Good Reads, Sights, & Sounds
Good Reads
Good Sights

 

Born To Rock
                     by Gordon Korman

Leo has known for years that his Dad is not his biological father, but what he finds out as he is about to graduate from high school is that his paternal genes come from the angriest man in America – King Maggot, lead singer of the famed punk rock group Purge.  When the straight-A student and President of the Young Republican Club at school gets caught talking during a test, he is accused of cheating and loses his much-needed scholarship to Harvard.  The only way Leo can think of to raise the money for his first year of college is to appeal to Maggot – and the only way Maggot will help him is if Leo goes on tour with the band for the summer.  So what’s it like for the straight-laced Leo to hang out with his aging punker father for a summer?  In characteristic Korman style, it’s hilarious and enlightening – don’t miss this rockin’ summer adventure!  Recommended for grades 7 and up.
Dead Connection
                 by Charlie Price 

Murray Kiefer is a loner and has found comfort and companionship by "visiting with" the dead in his local cemetery. Schoolmate Pearl is more outgoing and confident; she lives with her widowed father, the caretaker of the cemetery. A third teen, cheerleader Nikki Parker, has disappeared, and everyone speculates about whether she'll be found alive.  This mystery is full of twists and turns with a surprise ending.  Recommended for grades 9 and up.
Twilight
                 by Stephenie Meyer 

In this popular vampire-love story, seventeen-year-old Bella moves in with her dad in Washington state where it is rainy and dreary most of the time.  It is here that she meets Edward.  He is mysterious, intriguing and very handsome.  After an almost fatal accident, she finds out Edward, along with the rest of his family are vampires...vampires that resist the craving of human blood...vampires that never grow old.  Edward and Bella fall hopelessly in love.  Things begin to heat up when another vampire clan comes in contact with Bella sensing her mortal blood.  And Edward will do anything to protect her.  After reading this one, make sure to watch for the sequel.  Recommended for grades 9 and up.

John Lennon: All I Want Is The Truth
                 by Elizabeth Partridge 

Any music lover will love this book.  It is a fascinating look of a legendary Beatle's musician.   It traces John Lennon's life from his birth in 1940 during a German air raid on Liverpool to his murder in Manhattan 40 years later. The author has filled the book with so many  photos there is something interesting to look at on almost every page.  It also includes many quotations from Lennon and his friends.  You get a real sense music industry and of who this rock legend was and the impact he had on those around him.  Recommended for grades 9 and up.

The Girl Who Invented Romance
                 by Caroline Cooney 

Kelly decides the only way she can play at romance is to design her own board game. And that's exactly what she does. First it's for fun, but eventually it becomes a project for her high school sociology class. The rules for Kelly's game change as she watches the romantic relationships around her change. As her understanding of the difference between love and romance grows, Kelly discovers that you don't always have to look far for true love.  Recommended for grades 6 and up.

Our Eleanor:  A Scrapbook Look At Eleanor Roosevelt's Remarkable Life
                 by Candace Fleming 

This is a great biography about First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, is written in small articles.  It was very easy to read and understand what an interesting and strong woman she was.  Not only does it talk about her political life with the president during his four terms in office, but also of her private life and her determination to do what she thought was right.  Filled with many pictures and documents, this would be a good choice for either pleasure reading or a school assignment. Recommended for grades 7 and up.

 Black Juice
                 by Margo Lanagan

This Printz Award Honor Book is a collections of ten fantasy stories about strange and startling, weird, and sometimes terrifying worlds.  One of the most memorable story is the first, "Singing My Sister Down," about a family that lovingly crafts a celebration of grief as one of their own sinks deeper and deeper into tar pits. "Red Nose Day" provides a glimpse into the hearts of two assassins who are killing clowns.  Reading one or all of the stories in the book is a great way to satisfy your fantasy craving. Recommended for grades 9 and up.

If We Kiss
                 by Rachel Vail

High school freshman Charlie is ready for her first kiss. The big day arrives when Kevin Lazarus chooses her, taking her by the hand and leading her outside. Charlie doesn't particularly like him but finds herself both intrigued and grossed out by the germs she has been exposed to. She is not sure if it really happened and she tells no one, not even her best friend, Tess. To complicate matters, Tess sets her eyes on Kevin and wins his affections, her mother becomes romantically involved with Kevin's father.  Recommended for grades 7 and up.

Abarat
          by Clive Barker 

This exciting fantasy novel takes place in the land of Abarat where each island is a different hour of the day.  Candy, a lonely misunderstood teenager, gets swept up by a forgotten sea with the “John” brothers and arrives in Abarat. Her adventures escaping Christopher Carrion, the lord of midnight and “the kid” add to the excitement, not to mention the mysterious 25th hour.  This very engaging tale has just the right mix of detail, fantasy, and reality, as well as beautiful illustrations to go along with the story.  The ending leaves the reader waiting in suspense for the next book in this gripping series.   Recommended for grades 6 and up.

City of the Beast 
               by Isabel Allende 

In best-selling author, Isabel Allende’s debut teen novel, an American teenager and his grandmother venture to the Amazon to pursue the legend of the Beast, whose scent kills. Alexander teams up with his newly found friend, Nadia on a journey full of danger and enchantment.  The novel is not quite the story one might expect in the beginning.  It is an excellent blend of adventure and fantasy with a wonderful cast of characters to provoke the mind.  Plot twists and beautiful description make this an excellent read for guys and girls!  Recommended for grades 7 and up.

Dr Franklin’s Island
                     by Ann Halam

In this age of scientific discoveries like genetic engineering and cloning, nothing seems impossible, even humans changing into animals.  Especially not on Dr. Franklin’s Island.  Although the story starts off slow, with the main character sounding lonely and sorry for herself, the story quickly evolves into one of the most moving books I’ve ever read.  When the plane Semi is on goes down in the middle of the ocean on the way to Ecuador, she thinks she is stranded alone.  It turns out that two other teens have also survived the huge explosion that tore the plane apart.  The three survive on the beach until one day Arnie disappears. The girls keep living on the beach until one day they decide to scale the cliff next to the waterfall.  What they find is a surprise.  They are captured and brought to a hospital like building, one of many different structures on the interior of the island where they are introduced to Dr. Franklin, a genius who has put his talents to use trying to turn people into animals and animals into people.  Semi, Miranda, and Arnie are his first human trials.  Although it sounds bizarre, this really was a good book!  It was thought provoking and well written and the tropical setting holds true to the season.  Recommended for grades 6 and up.