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Dooley, Sarah. FREE VERSE New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2016 IL 5-8 ISBN 0399165037 Sasha has suffered many loses in her short 13 years. First her mother left the family. Then her father was killed in a mining accident. Her brother Michael gave up his dream of leaving their small town to stay and take care of Sasha. But he too is gone. Michael has died in an accident and now Sasha is alone in the world. She is sent to live with Phyllis, a nice woman who takes in foster children. It isn't easy for Phyllis. Sasha is a handful. She runs away. She breaks things. She gets into fights. But through it all, Phyllis stays by Sasha's side. Sasha is drawn to 9-year-old Mikey who lives next door and has lots of issues of his own. When Sasha joins the school's poetry club, she finally finds something in her life that makes sense. Will poetry be Sasha's voice?
Friday, January 29, 2016
Book of the day 01/29/2016
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Book of the day 01/27/2016
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Brown, Don. DROWNED CITY : HURRICANE KATRINA AND NEW ORLEANS New York : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015 IL YA ISBN 054415777X On August 29, 2005, everything changed for the people of New Orleans. Everyone was watching Hurricane Katrina for days as it tracked towards the city. It was unthinkable that this could happen. But it did. The storm was massive and hit with such tremendous force that there was no escaping the fury. There were many mistakes made by the those in charge that made thinks worse. When the storm was finally over, more than 1,400 people had lost their lives and things would never be the same. Live the horrible event as it crashes into the city.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Book of the day 01/20/2016
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The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz — Adobe Voice
Schlitz, Laura Amy. THE HIRED GIRL Somerville, MA : Candlewick, 2015 IL YA ISBN 076367818X Fourteen year old Joan Scraggs sees a horrible future ahead of her. Her father has forced her to drop out of school to work around the farm. She loved school and her teacher who had encouraged her to read and learn. But since Joan's mother passed away, Joan is forced to do all the cooking, cleaning, laundry as well as looking after the chickens and the vegetable garden. He father shows her no affection and her brothers are slobs. Joan just can't imagine that she will be cooking and cleaning for these men for the rest of her life. So she does what she sees as her only hope. She runs away and heads to the city of Baltimore. Hired girls can cook and clean and get paid $6 a week. After a long train ride, Joan finds herself alone in the dark and not sure where to go after the train is delayed. What was she thinking? How did she think a dirty girl from a hardscrabble farm in Pennyslvania could ever hope to become a respectable educated girl in the city?
Friday, January 15, 2016
Book of the day 01/15/2016
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A Death Struck Year by Makiia Lucier
Lucier, Makiia. A DEATH-STRUCK YEAR New York : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014 IL YA ISBN 0544164504 It is 1918 and the United States is involved in the First World War. In Portland, Oregon Cleo and her family believe they are too far west to be affected by the Spanish flu that is striking people on the east coast. They have heard about the devastation that this disease has played in Europe and in the soldiers returning from war. Cleo is told to stay at her boarding school until her family returns from a short trip but she decides that she will be better off at home than stuck at school so she sneaks off. Within one day, the influenza epidemic has found it's way to Portland and that 200 people are affected. At home, she learns that the Red Cross is looking for volunteers to help with the influenza epidemic. She musters up her courage and volunteers to help by going door to door to find those too sick to ask for help. This sounds like a noble cause until reality hits.
Monday, January 11, 2016
Book of the day 01/11/2016
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Smith, Roland. EDGE New York : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015. IL YA ISBN 0544341228 Peak Marcello made headlines for his attempt to be the youngest person to climb Mt. Everest. At the top, Peak decided that his sherpa deserved the honor more than he did. It has been awhile since that time and he has tried to live a normal life -- whatever that is. When one of the richest men in the world offers him a chance to be part of a massive climbing event, he and his mother decide to take part. Two hundred teens from all over the world will be taking part in the Peace Climb. They will be working in small groups and will be climbing different mountains but all are scheduled to summit the same day. Peak's group will be climbing in war-torn Afghanistan. Peak is not exactly thrilled at this idea but he is assured that they will be safe. He will be working with his old film crew from Everest as well as his Sherpa friend Zopa. There will be body guards along also. His team consists of four other teens -- one of which happens to be the daughter of an important French diplomat. Surely they wouldn't send her into a dangerous situation. Or would they? Climb along with Peak as he finds himself in a very different sort of danger.
Thursday, January 7, 2016
Book of the day 01/07/2016
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Going, K. L. PIECES OF WHY New York : Kathy Dawson Books, 2015 IL 5-8, RL 4.9 ISBN 0803734743 Tia is a 12-year-old girl living in New Orleans. Her favorite thing to do is to sing. She is part of a gospel choir and she loves everything about the choir. Until it happens. One night as they are rehearsing, shots ring out near the church. A car jacking has led to a murder of a child. Tia is suddenly flooded with memories of her father. Her father who is in prison for the murder of a young girl. As much as Tia's mother has tried to protect her from this, Tia is wanting to know more. And the other members of the choir have learned about Tia's past.