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Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein

Posted by BJ Neary on March 25, 2015 at 12:22pm

Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Book Group and Disney-Hyperion for the ARC, Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein. Once again, Elizabeth Wein has crafted masterful historical fiction you can’t put down. Teo and Emilia’s lives are unconventional; they are raised together as brother and sister; but they are not. Really nothing in their life is normal. Their mothers are women stunt pilots; one white, one black with an enduring friendship and devotion to family. When Teo’s mom, Delia (Black Dove) dies in a freak stunt accident; Em’s mom, Rhoda (White Raven) raises Em and Teo as her children. But in the 1930’s being black and raised by a white woman is fraught with all kinds of problems. Rhoda flees to Ethiopia, where Delia dreamt of an equal future for her son where racism did not exist. As they fall in love with their new life in Ethiopia; history, war, and slavery threaten to disillusion this family of pilots and dreamers. Wein has thoroughly researched this engaging tale told from Em and Teo’s point of view through letters, school assignments, flight logs, and fantastical adventures. Beautiful, gripping, and tense, you will root for Rhoda and her brood, as war threatens to decimate their tranquility.

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Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin

Posted by BJ Neary on June 14, 2015 at 12:21pm

href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20575434-rain-reign" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px">

Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The story of Rose Howard, her autism, her father, her dog, her uncle was recommended by Donalyn Miller in a Nerdy Book blog post. Boy am I glad I read this book! Rose is a very special character, girl, classmate. Her homonym LOVE and list made my English major heart happy- but was not necessarily appreciated by her classmates and father. Ann M. Martin has crafted a must read for students - both young and old, parents and teachers. Rose's autism was depicted perfectly by Ann M. Martin; the good and the bad traits. I did not want this book to end; Rose and her dog, Rain will resonate with me for quite some time!.

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Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid

Posted by BJ Neary on September 27, 2015 at 7:59am

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24338298-never-always-sometimes" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Never Always Sometimes" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1422630370m/24338298.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24338298-never-always-sometimes">Never Always Sometimes</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4505164.Adi_Alsaid">Adi Alsaid</a> 
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1400321666">4 of 5 stars</a> 
Teens will see a bit of themselves in Dave, Julia, Gretchen and Brett. In this book, Adi Alsaid really gets teens (their highs and lows, their quirks, their isms) and for the teens that pine for others and do not do anything about it, Dave and Julia's friendship throughout high school with their Nevers list is reading they will love. Dave is such a nice guy, nice, genuine, caring. I wanted to love Julia but Adi Alsaid did such a great job showing how much Julia said and did was predicated on her very absent mom. It was so sad (Dave sees this) every time Julia's mom disappoints her and yet Julia yearns for a mom but gets a lukewarm long distance relationship from a selfish mom. So this broken connection made Julia self-centered, snarky, out there and unrealistic about many things. I couldn't put this book down; the romance, the wanting, the ache, the yearning make for a novel teens with be reading and sharing with each other. Make sure you read this book and join our twitter discussion with #yabookchat 10/4 at 9pm EST!
 
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Book review: Aftershocks

Posted by Arlen Kimmelman on July 22, 2020 at 4:30am

Aftershocks
by Marisa Reichardt
Pub Date: 29 Sep 2020
read courtesy of http://netgalley.com

⭐⭐⭐⭐Very enjoyable.

At first I wondered how the author was going to have a whole book told by someone caught in the rubble of an earthquake, but I was pleasantly surprised by the use of flashbacks and storytelling by the trapped characters. Then the narration changed as the story changed (I don't want to tell how, since that would be a spoiler. I'll just say that flashbacks were no longer needed.)

I loved everything about the book with the exception of the lead character's (Ruby) 'best friend' Mila. No one handled her situation well - not the adults (her school, her parents) nor her friends. True, sometimes it takes a literal Earth-shattering event to wise up, but it's a shame the character was allowed to get so far gone that only a natural disaster helped her. I'm reluctant to say it, but I felt that the Mila character was there just so Ruby could have something in common with Charlie. Though, I will admit, alcohol is a major problem with teenagers, so it's quite possible that any two teens would have a Mila or a Jason in common. And if it weren't for the alcohol, Ruby and Charlie never would have met.

The characters were real and developed. Though I'm someone who has never experienced a natural disaster, the author's clear and descriptive writing allowed me to sympathize with the characters' ordeals; I was able to ebb and flow with their hopes and despairs. The author was also realistic in developing the characters' experiences and growth. This was truly realistic fiction not watered down with magical thinking. I can't wait to put this into my high school library.

Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny and the Fight for Civil Rights by Steve Sheinkin

Posted by BJ Neary on January 8, 2015 at 9:34am

The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights by Steve Sheinkin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have read Bomb and Notorious Benedict Arnold by Steve Sheinkin and I love his writing. His nonfiction reads like thrillers you pick up and read in one night; you keep turning the pages- holding your breath and hang on the edge with each turn of the page. In Port Chicago 50, Sheinkin's research is thorough, and even though it seems words and phrases are repeated...it is pivotal to drive home the unequal, horrible treatment these young African Americans received as sailors for the Navy. No one would listen as the discrimination and degradation continued. No one would listen when these boys were not trained to handle dangerous ammunition. And no one believed them when they said officers placed bets on which divisions could load the most ammunition the fastest. What Sheinkin shows in this must read book is the continued injustice and mistreatment by the Navy, even after the horrible explosion that claimed so many lives and caused fear in those that survived. Even with Thurgood Marshall involved, the trial was a sham with lies and bias by the white officers, prosecutor and the members of the Court toward the 50 young sailors. Highly recommended for students and adults.

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Winter by Marissa Meyer

Posted by BJ Neary on November 21, 2015 at 1:30am

Winter by Marissa Meyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OMG, I LOVED Winter and Meyer's whole Lunar Chronicle series!!! I am so sad it is over BUT I have so many great memories to continue to replay over and over again about the awesome cast of characters! This final 4th book features characters we have come to know and love-Cinder, Kai, Scarlet, Wolf, Cress, Thorne, Winter, Jacin, and Iko. There was also a cast of characters to abhor and wish very bad ends to as well- Levana, Aimory, and those nasty thermatauges controlling and contorting people to Levana's evil wiles. Cinder's fight to be Queen was a valiant one with many new characters helping her attain her goal of helping all of those down trodden subjects on Luna, the shells, the wolves (bioengineered to fight)and the diseased people on Earth battling a deathly. I read this in a week- I could have sat and read it in one sitting but can you believe it? Life got in the way, so I snatched as much time as I could and savored/devoured this fairytale mix of rebellion, rising up against evil and falling in love. I highly recommend this series and this 4th book was satisfying in so many ways- you just have to read it!!!

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Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

Posted by BJ Neary on July 19, 2015 at 1:36pm

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the ARC, Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray, second book in The Diviners Series and oh was it awesome and heart-pounding! I could not put it down. Once again the reader is ensconced in the 1920s world where Evie O’Neill has become a hit radio personality as a Diviner. But all is not well in New York as an unknown sleeping sickness is claiming more and more victims. Evie and her Diviner friends are pulled into an increasing storm involving underground railroad tunnels, ghosts, and dreams. What I loved about this book was the increasing suspense as more and more Diviners join to thwart the demons. Are the Diviners the only ones who can do something about the evil, hungry ghosts lurking in the tunnels? If you enjoy paranormal phenomena, this book is a thriller; suspenseful, and horror-filled with a spine-tingling plot and well-developed characters that do not disappoint!

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Havana Motor Club Lesson Plan - U.S. Cuba Relations

Posted by Tom Adamich on April 6, 2016 at 1:53am

…Hope you will be willing to share with your teacher and student populations, particularly in light of President Obama’s recent visit to Cuba.

The groundbreaking documentary movie Havana Motor Club will be released by Samuel Goldwyn Films 8 April.

QR Code files for listed resources are also attachedHavana%20Motor%20Club%20Racing%20History%20Lesson%20Plan_20160405.docx Havana%20Motor%20Club%20Racing%20QR%20Codes_20160406.docx for classroom-based mobile device use.

Feel free to contact me with questions, etc.

Take care.

Tom

Tom Adamich, MLS

President

Visiting Librarian Service

224 Chauncey Ave. N.W.

P.O. Box 932

New Philadelphia, OH 44663

330-364-4410

vls@tusco.net

Hold Me Closer: The Tiny Cooper Story by David Levithan

Posted by BJ Neary on May 25, 2015 at 6:17am

Hold Me Closer: The Tiny Cooper Story by David Levithan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a wonderful way to present a musical and David Levithan's Tiny Cooper is just a great romp with the highs and lows of musical cadence telling Tiny's story from birth to high school. I loved Tiny's voice and the many minor characters who support Tiny or make Tiny the person he is through knowing friendships and relationships.

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I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Posted by BJ Neary on April 5, 2015 at 12:47pm

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to this audiobook as part of an April book discussion with a Goodreads group I joined, YG,MG, Seriously. Since I LOVED this book and did not want to read it again, I choose to listen to this book narrated by Julia Whelan and Jesse Bernstein and this venue DID NOT disappoint!!! I recommend YA and adults should read and then listen to this book. There is so much to totally love about this book- family lies, secrets, jealousies but also deep abiding love, compassion, and artistic brilliance.
You can read my book review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Highly recommended- join our April discussion too!

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Hold Tight Don't Let Go by Laura Rose Wagner

Posted by BJ Neary on September 24, 2015 at 12:33pm

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20702041-hold-tight-don-t-let-go" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Hold Tight, Don't Let Go: A Novel of Haiti" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397635116m/20702041.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20702041-hold-tight-don-t-let-go">Hold Tight, Don't Let Go: A Novel of Haiti</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7812989.Laura_Rose_Wagner">Laura Rose Wagner</a> 
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1393823813">5 of 5 stars</a> 
This novel of Haiti was oh so good- from a simple life, to total destruction with the 1/12/2010 earthquake. Laura Rose Wagner does a masterful job with characters, plot, and words (sweet, harsh, the whole gamut of expression) describing the close relationship between Magdalie and Nadine before and as their world ends. I learned so much about Haitian customs, beliefs and language as I was immersed in Magdalie's life (with and after Nadine goes to Miami)in the Port au Prince camp. Life becomes very hard for Magdalie but through hope, honesty, new friends, she shows the resilience of the Haitian people to rise above destruction and survive. Highly recommended! Please feel free to join the twitter chat Thursday 10/1 at 8pm EST with #2jennsbookclub.
 
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Book Review: Like Spilled Water

Posted by Arlen Kimmelman on July 20, 2020 at 6:00am

Book Review: Like Spilled Water
by Jennie Liu
Pub Date 01 Sep 2020
Read courtesy of http://netgalley.com

This is a novel of regret, so it's a review filled with regrets.

I feel regret for the unlucky readers who found this book too long or too slow. It's not an action novel; it's an emotional one. It's reflective of the societal norms to not reveal one's troubles encapsulated into a story. I am grateful to have been able to enter and understand a world different from my own.

I regret that that I read other's reviews before reading the book; they gave away even more than the author did with her clues as to Bao-bao's fate. Jennie Liu hinted early that something was off about Na's brother's death, but she did so for literary movement, not to include a spoiler. I am grateful that the author skillfully cast doubt for the reader.

I regret Na's and Bao-bao's perceptions of their lost youth and their parents' perceptions of the purpose of children. I am grateful that the story ends with an ending that Na can live with.

I regret that Gilbert and Na's friendship encounters so many obstacles, but I am grateful that Na meets Min, who offers a different kind of friendship.

I regret watching Na and Bao-bao's unwavering parents live by ancient philosophies. I am grateful that I've been exposed to another culture's standards and been witness to how a culture changes between generations.

I regret not yet reading Liu's other book yet, "Girls on the Line." I am grateful that I now want to read more by this author, and I cannot wait to put this into the hands of my high school readers.

I regret that I cannot give "Like Spilled Water" 5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for literary prose, but I'm grateful that I can for an accessible, non-judgmental, multi-story line plot that makes me think outside of myself.

The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion and the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming

Posted by BJ Neary on January 18, 2015 at 10:04am

The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is a nonfiction finalist in the Hub Challenge (Morris & Nonfiction). Candace Fleming weaves a thoroughly well researched time in Russian history in which the czar, Nicholas II was totally unprepared and suited to be a ruler. He falls in love and marries Alexandra of Germany and abdicates most of his decision making to her. The problem was that Alexandra believed in a religion dominated by mysticism and she became obsessed with collecting icons, kneeling in prayer and later, a staunch advocate of the charlatan, Rasputin. At a time when Russia needed a strong leader, war erupts and Nicholas drives his country into further distress with his inept leadership. All the while, Fleming weaves into each chapter in a shadowbox-- a look into the lives of the Russian people- peasants, farmers, factory workers and soldiers whose lives were miserable, toiling long hours for low wages and shortages of housing, food, and everything else. An in depth, compelling look at the Romanov family- with their 4 daughters and 1 son -a hemophiliac(both parents decide to keep his life threatening illness a secret from all) is heartbreaking in so many ways. A must read for students and adults!

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Drowned City by Don Brown

Posted by BJ Neary on November 15, 2015 at 1:01pm

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22749725-drowned-city" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407813959m/22749725.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22749725-drowned-city">Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6815166.Don_Brown">Don Brown</a> 
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1442710908">5 of 5 stars</a> 
With beautiful, haunting comic book images (somber, brownish illustrations) Brown's Drowned City depicts the natural disaster that was Hurricane Katrina and the death, despair and havoc wreaked upon New Orleans. With spare prose, each page & image covers the many elements that continued to unfold as the world looked on in horror at the suffering and death of the residents of Buras, Louisiana are wiped out. There are tales of valor , tales of looting, people drowning, police fleeing, the Superdome debacle, the water grows stagnant, and the total mismanagement by the government to aid New Orleans (pets included) is all to real and deadly. This graphic novel should be read by adults and kids alike...the words and pictures work together to deliver a MUST READ nonfiction graphic novel.
 
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Girl On a Train by Paula Hawkins

Posted by BJ Neary on July 13, 2015 at 11:23am

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved the voices of Rachel, Megan and Anna in this thriller whodunit. Not only did this train mean something to every narrator; I felt like I was hurtling along trying to figure out what really happened in this mystery. A great beach read, this book does not disappoint!

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On the Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis

Posted by BJ Neary on January 20, 2016 at 1:32pm

On the Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and ABRAMS Kids for the ARC, On the Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis. If you are looking for a gripping post-apocalyptic read with diverse characters measured according to how “worthiness” On the Edge of Gone, is a rip-roaring action packed read! Denise is the tough but insecure protagonist, who does not let her autism stop her from proving her worth to gain a spot on the generation ship (bringing her mother along while still trying to find her sister, Iris) as a comet hurtles toward Earth. I loved the much needed diversity Duyvis brought to this raw book with biracial characters, transgender characters, and characters with disabilities. I saw this author speak on a diversity panel 11/15/15 in Philadelphia titled, Moving Past “Girl” Books and “Boy” Books: Representing a Rainbow, and I was so impressed. I immediately requested this title from NetGalley and I was so excited to read this scifi thriller. I even purchased Otherbound, too! Congratulations to Corinne Duyvis and the cadre of other authors celebrating diversity in culture and environment in their writing; YA readers need more authors to lend their voices; highly recommended!

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Skink-No Surrender by Carl Hiaasen

Posted by BJ Neary on March 27, 2015 at 1:30pm

Skink--No Surrender by Carl Hiaasen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to this Amazing Audiobook as part of The 2015 Hub Challenge and Hiaasen's plot was funny, gripping, and compelling. Read by Kirby Heyborne, the plot of Malley who goes missing in Florida with cousin Richard (aided by Skink, a 70 yr old ex-governor and supposedly dead) in pursuit was so awesome to listen too. I loved learning about the Florida wildlife (gators, wild boars, herons, loggerhead turtles and extinct woodpeckers) while grinding my teeth as Richard and Skink tracked Malley through all kinds of weather, water, and mosquitos. This is a must read adventure that keeps you riveted and riled to the bitter end.

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Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

Posted by BJ Neary on May 10, 2015 at 2:15pm

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18806240-bone-gap" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Bone Gap" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402928507m/18806240.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18806240-bone-gap">Bone Gap</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/73699.Laura_Ruby">Laura Ruby</a> 
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1251603657">5 of 5 stars</a> 
Finn O'Sullivan is now one of my favorite HEROES! I loved this book! There was just the right amount of suspense, mystery and magic. Oh did I love the magic. Finn and his brother Sean live in a town where everyone talks about everyone- it may be true; it may not. When a girl, Roza comes into their lives, these brothers who have known loneliness are no longer lonely. But when Roza is taken, while in Finn's company, and he can't quite describe this evil man; pretty soon, there is just an ache left and the town's talk about Finn and Sean. I loved the characters, the beauty of the town, Bone Gap and also it's mystery and magic. The chapters are told from different characters POV and the reader is able to fall into this book, hear the corn talk, ride a magical black horse, and tame a large dog---all the while rooting for Finn to be the person he knows he can be for himself, Roza, Petey and Sean. Highly recommended; a great beach read for the summer!
 
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Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Posted by BJ Neary on September 24, 2015 at 12:22pm

Enclave by Ann Aguirre
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I know it took me long enough to get to this awesome read!!! Deuce has always lived underneath and been raised by the enclaves rules. As a Huntress she was very successful and it is when she is paired with Fade and banished to Above that she sees a whole new world and life. I loved the characters, the world of the enclave, and hated the freaks (zombies), Silk, and Stalker. I can't wait for the 2nd book, Outpost! A great dystopian read, I still love these dystopian series.

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The Girl I Used To Be by April Henry

Posted by BJ Neary on March 5, 2016 at 10:37am

The Girl I Used to Be by April Henry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Children’s Publishing Group and Henry Holt and Co. for providing an advance copy of The Girl I Used To Be by April Henry. Mysteries by April Henry were always read and enjoyed by my students in my library. The Girl I Used To Be is a thriller and a winner for teens. Olivia/Ariel is the calm, smart, determined protagonist who has been in foster care for too many years after the death of her mother at the hands of her father. Fast forward fourteen years and Olivia has returned to her home town and learns her father’s jawbone has been discovered. Olivia needs justice for her parents’ murders and begins clandestine sleuthing with Duncan, her old friend and neighbor, for clues to the real murderer. With methodical attention to detail and building suspense, Olivia hopes to find the murderer before the murderer realizes Olivia/Ariel has returned. Teen readers will relate to Olivia as a vulnerable teen, as a foster child whose life was not easy, and root for her as she searches for clues while keeping her identity a secret. Recommended for those who love mysteries and suspense and for the reluctant reader as well!

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