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Review format:

Title of Book in italics, Author, Your review in 2-3 sentences, (Reviewed by first name and last initial, date) .

The Way Joseph Bruchac: This story of a misfit teen and his path to "The Way" takes the reader on the Cody's journey to his own self. Cody learns from his Uncle John how to find his own identity and the inner strength he posseses. (Ms. M 4/7/08)

The Arrival by Shaun Tan: Books without words intrigue me. This book has won critical acclaim for its portrayal of the immigrant experience. What I love about books without words is that the story becomes your own. Take a look at The Arrival and decide for yourself what story you see in the pictures. (Ms. M. 4/3/08)

A long way gone: memoirs of a boy soldier Ishmael Beah

This compelling true story details Ishmael's experiences as a child soldier in Sierre Leone.  At the age of twelve rebels attacked his home village and he ran for safety.  He soon found himself carrying an AK47 for the government army.  At sixteen UNICEF rescued him from the army and he ended up speaking on children of war at the United Nations.  This shocking, provocative read will give you pause as you consider the world beyond your own. (Ms. M. 3/24/08)

 Twilight Stephanie Meyer:  I finally had the chance to read this popular book over the long weekend.  YES--It is a wonderful romance between Edward & Bella as she discovers his vampire family secrets.  I was absolutely hooked by Bella's confusion and obsession with Edward.  A great read that is hard to put down.  (Posted by Ms. M 11/26/07)  New Moon:  The second book in this series is just as good as the first.  How does Bella move on when Edward has left her behind? Add in Jacob and the story gets even more complex.  I can't wait to see what book three has in store.  I've been riveted.  (Posted by Ms. M. 12/17/07)  Eclipse:  The story just gets better and better...Does Bella become a vampire?  What happens with Jacob and his friends?  Please let there be a book #4!  (Ms. M. 1/7/08)

The astonishing adventures of fanboy and goth girl Barry Lyga:  This story chronicles a teen comic book fan and artist in his quest to be noticed.  Goth girl helps him discover his own strength but her own issues hold her back.  (Posted by Ms. M 12/14/2007)

Dancing Naked Shelley Hrdlitschka:  The title of this book intrigued me and I wasn't disappointed.  Kia finds herself pregnant and unsure what to do.  Join her on her journey from carefree teen to a young woman.  While I'm not an advocate of writing opinions in the library books, here's what two students wrote in their opinions in the back of the book:  " I really like this book it made me look at things a different way." and Janet added"This story is terrific!  I enjoyed it very much.  It's a must read guaranteed "  (Posted by Ms. M 9/20/07)

An Abundance of Katherines John Green:  Math is a cool way to analyze your relationships or at least Colin thinks so.  Colin a prodigy but not a genius only falls in love with Katherines.  He tries to determine if graphs will help him move to the genius status and be able to predict future relationships.  It's not as geeky as it sounds as Colin and his friend Hassan roadtrip and end up in Gutshot, Tennessee. (Reviewed by Ms. M. 9/12/07)

American Born Chinese Gene Luen Yang:  An intriguing graphic novel (comic) the interweaves the story of the the Monkey King, Il Jin Wang, Danny and Chin-Kee.  The three stories don't seem to be related and the book appears to jump from one story to the other.  If you keep reading until the end you'll see how the three stories come together.  FYI the author lives in the bay area. (Reviewed by Ms. M 8/26/07)

Harry Potter and the Deadly Hollows JK Rowling:   A great wrap up to the HP series.  The challenges of "he who shall not be named" and other nemesis are resolved in a satisfying manner.  The ending of the adult Harry, Ron, and Hermione was a great added touch for this "adult" reader.  (Reviewed by Ms. M 8/22/07)