Here is a great blog and contest you may want to check out.
http://addicted2novels.blogspot.com/2011/04/900-followers-giveaway.html
The Lively Reader is a blog created and maintained by Mrs. Lively the "lively" librarian at LBHS!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
2010-2011 Virginia Reader's Choice Voting Party
10 LBHS Students read four books from the list and will help determine which title wins the state Virginia Reader's Choice Award.
The Choices:
The Hunger Games
From Good Reads: In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love
Graceling
From Good Reads: Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.
When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone
Artichoke's Heart
From Good Reads: When she is almost sixteen years old, Rosemary decides she is sick of being overweight, mocked at school and at Heavenly Hair--her mother's beauty salon--and feeling out of control, and as she slowly loses weight, she realizes that she is able to cope with her mother's cancer, having a boyfriend for the first time, and discovering that other people's lives are not as perfect as they seem from the outside.
If I Stay
From Good Reads: In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...
A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.
Shift
From Good Reads:
Imagine you and your best friend head off on a cross-country bike trek.
Imagine that you get into a fight — the cheap s.o.b. won't kick in any cash.
Imagine you stop riding together.
Imagine you reach Seattle then come home alone, still p.o-ed.
Imagine the FBI is now at your college dorm.
Imagine finding out that your former best friend never made it home.
And imagine that he had actually been carrying over $20,000 in cash with him.
Imagine your world shifting....
A tour-de-force about biking, friendship, and the depths of loyalty by a debut novelist who has in fact biked cross country.
Knights of the Hill Country
From Good Reads: In a small Oklahoma town, one star linebacker must decide what kind of man he wants to be—both on and off the field.
Welcome to Kennisaw—where Friday night high school football ranks right up there with God and country, and sometimes even comes in first. This year, the Kennisaw Knights are going for their fifth straight undefeated season, and if they succeed, they'll be more than the best high school team in the eastern Oklahoma hill country—they'll be legends.
But the Knights' legacy is a heavy weight to carry for Hampton, linebacker and star of the team. On the field, he's so in control you'd think he was able to stop time. But his life off the field is a different story. His father walked out on him and his mom years ago, and now his mom has a new boyfriend every week. He's drawn to a smart, quirky girl at school—the type a star athlete just isn't supposed to associate with. And meanwhile, his best friend and teammate Blaine—the true friend who first introduced Hampton to football back when he had nothing else—is becoming uncomfortably competitive, and he's demanding Hampton's loyalty even as Hampton thinks he's going too far.
This unforgettable novel is the story of a boy whose choices will decide the kind of man he becomes, and raises powerful questions about sportsmanship, loyalty, and the deceptiveness of legends.
Rooftop
The Choices:
The Hunger Games
From Good Reads: In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love
Graceling
From Good Reads: Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.
When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone
Artichoke's Heart
From Good Reads: When she is almost sixteen years old, Rosemary decides she is sick of being overweight, mocked at school and at Heavenly Hair--her mother's beauty salon--and feeling out of control, and as she slowly loses weight, she realizes that she is able to cope with her mother's cancer, having a boyfriend for the first time, and discovering that other people's lives are not as perfect as they seem from the outside.
If I Stay
From Good Reads: In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...
A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.
Shift
From Good Reads:
Imagine you and your best friend head off on a cross-country bike trek.
Imagine that you get into a fight — the cheap s.o.b. won't kick in any cash.
Imagine you stop riding together.
Imagine you reach Seattle then come home alone, still p.o-ed.
Imagine the FBI is now at your college dorm.
Imagine finding out that your former best friend never made it home.
And imagine that he had actually been carrying over $20,000 in cash with him.
Imagine your world shifting....
A tour-de-force about biking, friendship, and the depths of loyalty by a debut novelist who has in fact biked cross country.
Knights of the Hill Country
From Good Reads: In a small Oklahoma town, one star linebacker must decide what kind of man he wants to be—both on and off the field.
Welcome to Kennisaw—where Friday night high school football ranks right up there with God and country, and sometimes even comes in first. This year, the Kennisaw Knights are going for their fifth straight undefeated season, and if they succeed, they'll be more than the best high school team in the eastern Oklahoma hill country—they'll be legends.
But the Knights' legacy is a heavy weight to carry for Hampton, linebacker and star of the team. On the field, he's so in control you'd think he was able to stop time. But his life off the field is a different story. His father walked out on him and his mom years ago, and now his mom has a new boyfriend every week. He's drawn to a smart, quirky girl at school—the type a star athlete just isn't supposed to associate with. And meanwhile, his best friend and teammate Blaine—the true friend who first introduced Hampton to football back when he had nothing else—is becoming uncomfortably competitive, and he's demanding Hampton's loyalty even as Hampton thinks he's going too far.
This unforgettable novel is the story of a boy whose choices will decide the kind of man he becomes, and raises powerful questions about sportsmanship, loyalty, and the deceptiveness of legends.
Rooftop
My Mother the Cheerleader
The Brothers Torres
I Am Scout
Friday, March 25, 2011
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Unearthly is one of the books I selected as a part of the Debut Author's Challenge I am participating in. The other day I had a student ask me if I had a copy of Unearthly and I pulled it out of my bag to show him that I had just started to read it. He then told me he is related to the author. How cool is that! I was so glad I already had a copy in the library. (I was actually pretty proud I did since this is a new release and had not been out long. Thank you Story Siren for running this challenge and making me aware of the debut YA books that are out!)
I just finished the book and I loved it, but at the same time I am disappointed that I am done. I would say this is the sign of a good book. I can't stop thinking of the characters and I want more! I found out from a little research that another book comes out next year- now I just have to find some patience.
Unearthly is the story of an angel-blood named Clara. Clara is only 1/4 angel and to most of the world just seems like a normal teenager. When Clara is 16 she starts have a recurring dream or vision of a forest fire and a boy that she has to save. She discovers that this is a part of her "purpose" as an angel and that her family must move to Wyomng for her to fulfill that purpose. In Wyoming she meets the boy from her visions as well as another guy- the brother of her best friend. As Clara learns more about both Christian, the boy from the visons, Tucker, the best friend's twin brother, and about the angel world, life gets more and more confusing for her.
This fantasy, romantic, thriller is a real page turner. I loved the characters and found them to be very real and believable. I enjoyed the angel story line that Cynthia Hand created and found it to be very plasuible within the story. My only disappointment with the book is that I am not ready to leave Clara, Christian, Tucker and Jeffrey, Clara's brother, behind. I hope that future books will continue the Clara story but focus more on Jeffrey and Clara's mother too.
I highly recommend Unearthly and look forward to booktalking this at school.
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