-paced historical fiction is the second in the Bloody Jack series. In 1803, after being exposed as a girl and forced to leave her her ship, Jacky Farber finds herself attending school in Boston, where, instead of learning to be a lady, she battles her snobbish classmates and roams the city where she has many misadventures. This heroine is rowdy

srasmussenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05548720843812086922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2941220975965265363.post-17213209790871752942009-05-13T15:56:00.005-04:002009-05-14T11:43:42.831-04:00

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by M.T. AndersonSet in pre-Revolutionary Boston, Octavian lives with his mother in pampered luxury. The reader slowly realizes that they are black and are part of an experiment to see if Africans have the same mental capacity as Caucasians. The Southern plantation owners who fund this research use it for their own ill-gotten gains; Octavian learns of

srasmussenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05548720843812086922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2941220975965265363.post-17071244165574507922009-05-07T13:24:00.009-04:002009-05-13T16:38:22.209-04:00

Storm Thief by Chris WoodingThis is a very original fantasy, set in the post apocalytic city of Orokos, a crumbling city/island. It is peopled by all manner of strange beings and residents live with the constant threat of "probability storms" "...order is elusive in Orokos, where at any time a probability storm can occu. Children can turn to stone, people turn into cats, left-handers become

srasmussenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05548720843812086922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2941220975965265363.post-5152020230391526212009-05-07T12:55:00.003-04:002009-05-13T16:39:21.180-04:00

Peace Like a River by Lief EngerThis book has the feel of a western ballad. The oldest son. Davy shoots two intruders and ends up in jails. When it appears he'll be convicted, Davy escapes and goes on the lam in the Dakota hills. His father, Jeremiah, his 11 year old brother, Reuben (the narrator), and poet sister, Swede, take to the road to find him. They are just one step ahead of the FBI.

srasmussenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05548720843812086922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2941220975965265363.post-3140805938313906962009-05-07T12:35:00.005-04:002009-05-13T16:40:38.413-04:00

Nick Adams Stories by Ernest HemmingwayIn this chronological collection of stories about Nick Adams gleaned from Hemingway's early writing, one can see the outline of a life with close similarities to his own. Poignant and powerful, it is a good introduction to Hemingway's work and provides insights, not only into the author but into ourselves as well. A reader writes "To me, this book is so

srasmussenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05548720843812086922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2941220975965265363.post-26851819070129928132009-05-07T11:42:00.004-04:002009-05-13T16:41:19.319-04:00

Luna by Julie Ann PetersThis is the story of a complex relationship between Liam (a girl who is trapped in a boys body) and his younger sister, Regan. Up until now, Liam has been content to allow his girl-self (Luna) to emerge only at night. Regan has enabled Liam to express his true identity while the rest of the family is in denial. She is his confidante and his protector and they are

srasmussenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05548720843812086922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2941220975965265363.post-623626236404513932009-05-07T09:54:00.005-04:002009-05-13T16:41:58.804-04:00

Love, Football, and Other Contact Sports by Alden CarterThis is a collection of interrelated short stories set in a Wisconsin high school. The football team is the glue which holds these stories together. The realistic characters often resurface in several stories. The first story is a witty "A Girl's Guide to Football Players" which is written by the female editorial staff of the school's

srasmussenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05548720843812086922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2941220975965265363.post-43673734663506057412009-05-07T08:50:00.007-04:002009-05-13T16:42:50.530-04:00

Furies of Calderon (Codex of Alera Series)by Jim ButcherThis fantasy novel is the first in a series but stands alone very well and should draw in fans of the genre. The plot is the classic struggle of the kingdom of Alera against outside forces and internal traitors who want to overthrow the king who is aged and has no heir. Inhabitants of the kingdom are able to bond with furies, elemental

srasmussenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05548720843812086922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2941220975965265363.post-86774672701018787672009-05-06T14:47:00.004-04:002009-05-13T16:44:36.493-04:00

Cracking Indiaby Jim ButcherThis is an eight year old girl's account of the years leading up to and during the Partition of India in 1947. The early years are filled with mundane observations of household events and characters. "The family's simple life changes forever with the Partition of of India...and the creation of Pakistan for Muslims; Hindus and Sikhs remaining in the state of India.

srasmussenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05548720843812086922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2941220975965265363.post-78424135164578482032009-05-06T14:18:00.007-04:002009-05-13T16:45:09.646-04:00

Black and Whiteby Paul VolponiThis is the story of Eddie and Marcus, two teenage boys who have been best friends forever. This is an unusual occurence in the New York neighborhood they grew up in and earns them the nickname "Black and White". They are star basketball players and are headed to the NCAA until their dreams are shattered by a bad decision. Rather than work at a "demeaning" job in

srasmussenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05548720843812086922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2941220975965265363.post-53414527607937978202009-05-06T13:59:00.007-04:002009-05-13T16:45:53.787-04:00

Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope by Jenna BushThis compelling, emotional narrative chronicles the difficult life of Ana, a young Latin American woman who author, Jenna Bush, befriends in her travels. Ana was born with HIV and loses her parents to the disease. She suffers abuse at the hands of her relatives and struggles to keep her affliction a secret. Eventually, her life improves when she

srasmussenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05548720843812086922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2941220975965265363.post-2759502491975461952009-05-06T12:46:00.009-04:002009-06-15T13:41:57.754-04:00

Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman AlexieThis is the story of a bright Native American teen caught between two cultures. Arnold Spirit, also known as Junior, is often the victim of bullying in his school and escapes through his drawings (sprinkled throughout the book) and the loyalty of his best friend. A teacher persuades him to reach higher than he would be able to on the

srasmussenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05548720843812086922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2941220975965265363.post-12914291192955598142009-05-06T08:55:00.007-04:002009-05-13T16:47:29.240-04:00

Bury Me Standing by Isabel FonsecaThe gypsies have long been the victims of discrimination, persecution and even genocide (during WWII) The author of this fascination account of the Gypsy(Rom) people had the rare opportunity to live and travel with the gypsies of Eastern Europe. She penetrates their reclusive society and in doing so is able to shatter persistent stereotypes. She chronicles

srasmussenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05548720843812086922noreply@blogger.com0