-
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?
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Book of the day 01/20/2016
Friday, January 15, 2016
Book of the day 01/15/2016
-
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
-
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
-
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.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Book of the day 11/01/2015
-
Showalter, Gena. ALICE IN ZOMBIELAND
Showalter, Gena. ALICE IN ZOMBIELAND Harlequin 2012 Alice Bell knows that her father won't go out at night. She doesn't understand why. Everyone thinks he is a bit deranged. But when he does agree to go to her sister's concert, she comes to understand why he is so afraid. On the way home, they are attacked by creatures who kill Alice's parents and her sister. Alice goes to live with her grandparents and she learns the horrible truth. There are monsters out there that only a few can see. Her father was one of them. And she is another. And now she joins a team of others teens to fight the undead and avenge the deaths of her family.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Book of the day 10/28/2015
-
Cline, Ernest. READY PLAYER ONE
Cline, Ernest. READY PLAYER ONE Crown, 2011 The year is 2044 and the world is a lot different than we know now. The world is an ugly reality to live in so those who can escape into the OASIS, a utopian virtual world. Wade Watts can't afford to purchase a lot of extras in the world but he does attend school in OASIS and plays lots of games. When James Halliday announces the biggest game in the universe, Wade is all in. Halliday has died and in his will he has detailed an elaborate online game. Halliday is the inventor of OASIS and he has hidden an Easter egg somewhere in OASIS. The contestants must make their way through different levels of the game and duel virtual enemies to try to find the Easter egg. Wade takes on the challenge and he sends his avatar Parzival on the quest for the largest payout in history -- ownership of OASIS itself. It won't be easy. Thousands of players are also on the quest. And there are evil corporations that will do anything for the prize.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Book of the day 10/27/2015
-
Clark, Simon P. TELL THE STORY TO ITS END
Clark, Simon P. TELL THE STORY TO ITS END New York : St. Martin's Griffin, 2015 IL YA ISBN 1250066751 Oli and his mother have come to the country to stay with relatives but no one will tell him why his father is not with them. Oli in encouraged to explore the house as well as the town. He explores the attic in the house and finds a mysterious creature named Eren. Oli is not quite sure if Eren is even real. But the winged creature thirsts for stories. Lots of stories. Oli tells the stories but there is always the need for another. What is Eren and why are the stories needed?