Student Saturday: Incredible Captures - Bill Morgan

Publisher:  Scholastic
Pages:  112
Genre:  Young Adult, Non-Fiction
Reviewer:  Autumn

Incredible Captures by Bill Morgan  the characters are John List, Bobby Comfort, Brinks Gang, Lauren, and Johnny Kon.  They all are criminals.  The crimes take place in apartments, cars, streets, hotels, prison and houses.

The biggest, sweetest, richest robbery ever was in a hotel by Bobby Comfort and some of his friends.  This robbery is listed in the top 10 robberies in America.  There were thousands of boxes with jewelry, money and of course diamonds.  they only took less than half of the boxes because they knew that someone was coming.  Bobby Comfort was only seven years old when he started to steal.  His mom wanted him to steal from his father when he was sleeping.  He stole for himself took and then did even more serious things.  John List's family was about to become homeless so then he killed everybody, even his kids, wife mom and brother.  The Brinks gang started robbing store then hotels.  Lauren started to do crimes by kidnapping a girl and the mother got her back.  Johnny Kon started to do crimes by robbing stores.

This book is about good, bloody, interesting and exciting crimes.  There are a lot of details and descriptions of people and things.  What made the criminals start to do these crimes?  What made them stop?  It' so interesting that I could not put down this book.

I think that this book is good and that if you like to watch Americas Most Wanted or mysteries and crimes, then I would think that you will love this book.  I read this book in less than half a day.

Liesl & Po - Lauren Oliver

Liesl & Po – Lauren Oliver

Illustrated by Kei Acedera

Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Books

Pages:  320

Genre:  Middle Grade, Fantasy

I have always loved ghost stories.  It never mattered if they were funny or scary.  This was a great ghost story.  This was one of those ghost stories that was full of evil people and ghosts who reach out and touch your heart.  Liesl has recently lost her father.  She misses him terribly.  Her step-mother has kept her locked in the attic for months slowly starving her while her very own daughter has been forced to play the role of Liesl. 

Will was an orphan adopted by an alchemist to be his apprentice.  The alchemist has no desire to teach him how to create magic.  His desire is to use the boy to run errands.  He too has little to eat, his clothes are too big for him and he has never heard a kind word.  Will runs errands each night for the alchemist and takes a route that allows him to gaze at a young girl in an attic.  He is worried because her light has not been on in her room for several days.  He dreams of them becoming friends.  He’s never had a friend.  On this night he has to make a delivery of a box of magic to an important lady, then he must  go to the grey mans” place to pick up some items for the alchemist.  The grey man disposes of bodies.  On this night he has sitting on his bench in a jewelry box the ashes of Liesl’s father.  Will arrives and gives the grey man his list.  The warmth from  the fire lulls him to sleep.  When he leaves he mistakenly picks up the wrong box.  From here things get interesting.

Liesl is suddenly visited by two ghosts, Po and Bundles.  She becomes friends with them.  In exchange for a picture Po agrees to go back to the other side to look for her father.  He finds him and goes back to tell Liesl of his discovery and that his father just wants to go to the willow tree.  This is where her mother is buried.  This is where her father planned on being buried one day.  Liesl decides she must  find a way to escape the attic and take her father’s ashes to the willow tree.

Because of the mix up Will, Liesl, Po and Bundles cross paths as they find themselves on the run from one kind hearted man and three evil beings.  The author’s note at the end explains how the book came about.  I could relate to her reasons.  It is a story that will touch your heart in so many ways.  The illustrations in this book are absolutely beautiful. 

This is a great book.  I was excited when I receive an email advertising the opportunity to read this book free until January 31st.  I had seen it listed on several blogs.  The premise made it very appealing.  I have had it on my list for quite some time.  I can’t wait to purchase this for my students so they may enjoy such a wonderful book.  

Everblossom - Larissa Hinton

Everblossom is an anthology unlike any I have ever read before.  First of all it seemed strange to read something that was so casual in its style.  I almost felt as if I was at an oral story telling.  This is not bad, just different.  Her mixture of short stories and poetry was refreshing.  I loved the poem “Childhood”.  As I find myself getting older it was nice to read a poem that took me back to what it was like to be a child.

Just about the time I thought I had the author’s style pinned down she slipped in something new.  “Crack” seemed like a short story of an abusive mother.  It had a twist to it that caught me off guard.

I think I enjoyed the poetry more than the short stories.  I felt like there needed to be more to the stories.  Maybe it was just my desire for there to be more.  I do believe this is an author we will see more from.

Student Saturday: The bad Beginning - Lemony Snicket

Publisher:  Harper Collins
Pages:  162
Genre:  Middle Grade, Mystery
Reviewer:  Maddy

Imagine finding out your parents are gone forever.  Imagine how you would feel if you learned they died in a fire.  That is what happened to three children.  These children were from a different dimension, and lived in a very old and dull city.  The oldest is Violet who is fourteen, the second is Klaus, a twelve year old boy, and lat is a little girl named Sunny.  She is just two years old.

Mr. Poe is a family friend and tells the children the terrible news about their parents.  He informs them they are to go live with their uncle Count Olaf.  The children have never met their Uncle and are very scared to go live with him.

Olaf is a tall, skinny man with a tattoo of an eye on his ankle.  There is even an eye on the door of his house which is old and dusty.  Olaf is not very hospitable.  He gave them a room with only on bed to share.


Mr. Poe told Olaf about the children's fortune.  This act was very unfortunate for the kids.  Soon Olaf was trying many things to get to the fortune.  This becomes the plot of the book.  Many unfortunate events begin to happen to them as Olaf gets greedy.

I recommend reading this book and finding out what unfortunate events Olaf cooks up for the children. It is an amusing book with great detail and event after event.  It is sometimes very funny.  Sunny made me laugh at times  It is also a little sad.  I enjoyed reading it and hope you do too.  The book is part of a series.

Want to Go Private – Sarah Littman

Publisher:  Scholastic

Pages:  336

Source:  Review Copy from author

Genre:  Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

Warning:  Due to the nature of the subject matter I would suggest to parents that they read the book and decide if you want to allow your child to read this.  Either way, this is a conversation you need to have with your teen.

First of all let me say that I am aware that many people don’t believe anyone under the age of 14 should read this book.  I happen to disagree.  I teach 6^th grade middle school.  Let me tell you.  I can see what most of my students are posting on Facebook if I wanted because they have no security set up and they chat with anyone.  I hear their conversations and know that at this age many of them are dating with their parent’s permission.  May of them are already sexually active.  We have talked on several occasions about online safety.  It is scary to realize so many of them don’t think there is anything wrong with talking to someone online that they don’t know.  They see no harm in it.  Will I put this book on my shelf for 6^th graders?  You bet I will.

Abby and Faith have been best friends for a long time.  When they reach high school, Faith moves on making friends quickly while Abby feels she is being left in the dust.  Things are not any better at home.  She’s constantly fighting with her sister and her parents just don’t seem to listen or care. That is how Abby feels about everyone around her.  She has gotten so low she feels everyone is ignoring her.   That is until she meets Luke in a chat room.  He understands her and listens to her.  Before she knows it she finds herself falling for him.  When things escalate at home she turns to Luke.  He suggests they run away together.  Then Abby goes missing.  Things didn’t turn out the way she thought they would and she is abused.  This story takes a look at how things got to this point and then they look at how her friends react to it.  This is a book that should be on every shelf.  It is a definite must read.  It is a hard read.  This topic is not a feel good topic.  The land this book takes kids to is one they need to learn about no matter how hard.  Trust me, they all think this kind of thing would never happen to them.  I want to make sure I do everything in my power to make sure it never does happen to them.

Blog Tour: What's Wrong With Me? - Daree Allen

Publisher:  Kharacter Distinction Books
Pages:  200
Source:  Review Copy from the Author
Genre:  Young Adult/Self-Help


From Goodreads:
Premarital sex. Drugs. Dating violence. Dropping out of school. So many choices, good and bad, are available for youth in America today, and girls continue to be especially vulnerable. They often blame themselves for things that go wrong in their lives, even when it s not their fault. They ask, What s wrong with me?, or they hear, What s wrong with you?! and brace themselves for the denigrating comments to follow. It s a timeless theme: girls grow up in every generation struggling with self-esteem, confidence, body image issues, uncertainty about dating, and insecurity about their identities. Where do they turn for answers or role models? Friends and peers don t make for such great influences and mentors when they are floundering themselves. Images of women of color in the media (TV and music videos) reinforce an impossible ideal and lack of self-esteem. How do girls today make decisions that will positively impact their future and not become victims of their surroundings? How can they affirm their Christianity proudly and not succumb to the deteriorating values of modern society? In this empowering Christian self-help book, Allen weaves her memoir from 20 years of journaling with lessons that still ring true for girls today, about such topics as accepting their identity, adopting a healthy body image, dating relationships, dealing with toxic friends and family members, avoiding or delaying premarital sex, building self-esteem, developing a positive attitude, dressing for success, setting goals, spending money wisely, handling anger and depression, and embracing their singleness, discovering their life purpose, and keeping God first.


From Publisher:
In this part memoir-part self-help guide, Daree addresses the timeless issues most girls struggle with in adolescence, including:  accepting body image and dressing appropriately, handling feelings of inadequacy,dating and premarital sex, relating to family members, understanding personal finance, discovering life purpose, respect and personal boundaries.


The companion book, the What's Wrong With Me? Reflections Journal digs deeper into the contemporary topics discussed in the book What's Wrong With Me? that affect teen girls' everyday lives.  With interactive, thought-provoking workbook-style questions and fill-in-the-blank exercises, girls can openly and honestly record their thoughts and feelings to help them release tension and understand the world around them. The self-discovery, revelation and release will lead to profound fulfillment and start their own  life-long practice of journaling. 



My Thoughts:
I found it difficult to write this review.  The book was not a difficult one to read.  I loved it.  However, there is so much information in the book that I didn't want to give too much away.  I will say up front one thing that made me love this book is the way the author was very honest about things she did that she considered wrong.  No one likes to write about things that put them in a bad light.  However, since I deal with young people every day I believe they need to see us make mistakes and hear how we handled it.  Daree is not afraid to talk about her relationships.  It didn't matter if the relationships were with her family, boyfriends or through the church.  When she made painful, bad choices the reader is made aware.  They also learn from her what she should have done and how to handle situations like she had to deal with.  


She backs up her Christian beliefs with scripture.  You can find a list of it at the end of the book.  She has written a book for the teen who always feels there is something wrong with them.  That would be all teens and some adults.  She shows you why nothing is wrong with you.  You are the way God made you.  This is not preachy.  Instead, this book teaches lessons through looking at her mistakes.  I found so many things in the book that reached out to me and I'm in my early 50's.  I believe these lessons can and should be learned by everyone of any age.  This book most definitely needs to be read at a slow pace.


Meet the Author:
Daree Allen is a vocal introvert whose equally strong passion for the written and spoken word translates seamlessly in her blog, Daree's Insights, a collection of inspirations and reflections of personal growth, the blog explores such themes as singleness, spirituality, accountability, and youth mentorship.  The award-winning speaker and authorpreneur started a diary at age 12, and has never stopped writing.


In 2010, Daree was one of the top 100 winners of the Writer's Digest 79th Annual Writing Competition, in the Magazine Feature WRiting category, and Daree has been a contributing writer for several magazines and blogs including About.com, The Dollar Stretcher, Hope for Women Magazine, Shuga, Coco & Creme and Clutch Magazines.

You can learn more about Daree at:  

Website:  http://www.DareeAllen.com 

Blog:  http://dareesinsights.wordpress.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/DareeAllen

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/DareeAllen

Triple Shot - Sandra Balzo

Publisher:  Severn House

Pages:  201

Source:  Received  a review copy

Genre:  Adult, Mystery

Book #7 in the Maggy Thorsen Mystery Series 

I love a good mystery, and trust me this is a good one.  We enter a town in  Wisconsin and are immediately taken inside the “Uncommon Grounds” Coffee house.  Once inside we begin to meet the well developed cast of characters.  Maggy Thorsen is the owner of the coffee house  along with her partner Sarah Kingston.  Sarah is also a local realtor and the owner of the building the coffee house sits in.  Sarah and Maggy are so different that they compliment each other.  Sarah voices her opinion on everything with a slight sarcasm.  She calls another group of realtors who are also coffee shop customers “The Barbies,  Broker Barbies or Holly Hobbies”.  Maggy takes uncomfortable situations and moves ahead no matter what.  Some of those uncomfortable situations involve her friend Sarah.

Maggy opened the coffee shop and realized they had a strong odor throughout the place.  No one knew where it was but it seemed to be stronger in certain areas.  Things really turn interesting when Ward Chitown enters the coffee shop.  He has come back to do a live show that will bring up a past that his father was involved in.  It seems the small town was home to the mafia.  During a shoot out that involved his FBI father, several men were killed and over a million dollars disappeared.   Now real estate agents are being killed.  Upon investigating the smell Maggy learns from Sarah that the historic train station that houses their coffee shop had a waiting room used by the mafia.  They waited there until their train was called and slipped aboard.  Imagine the surprise when they not only find the room but a dead body inside.

The author did such a wonderful job of describing things I could almost smell the coffee, and the stench.  I could picture the train tracks and the special hidden room.   I loved the fact that Maggy, who wasn’t always sure she liked her friend Sarah, decides she has to solve the death of the young girl who worked for Sarah because they are friends.  We also meet Maggy’s boyfriend a sheriff who feels like he is always rescuing Maggie.  I learned after reading this that it was the seventh book in the series.  It stood quite well on its own.  I will however need to get the previous six books just so I can see what else has happened to Maggie and her friends.

If you like a good mystery, then this is one you must put on your list to read.

About the Author:

Sandra Balzo is an award-winning author of crime fiction, including eight books in two different mystery series--one set in the High Country of North Carolina and the other outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Her books have garnered starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist, while being recommended to readers of Janet Evanovich, Charlaine Harris, Harlan Coben, Joan Hess and Margaret Maron.  A recent member of the National Board of Directors for the Mystery Writers of America, Sandy now splits her time between South Florida and North Carolina.

Website:  www.SandraBalzo.com

List of Books in the Maggy Thorsen Mystery Series: ** Available for Kindle and Nook

Uncommon Grounds **

Grounds for Murder**

Bean There, Done That**

Brewed, Crude and Tattooed**

From the Grounds Up

A Cup of Jo

Triple Shot

The Consuming – Todd Boyer

Publisher:  Outskirts Press

Pages:  230

Source:  Received a review copy

Genre:  Adult, Christian, Fantasy, Thriller, Suspense

Don’t let the genre “Christian Fiction” through you off.  This will appeal to both Christians and non-christians.  The was interesting.  What would happen if a demon were “trapped” in a human body while they tried to possess it?  This is what happens to the demon Ike in this story.  To make it interesting Max, another demon, decides to save his demon friend.  It is during his mission  to help his friend that he learns about a demon named Garrock.  Garrock is a warrior and is making plans to do away with Lucifer and bring on the apocalypse.  It was at this point my mind started racing.  As a Christian I kept thinking, “wow, I wonder how Lucifer would feel having the tables turned on him?”  To stop Garrock, Max has to become friends with Jack, the possessed man.  Then the three of them must stand together to try to stop Garrock.  I let my mother read this first.  She didn’t like it.  When I asked her why she said it was to much fantasy for her.  I knew then that I was going to love this.  Anytime you can mix all the genres I love together we have a win-win situation.  I was right.  I did love it. 

I also loved when the demon’s eyes were opened to the truth.  There is so much to love here on so many levels.  The characters were well thought out.  For me the story flowed so smoothly it kept me reading from beginning to end.  This is a must read for all fantasy, thriller, suspense lovers out there.  I guarantee you there is something for everyone in this book.  This is just the first book.  I can hardly wait for the second one to come out.

Facing the Son - M.L. Rudolph

Pages:  231

Source:  Review Copy 

Genre:  Adult, Suspense

From Goodreads:

American Matt Reiser travels to The Ivory Coast on a mission to locate his estranged son. His only guide is a three-year old postal address. Fighting cultural vertigo and disorientation at his arrival at the Abidjan airport, he relies on a glib and persistent limo driver who speaks just enough English to gain Matt's trust.

The next morning, Matt wakes up drugged, robbed, and dropped into a grim city slum. Without ID, without money, and with no idea where to turn, Matt forges unlikely alliances which take him on a perilous journey out of the city and through the backcountry as he strives to continue his search for his son

My Thoughts:

This was a great book.  From the very beginning the reader is grabbed and held in suspense.  Matt Reiser has been sent on a mission to Africa to find a son who obviously doesn’t want to be found.  It has been three years since Karl last communicated with his parents.  His mother’s dying wish is to see her son before the cancer takes her life.  When she contacts Matt, her ex-husband, and asks him to fly to Africa and track him down, he doesn’t want to.  Matt and Karl have not had the best relationship for several years. 

Matt steps off of the plane and into a corrupt world unlike anything he has ever seen.  He is mugged, robbed of his money, passport, and the letter his ex-wife sent for their son.  They even took his shoes.  He doesn’t know who to trust.  Then he meets Jean-Louis, the concierge at the  hotel.  What starts out seeming like help drives him deeper into the corrupt world around him.

This book is so much more than just a good read.  In this book you are transported to places you may never see.  You are thrown into a world we have only heard exists.  You have to ask yourself if you would survive the ordeals the protagonist goes through.  You will end up taking a look at all you hold dear, all you value and asking yourself if you have done all that you can for the people you love.  You must read this book to see if he finds his son.  You must read this book to take a look at the corruptness of a country we know so little about.  You must read this book to find yourself.

I will most definitely recommend this book.  I was unable to put it down from the minute I started it.  It is not a really long book.  However, it will grab you and hold you from the first pages.  I had not heard of this author but I will most definitely look for more from him.

Author Bio from Goodreads:

M L Rudolph has worked for CNN, HBO, and Playboy among other American and British television companies around the world.  He has written for general intereste and trade publications.  He has a bachelors degree in English Literature, and an International MBA.  Rudolph is a dual US/UK national and lives in Pasadena, CA.

You may find him here:

http://markrudolph.wordpress.com/

http://www.goodreads.com/mlrudolph

Mythology Questions

We have been studying mythology in our Language Arts Class.  Today a student asked another teacher a question.  She sent him to me.  The question was, "What would happen if there were no myths in the world.  Would things be the way they are now?"

I gave him my answer.  Our cultures, religions and many other things are built upon myths.  Myths make us question our beliefs in many ways.

Here is a second question:  "What would you say is your favorite myth and where does it come from?" (Greece, Persia, etc.)

So weigh in on this.  How would you answer these questions?  I told him I would put  out there and give him an answer next week.  Please leave a a comment.