Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos

I smell another series coming on. This book has been sitting in my house for quite a while. I finally picked it up the day I came home sick and couldn't really stand to do much else. When I was in junior high, there was a series called, "Friday the 13th". It had nothing to do with the horror flick of the same name. It was actually about some characters that ran an antique shop and had to chase down cursed items. I got a little of that feeling from this book. Theodosia has the special ability to sense curses on items, especially those of Egyptian origin. Since her parents run a museum that focuses on Ancient artifacts, Theodosia's knowledge and abilities develop from self-educating herself with what exists in the museum. Mom and Dad are not aware of her abilities or the curses and, of course, danger and adventure ensue after mom sends home some very cursed items. I think this could be a decent series if developed correctly. My students all seem to be into the scary spooky stuff right now, so this might be right up their alley. A little magic and a little spooky stuff make a decent combination. The book didn't specifically indicate a sequel, but the plot certainly left room to create more stories with this adventurous character.

I also reread The Westing Game this weekend. I highly recommended the book to one of our teachers and she came back in a little later and said she had been told there was something controversial about it. I couldn't remember anything too bad, except maybe a little stereotyping. So I reread it. I still love it. Yes, there is some stereotyping, but the character that makes the stereotypes is regarding poorly by the other characters. There are "bombs" and a mention of a suicide. But I wouldn't even venture so far as to call it violence compared to what goes on in most cartoons and upper level books that kids read today. The mystery is well-written and heartfelt and the novel is quite complete in its circle. It's a classic and I will always recommend it. =)

If You're Reading This It's Too Late

This book is the sequel to "The Name of This Book is Secret". Pretty lighthearted reading, I spent my time covering "silent reading duty" reading this book. It has bad guys, magic, adventurous kids saving the world, and a sarcastic author that tries to convince his readers they're better off not reading the book. What all kids books are like nowadays. Nothing special, but not necessarily a bad book either.

Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke

The first half of this book was very slow. I listened to most of this on CD and I bet it wasn't until CD 7 that it really started to get interesting. In the end, the story had a satisfying resolution, even if the character you're indebted to for saving the story is less than likable. A satisfying end to a trilogy that sucked me in right away. Now...I just can't decide if I want to embark on the Twilight saga. I know that I will love it, but it's four big books. And so many for me to read that are actually in my library. I'm a little torn. So for the moment, I've moved on to one that's been sitting around my house for quite a while. It's called Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos. I'm enjoying it and it's a faster read than I expected. I'll probably update soon on it.

The Aurora County All-Stars

A state award nominee for next year, this book includes many characters that we have met in Deborah Wiles's other books. Ruby Lavender, the Snowbergers, and others join a new character, House Jackson, in the quest to find meaning in a small town. House loves baseball, but the death of the town "old coot" leaves him struggling to keep a secret from his friends and struggling to find meaning in life. Baseball is House's true love, but the town insists on putting on a pageant on the one day of the year when the team plays it's only real ball-game. House has to try and figure out a way to save the day, and that's a lot of pressure for a 13-year-old. The style of writing here is just like Wiles's other books and if you didn't care for Each Little Bird or Love Ruby Lavender, than you won't care for this. The baseball theme and the Walt Whitman poetry are nice additions for me, but they won't overcome the style of writing for those that don't enjoy it.

One False Note by Gordon Korman (39 Clues #2)

The adventure continues in this book, the second of ten books in the 39 Clues series. Korman is such a fantastic writer, I feel that he really didn't give this book his all. I'm not asking for reality here, after all the plot is pretty far-fetched to begin with, but is it necessary to throw in an extra four or five harrowing situations? Would the unsuspecting boat guest really have picked the exact pillow cushion that the kids needed and throw it back at the last second? Would a famous figure really have been delivering a coded message in the famous line that got her killed? The plot would have been adventurous enough without those over the top details. The book was a little thin, so I feel Korman was forcing adventurous situations to add more "meat" to the book when we really needed more story. The characters were much more developed the first time, although it was nice to get to know the kids "au pair" (as they like to call her) this time around. Although it was an enjoyable read, it wasn't as good as the first, and if this series didn't have the cards and online games to go with it, I'm not sure it would last 10 books if they continue like this.

School Library Journal Best Books

School Library Journal has released its Best Books 2008. There is also a Best Books for High School Students.

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6617203.html?nid=3361
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6617202.html?nid=3361

Check it out!

Good Reads

Thanks to a friend of mine, I discovered a fun site called Good Reads. It's kind of like Library Thing, but I think it has more search functions. It's built a little like Facebook and has a Facebook app as well as lots of other functions. I haven't even begun to explore it all yet because I've been too busy entering books. You can have friends that you share lists with and groups that you can join, so you get lots of good reading ideas. If you're interested in more, let me know!