Pretty Ugly

Do you "Bluford"?  If you haven't read the Bluford Series published by Townsend Press(www.townsendpress.com), then stop what you are doing and read it now.  For people who like realistic fiction and series, this is a great series.  It takes place in a high school in California called Bluford High. Each book is about a different character in the series.  In December, our classroom received a box of donated books from Donor's Choose. org(http://www.donorschoose.org/lizzeglin).  Most of the books were on the topic of bullying.  I ordered several copies of a new Bluford High book called Pretty Ugly.  The author is a new one to the Bluford series: Karyn Langhorne Folan. 

The book centers around Jamee Wills who is struggling academically but who is gifted athletically. Jamee is trying out for the Bluford cheerleading squad but is already failing her math class.  At practice, Jamee meets a new girl named Angel.  Angel doesn't quite fit in and is getting bullied by another group of prospective cheerleaders. To top things off, Jamee's mom is pregnant and everyone is comparing her to her perfect sister Darcy.  Does Jamee risk everything to help a new friend and get on the squad?  I am excited to read more Blufords from this author.  On the back cover, it says that Breaking Point is out by Karyn Langhorne Folan AND Paul Langan, author of The Bully!

Slob by Ellen Potter

I've read a lot of great books this summer. However, I was really surprised by Slob by Ellen Porter.  This novel is setting in New York City in present time. The genre is realistic fiction.  The main character is an overweight 12 who get bullied at his progressive NYC school.  For some reason, Owen is making a machine called Nemesis. I liked the first person point of view and the inner dialogue of  the character.  Although this book was sad at times, it was also very funny. I thought he was trying to get free cable.  Boy, was I wrong! I never could have guessed the direction that this book took. All I can say is that this is a must read. 

Dead End in Norvelt

I finally read Jack Gantos' Newberry Award winning Dead End in Norvelt.  Since Jack Gantos has been to our school twice, the last time after he won the Newberry, I knew the background of the book. Basically, the book is set in Norvelt, PA in the 1960s.  A boy named Jack helps an old lady write obituarites about the deaths of the Original Norvelters.  (They are dropping "like flies.")  I found the book very interesting because my grandparents were "Original Norvelters." This means that they built their own Norvelt house in the plan that was sponsered by First Lady Elenor Roosevelt after WWII.  There was a lot of history in this book that I also found interesting.  The book was a bit gross (all those nosebleeds!) but I think that will appeal to some readers. 

Insurgent

I finished Veronica Roth's second installment to the Divergent triology, Insurgent,  a few nights ago.  As usual, I had the "What happened in the first book?" confusion. I really felt the need to go back and refer to book one.  However, I checked it out from the library and did not have a copy of it.  For some reason, I was really confused about the Amity faction.  I also kept asking myself, "Who was Will?" I just had no memory of this character from book one.  Overall, I was not totally blown away by the beginning of this book.  Yet I'm really glad that I stuck with it because it really picked up. I don't want to be a "spoiler" but this book was action-packed. My favorite part of these books are the serum sequences.  Roth does an awesome job of incorporating those scenes.  I do look forward to book three and the possible movie.

I hope to start Michael Grant's Fear. This is the forth book in the Gone series.  Again, I hope I remember enough from book three so I know what is going on.

Divergent

Both Mrs. Kozuch and Mrs. Savini told me that I had to read this book. They were right.  I loved it.  The writing was excellent.  This book was thought-provoking, suspenseful, and filled with action.  Also, it is dystopian, my 100% favorite genre right now.

Here's an overview from the Barnes and Nobles website:

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the YA scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

Get your copy today from the GSMS library.  You might have to get on the waiting list once word of this book comes out!
http://www.thedivergenttrilogy.com/
Author's Blog: http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com/

The Eleventh Plague

After a great debate at our first book club meeting, we abandoned Frankenstein and choose a new book.  The book we chose is The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirst.  I am thrilled at the awesome turn out we had. 

I went to Barnes and Nobles on Saturday.  I bought the last two copies of the book there.  (I tried to see if there were more copies but I was with my four month old nephew.  He doesn't wait when he wants to leave so I couldn't wait in line.)The book was about $17 so it might be a good idea to share.  I will lend out my two copies. Plus, I downloaded another copy on our classroom Nook and on Kindle on my iPhone. Big thanks to J. G. who is also lending out his copy.  I know that the library has all copies out but we can check those out as they come back in.

 Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, November 14.  Same time, same place.  I was thinking we could set a finish the book deadline by November 29, which is the day after Thanksgiving break. 

A. G. has typed up the invitations for our next meet.  I hope everyone gets a copy of the book and gets to start reading!  See me or leave me a message here with any questions. 

Bruiser

I LOVED Bruiser by Neil Shusterman!!!!  (What English teacher wouldn't?  He named every chapter by a ten cent SAT word....) http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/9780061134081.asp

 Here is a trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r3nVUuJcf\A

Check out this great book talk video:
http://naomibates.blogspot.com/2010/09/booktalk-intro-video.html