The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


An excellent fictional account of a real event. The narrative kept my interest well, but there wasn't a whole lot of story arc. Still a moving story



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Children of the Sea, Volume 1 by Daisuke Igarashi

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Incredible art and an original story. Can't wait to continue with this one.



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Annexed by Sharon Dogar

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Most of us have read The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. It is an amazing portrait of a teenage girl facing evil and tragedy that will eventually claim her and most of her family. But how many of us have thought about what the ohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifther residents of the hidden annex felt through the two years they hid from the Nazis? This is an amazing fictionalized story of how a teenage boy may have dealt with his self imposed imprisonment and the deportation that followed. The fact that I knew how it would end, didn't detract from the drama and heartbreak of Peter's story.



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The Hunger Games Party, October 20

The Hunger Games | CLEVNET Library Cooperation | BiblioCommons Celebrate Teen Read Week with a Hunger Games Party. If you haven't read this suspenseful series, reserve your copy today. Join us on October 20 at 6:30 PM and compete in our version of Panem's deadly game (without the "to the death" component of course). Show your fashion prowess by designing outfits from the recycled materials provided, or join in a Who's Who game to guess who is playing or should play your favorite characters in the upcoming movie.

How I Stole Johnny Depp's Alien Girlfriend by Gary Ghislain

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I wish the story stood up to the expectations I had because of the title. There was a lot of action, a convoluted plot whose twists and turns keep you wondering for at least a few chapters if Zelda is crazy or not, but I was looking for a bit more development for characters and story. Everything moves really quickly, and the book reads pretty fast as well, but I felt like something was missing. Maybe I should give it a slower read, and things will fall into place, but overall, this book didn't live up to a truly awesome title.



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Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


While post-apocalyptic settings are generally my least favorite, it's hard to find anything bad to say about this book. I enjoyed the way the desperate global situation was conveyed easily through the character's daily lives, rather than breaking up the narrative with explanations. It's also clear throughout the story that the author's focus is firmly on his characters, their emotions and actions than on the exotic new world they live in. While the world of Bright Sands Beach is clearly drawn, it's descriptions don't intrude on the story which can often happen in stories with such foreign locations. I also appreciated the way each characters actions, especially Sloth and Lucky Strike, play into Nailer's thought process as he tries to navigate his own way through life. He has something to learn from all of them, even his father. This is a very well written book, with realistic characters and a well rounded plot. A well deserved Printz Winner.



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We Need You!

Silent Library is coming again. We will host the wild and crazy game show during Teen Read Week in October, and we need your suggestions on silly, gross or just plain nutty challenges. Post your ideas here as comments.