Staff Reviews

Staff Reviews
Book Ratings:
AWESOME - Drop everything and read this!
GREAT - Top of your reading list.
GOOD - Read if you have time.

**GREAT!**
	My Penguin Osbert by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel illustrated by H.B. Lewis E FICTION KIM Reading Level: Pre-School-Grade 3 Interest Level: Ages 3-8
My Penguin Osbert is a story about a boy named Joe who decides to ask Santa for something very specific because Santa does not always get his gifts quite right. This year, Joe gets exactly what he wants, a real live penguin! But taking care of his penguin, Osbert, is not as easy as he hoped. This charming and funny story is a great book for those looking to get in the holiday and winter spirit! Reader's are sure to love the beautiful illustrations that help tell the tale of Joe and Osbert. Kids and parents will enjoy reading this new holiday favorite! reviewed 12-15-07
**GOOD**
	Soon Be Free by Lois Ruby Y FICTION RUB or Y PAPERBACK RUB Reading Level: Grade 5 and up Interest Level: Grade 4 and up
After the first guests in the Shannon's bed and breakfast snoop in all the rooms (and try to kidnap Dana!), 13-year-old Dana wants to know what they're looking for. Her quest leads her to find out more about James Weaver's past. A parallel story fills in the details of James' life as an 1850s abolitionist boy. As Dana finds out more about James, she makes connections to set an old wrong right. This book is a sequel to Steal Away Home. This book can be easily understood without having read the first book, but the first one is a nice companion book and does fill in some background information. Both books have the potentially confusing parallel stories of Dana and the Weavers, but the chapters alternate point-of-view and are clearly titled. reviewed 12-15-07
**GREAT!**
	Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier Y FICTION MAR Reading level: Grades 6 and up Interest level: Grades 6 and up
High in the forest of Transylvania, live five sisters and their loving father. Jena, the second eldest, spends her time exploring the mysterious forest with her pet frog, Gogu and generally having fun. For nine years, on the night of the full moon, she and her four sisters have been crossing over to the Other Kingdom for a night of dancing with the fairy folk. On their last visit, Tati, the eldest becomes entranced by Sorrow, a strange young man who may be one of the Night People, a dangerous group of vampires. To make matters worse, their father falls ill and must spend the winter in a warmer climate away from the family. It is up to Jena to take care of the family business with her cousin, Cezar. Much to her dismay, Cezar is more interested in running the business without her help and has other ideas about she spends her time in the forest. Since the mysterious death of Cezar's brother, Costi, he has hated the Other Kingdom and been intent on destroying the forest Jena loves so much. Can she save the forest and the Other Kingdom from Cezar? Can she stop the union between her sister, Tati, and the mysterious man she loves while finding her own true love? Readers who love fairy tale romances will be thrilled with this story. The novel combines aspects of different fairy tales and folk tales and spins them into a well told story. Jena is a strong, courageous, yet flawed character that many readers will root for. While the book is long, it is well worth the effort! reviewed 12-15-07
**GREAT!**
	Ana's Story: A Story of Hope by Jenna Bush TEEN 362.196 BUS Reading level: Grades 7 and up Interest level: Ages 12 and up
Jenna Bush, the President’s daughter, was an intern with UNICEF in South America. During her time there she met Ana and has chosen to share Ana’s Story with us. Ana’s Story is one of abuse at the hands of her family and caregivers. It is the about living with HIV/AIDS, the disease she was born with and watched take her mother, father and baby sister. It is about being a young girl and wanting to play, go to school and live a young girl’s carefree life and not to have to keep secrets. It is about falling in love and being a mother at 16, just like her young parents. And, it is about being strong and wanting to live life to the fullest. Jenna Bush also challenges the reader to become involved. She suggest ways we can all give a day, give a day a week, give a year, or more, to educate ourselves and others about HIV/AIDS, to help end discrimination against those with HIV/AIDS, and to learn to keep safe in a world of where abuse and sexually transmitted disease is all too frequent. Short, concise chapters make this a simple and easy read for middle and high school. reviewed 11-14-07
**AWESOME!**
	King of Murder by Betsy Byars J FICTION BYA Reading level: Grades 4-6 Interest level: Grades 4-6
Girl detective Herculeah Jones and her best friend Meat team up to solve another crime in the newest book in this series. When the pair of amatuer detectives realize that local mystery writer Mathias King's stories match crimes in the community, they begin to think he is responsible for commiting the murders. His descriptions seem too detailed and accurate to have come just from his imagination. Herculeah seems to be unaware of the danger she is in as she tries to find the facts that will prove her theory. If you like mysteries, you'll have trouble putting this one down until you reach the last page! Recommended. reviewed 11-14-07
**GREAT!**
	City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau Y FICTION DUP Reading level: Grades 4-7 Interest level: Grades 3 -8
The story of Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow begins on Assignment Day where the two learn what jobs they will work for the rest of their lives in Ember. Together Lina and Doon discover the secrets of Ember, a town that has no sunlight and has existed on it's own for 250 years. Everything had been fine until recently, when the blackouts begin and food becomes scarce. Lina and Doon begin a quest of discovery and adventure as they piece together the mystery of whether or not there is a way out of Ember to another city or even, another world. This story of mystery, fantasy, and adventure is a page turning read that entertains and surprises. Ember is an old city full of unexpected places and interesting characters that will keep you wondering and guessing until the end! This book is the first of DuPrau's Books of Ember, and the ending will make you long for the next book! reviewed 11-13-07
**GREAT!**
	Dragon: Hound of Honor by Julie Andrews Edwards Emma Walton Hamilton Y FICTION EDW Reading level: grades 5 and up Interest level: grade 5 and up
This book will surprise you. It is rich in language similar to The Tale of Despereaux. There is a French-English glossary at the back of the book to help with unfamiliar terms as well as a glossary of medieval terms to help you understand words you may not know. This "dog" story, based on an old French legend, has a good amount of suspense as the dog helps to solve the mystery of his master's murder. The setting of the story gives the reader a good feel for life in the Middle Ages. reviewed 11-13-07
**GREAT!**
	Ordinary Princess by M.M Kaye J PAPERBACK KAY Reading level: grades 3 and 5 Interest level: grades 3 and up
Princess Amy, seventh daughter of the King and Queen of Phantasmorania, is given the gift of "ordinariness". While her sisters grow up to be beautiful and proper, Princess Amy grows up playing in the forest and climbing trees. When her parents are try to find her a husband, she runs away and becomes an ordinary kitchen maid and discovers true love. Oridnary Princess has a classic fairy tale like quality and is a charming read for anyone who enjoys fairy tales and princesses. This would also work well as a read aloud. reviewed 11-13-07
**GREAT!**
	Snatched by Pete Hautman and Mary Logue Y FICTION HAU Reading level: grades 5 and up Interest level: grade 6 and up
Snatched, the first book in the Bloodwater Mysteries, stars an unlikely pairing of amateur sleuths: Roni Delicata - girl investigator for the High School newspaper, and Brian Bain - freshman science geek. Just the comedy between these two makes this book worth reading…add the fantastic and suspenseful plot turns and this mystery becomes a story you won't want to miss! The authors keep the pages turning with a fast-paced plot and they give the reader plenty of suspicious and shady characters to consider, keeping you guessing until the very end. Strong 11 and 12-year-old readers could handle the vocabulary in Snatched, but be advised that all the characters are adults or high-school students and the mystery surrounds the apparent beating and kidnapping of a teenage girl. At just 176 pages, this is the perfect book for teens that have a limited amount of reading time, struggle with reading, or are simply looking for something fun! Book 2, Skullduggery, is available now. Book 3, Doppelganger, is due for release in Spring '08. reviewed 11-13-07
**GREAT!**
	Don't Scream by Joan Lowery Nixon Y PAPERBACK NIX Reading level: grade 5 and up Interest level: grade 5 and up
When two new "hotties" move to town, what are a couple of high school girls to do? What Jess doesn't know, though, is which one is in the Witness Protection Program and which one is out for revenge. Why are the neighborhood cats and the neighbors disappearing and just who can a girl trust? You might want to read this one in a well lit room and remember, if it gets too intense, "Don't Scream"! reviewed 11-13-07

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