Neil Gaiman video previews of books

If you are familiar with CORALINE (the book or movie) you've probably heard of Neil Gaiman. Mr. Gaiman won the 2009 Newbery Medal for THE GRAVEYARD BOOK. Yes, his books for young readers tend to be a little scary but they are so good!
This website has a video trailer for his newest book ODD AND THE FROST GIANTS and trailers for his other books too.
http://www.mousecircus.com/extras.aspx
There is also a way to win a free copy of this new book. Go to
http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/kids/gamesandcontests/contests/odd/?WT.mc_id=news_bookblast_SEPT09
to enter for a chance to win.

The Alex Rider Series

Back in the summer of 2001 I read STORMBREAKER by Anthony Horowitz. Alex Rider, the main character is a 14-year-old James Bond type forced into espionage for the British Government. This book quickly became one of my son's favorite and I have been recommending it to my students ever since. The series has grown and it's popularity has not waned. Here's a look at the cover of the newest, CROCODILE TEARS.

Contest-Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney

This contest is open to students in my library only.

Would you like to win a copy of the new book Diary of a Wimpy Kid : Dog Days (number 4)? To be entered into the contest just leave a comment telling me why YOU should win this book. Leave your first name and last initial and your teacher's name.
The contest is open until October 10, 2009.

Good luck!

Book Fair

My book fair is one day down 4 days to go. It's so exciting to see students excited about buying books. There are so many great books on display and the library wish list is quite long. Stop by and say hil In the meantime I am reading some of the books from the fair. As a matter of fact I'm reading three at a time!

The Stolen One by Suzanne Crowley

Check out this contest at for a signed copy of THE STOLEN ONE.

http://presentinglenore.blogspot.com/2009/09/cover-interview-and-mega-prize-pack.html

The Teashop Girls by Laura Schaefer

Imagine spending time with your best friends in the teashop that your grandparents built 30 years ago. You adore tea. You love your grandma and miss your grandpa who died a few years back. Finally you are old enough to work there and at the same time your grandma hires a cute boy who you develop a crush on. Sadly business isn't going well and it looks like the shop will have to close. Now it's time for you and your friends (the teashop girls) to get into action and strum up business. However, if one friend is always playing tennis, one is taking acting classes and the cute boy likes your sister will things work out? THE TEASHOP GIRLS is filled with recipes, romance and friendship. A fun read for girls who just want to have some fun.\

Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love by Lauren Tarshis

This is a wonderful sequel to Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree. The honest and loving relationship between Emma-Jean and her mom is heartwarming. Emma-Jean is unsure why her heart beats fast or she gets all nervous near Will until her mom explains about crushes. Strong friendships, a small mystery and a lot of love makes this a fine read especially for girls looking for romances.

The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry

If you enjoy Gail Carson Levine's books you will enjoy this one.

Lucinda is orphaned at 5 years old. She is brought up by an Uncle who loves her and an aunt who does not. When a prince, a mysterious lady and a thief enter her life everything changes. There is a little magic, a little romance
and a little fantasy and it is a quick enjoyable read.

Back to school

Summer is ending. The leaves are turning orange and yellow and red. There's a slight chill in the air. The sweaters come out. The swimsuits are packed away for next summer. Oh, that's how it was when I was growing up in New York City. Here the weather stays hot for awhile and most of the trees stay green all year round. However, we are still back to school so welcome back!

I hope you all had a great summer. The highlights of mine were spending time with my family in NY and enjoying facebook reunions with elementary school, junior high, camp and high school friends who I haven't seen in a very, very long time. Seeing two Broadway plays (Next to Normal and West Side Story) was another highlight.

Summer was chance for me to do some reading. So intertwined with my currents reads I will be blogging about books I read over the summer.

Sleeping Freshman Never Lie by David Lubar

Scott begins freshman year in high school being bullied by upper graders, having a crush on a girl he's known since kindergarten and dealing with his parents having a baby. To be near the girl he likes he auditons for the school play, runs for student council and joins the school newspaper. He also keeps a journal for his new sibling to help him not make the same mistakes when he grows up. My favorite part of this book is that Scott is an avid reader and there are references galore to children's books.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Some of my 6th grade girls requested "romantic" books. When I asked a few what made a book romantic they said when a boy and girl hold hands. This led me to THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY which is exactly what they want and not too high school mature. An enjoyable read for a lazy day on the beach, a rainy day or any day.

Dying to Meet You by Kate Klise

DYING TO MEET YOU is book 1 in the new 43 Old Cemetary Road series by sisters Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise (illustrator).
They are best known for REGARDING THE FOUNTAIN and similar to that book this one is written in letters, notes, newspaper articles and pages from a book. I.B. Grumply moves into an old house to write a book in a series he is well known for. After having writers block for 20 years he is determined to accomplish this task. However Seymour Hope, an 11 year-old occupant of the house and a ghost named Olive C. Spence have other ideas.

All the Broken Pieces by Ann E. Burg

Set in 1977 this historical fiction books tells the story of Matt who was air-lifted out of Saigon two years earlier and adopted by an American family. Memories haunt him day and night of leaving his brother and mother behind and the guilt he feels about his brother being maimed by a bomb. Written in verse, this novel explores a loving family, Vietnam Vets, a supportive coach and baseball and the power of love.