Previous Books of the Week

Well, I have to say that I need to work on my organization skills for certain items that I offer.
Here is a list of the books of the week that I have sent out since May.  Yes, I know...I missed some weeks, but I hope to do a better job of keeping up with this.

11/3  Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
10/27  Scorched
9/29  Phineas Gage
9/22  Chasing Lincoln's Killer
9/15  Summer of the Mariposas
9/8  A Matter of Days
9/1  The Warrior's Heart
8/18  Poison
8/11  Joshua Dread
8/4    The Big Dip
7/28  The Testing
7/21  School Spirits
7/14  The Boy on the Wooden Box
7/7    Ungifted
6/30  The Giver
6/23  Sasquatch in the Paint
6/16  Colin Fischer
6/9  The Cook Camp, The Quilt and Alida's Song
6/2  Midwinter Blood
5/26  The Great Greene Heist
5/19  The Fault in Our Stars
5/12  The Selection
5/5    A Tale Dark and Grimm
4/28  Counting by 7s
4/21  The Rithmatist
4/14  Here in Harlem

Hopefully, this will help me stay on top of knowing which books I have already recommended.

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

From the Publisher:  Kyle Keeley is the class clown, popular with most kids, (if not the teachers), and an ardent fan of all games: board games, word games, and particularly video games. His hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most notorious and creative gamemaker in the world, just so happens to be the genius behind the building of the new town library.

Lucky Kyle wins a coveted spot to be one of the first 12 kids in the library for an overnight of fun, food, and lots and lots of games. But when morning comes, the doors remain locked. Kyle and the other winners must solve every clue and every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route. And the stakes are very high.

In this cross between Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and A Night in the Museum, Agatha Award winner Chris Grabenstein uses rib-tickling humor to create the perfect tale for his quirky characters. Old fans and new readers will become enthralled with the crafty twists and turns of this ultimate library experience.

I was given this book at a conference, but I just had not taken the time to read it until about a month ago.  It just did not grab me at first.  I know...some might read that and be shocked because it has gained such critical acclaim.  My daughter devoured it and would not give up until I read it.  So...I did.

Boy, was my first impression wrong.  This book was really awesome from so many different standpoints.  Kyle is the youngest in his family, and he gets in trouble.  He finds a way to skirt his punishment.  Boy, I feel like if I had a nickel for how many times kids try to do that in the library...but that is a post for another day.

I loved the obvious nod to librarians in general from Mr. Lemoncello's childhood librarian to the awesomely odd librarian of this new and different library space.  He weaves in technology and gaming with knowledge of books.  Thank you, Mr. Grabenstein.

Here is a video that a student made at a different school.  

Video Book Trailer

(Please ignore the typos in the video.  I liked how it was made and wanted to share that.) 

Scorched by Mari Mancusi

From the Publisher:
Sixteen-year-old Trinity Foxx is used to her grandfather's crazy stories, so she never believed the latest treasure he brought home was a real dragon's egg. Not until their home is invaded by soldiers trying to steal it and a strange boy who tells her the world as she knows it will be wiped out in a fiery dragon war--unless they work together to stop it. Meantime, there's a different voice whispering to Trinity, calling to her, telling her what to do...the dragon inside her egg is not ready to give up without a fight.

This was a great book that had some surprising twists.  The boy mentioned in the description above is actually a twin. And, the twins have 2 different tales of what is going to happen in the future based on Trinity's actions at that point.  These boys are actually from the future that is very bleak.  Why it is bleak is the difference in their 2 tales.  Not knowing who to believe gives this book the twists and turns that will keep you interested until the end.  But, it is not really the end.  Shattered, the second book in the series, just came out.

I recommend you read this one.  Here is a quick video to help entice you.