Fallen by Lauren Kate

Fallen is the first book in the Fallen series by Lauren Kate.  It follows teenager, Luce, as she enters and tries to navigate her way around her new boarding school, Sword & Cross. 

Here is the synopsis that I found on barnesandnoble.com
There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.
Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.
Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.
Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.

What I liked:
So a lot of reviews I've read for this book were mixed.  You either loved it, or you hated it.  Apparently, I'm weird (shocker).  I didn't love it OR hate it.  It just was.
Luce's secret's intrigued me.  The shadows she saw, the mysterious fire that her boyfriend died in, that her parents just dumped her in this rundown school.  I wanted to read on to see just what was going on.  Plus, while the twist turns out to be a supernatural element, its not vampires or werewolves! 

What I didn't like:
While there weren't any vampires or werewolves, it reminded me just a little too much of Twilight.  A new girl, at a very small new school, sees this boy that grabs her attention but wants nothing to do with her, however, once they talk it's not because he just really doesn't like her, its because he loves her just too much to be near her. 

All in all:
I don't want to give the wrong impression when I say this, but I can't think of any other way to say it, so...Fallen just didn't grab and hold my attention like other books I've read.  That's not to say its a bad book, it just wasn't the "right fit" for me.  Fallen is at least worth a read, especially if you are a Twi-hard.  Everyone else, you should also read it, but you might just want to check it out from the library or borrow from a friend. 

Take a quick browse inside of Vesper by Jeff Sampson

HarperTeen is sharing the first 58 pages of Vesper (A Deviants Novel) by Jeff Sampson.  Click here to read! 

Here is just a little bit about Vesper that I copied off the website:
Emily Webb is a geek. And she’s happy that way. Content hiding under hoodies and curling up to watch old horror flicks, she’s never been the kind of girl who sneaks out for midnight parties. And she’s definitely not the kind of girl who starts fights or flirts with other girls’ boyfriends. Until one night Emily finds herself doing exactly that . . . the same night one of her classmates—also named Emily—is found mysteriously murdered.
The thing is, Emily doesn’t know why she’s doing any of this. By day, she’s the same old boring Emily, but by night, she turns into a thrill seeker. With every nightfall, Emily gets wilder until it’s no longer just her personality that changes. Her body can do things it never could before: Emily is now strong, fast, and utterly fearless. And soon Emily realizes that she’s not just coming out of her shell . . . there’s something much bigger going on. Is she bewitched by the soul of the other, murdered Emily? Or is Emily Webb becoming something else entirely— something not human?
As Emily hunts for answers, she finds out that she’s not the only one this is happening to—some of her classmates are changing as well. Who is turning these teens into monsters—and how many people will they kill to get what they want?

So that little tidbit sounds great, right?  The first 58 pages are even better.  I can't wait to read more.  No, seriously.  I just finished the first 58 pages and I almost want to drive to Barnes and Noble right now to pick it up.

The one thats all about Delirium

I've posted about Delirium by Lauren Oliver before, sharing a link to a preview of the first 100 pages and giving of summary of what happened so far.  I recently received via @NetGalley and @HarperTeen the e-galley of Delirium in full. 

And the book in its entirety was awesome.  I sat in front of our computer and read all 300+ pages in about 3 hours.  I didn't get up for anything (thank goodness for a snow day!).

Here is a quick summary:  In the future, love has been found to be the disease, or root of all wars, violence and problems.  So, the government has to cure you once you reach age 18.  The government also predetermines (based on exams and interviews) what college you will go to, what you will major in, and gives you 4-5 suitable matches for you to choose from for spouse.  There are of course, dissenters and sympathizers (which is illegal and punishable by death)

At first, Lena, while not "ok" with the process, is resigned to it.  She'll do it because she has to, because she doesn't want to be the outcast.  Then she meets Alex and realizes that there is another way to live.

Teen girls will be able to see themselves in Lena.  She's not the coolest, she's not the prettiest, she just wants to be special enough for someone.  She doesn't have any choice in any aspect of her life. 

Now, I'd love to say the 18 year old Amanda (me) would have fought the government control of everything, but I'm pretty sure 18 year old Amanda would have just submitted because that's what was expected.  Of course, she'd be resentful and angry, but she wouldn't dream of saying anything.  28 year old Amanda probably would have gone down in a blaze of glory, or at least fought for love and free will/choice.  However, both can sympathize with Lena and her plight.

I really enjoyed Delirium.  I don't like the books set in the future that are all about the "zombie apocalyse" because I don't see that as realistic.  While I also don't see Delirium happening, it is, to me a closer to reality situation than zombies.

Now, here's the great part of this post!  Lauren Oliver (laurenoliverbooks.blogspot.com) is giving away 5 signed copies of Delirium!  Head over and see what you can do to enter!  As always, good luck, you're going to need it (b/c I am going to win!)



 

The One Where I Talk About "Before I Fall"

Over the weekend, I read Before I Fall, the debut novel of Delirium author, Lauren Oliver.  I wanted to get a feel for her writing style before I read Delirium. 

Before I Fall is the story of Sam, a high school student in the "popular crowd", or as I would call them, "the mean girls".  Sam explains it as they are popular because they get away with stuff and they get away with stuff because they are popular.  They are the girls that say nasty things about people, without even realizing that it hurts.  Because of that, I really wanted to hate Sam and her friends, but I couldn't.

The story starts out on February 12, or Cupid Day, at Sam's school---where freshmen deliver Valograms (flowers) to the rest of the school.  The more flowers you get, the more popular you are.  Sam gets a bunch, from her friends, from her boyfriend, and even from an old friend who is now uncool.  Sam is worried, because tonight is the night that she plans on losing her virginity to her boyfriend, after a party.  But, Juliet Sykes, whom the girls call "Psycho", crashes the party and calls them all "bitches".  Sam is upset and doesn't go home with her boyfriend, instead gets a ride with her friends.  The girls get into a car crash, and Sam dies.

But she doesn't.  She wakes up, and its Friday, February 12 again.  Its like she's in Groundhog Day.  She gets a second (even third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh) chance to relive that one day and make things right.  In the process, she discovers the gift of spending time with family, how to treat people, what true friendship is, and even what a good boyfriend is.

It is not one that I would suggest to my elementary school students, but, if I taught high school, I wouldn't have any problem with students reading this in my classroom.
  

The One Where I Share Some Cool Links

I'm a geek, I know, but I want to see how long I can keep titling posts like FRIENDS episodes....

I find a lot of cool links, some because I've searched for them, but most because of twitter and the people I follow posting cool stuff (like giveaways, online read alouds, or preview chapters).  So, I figured if I thought they were cool, others might too, and since we all know that sharing is caring, here you go:

Cool link #1:  Preview chapter of Rick Riordan's The Kane Chronicles, book 2:  The Throne of Fire
(not due to come out until May)


Cool link #2:  Soleil Moon Frye, Ms. Punky Brewster herself, reading "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"

Cool link #3:  Jane O'Connor, author of the Fancy Nancy series, reading her newest, "Fancy Nancy: Bonjour, Butterfly"

Cool link #4:  Barnes and Noble offers a bunch of videos on their website of author's reading their books go to http://media.barnesandnoble.com/ and on the left side, click "Online Storytime" (otherwise you have to watch all the Nook videos!"

Cool link #5:  A book trailer for A Tale Dark and Grimm (great book, btw---a quick and easy read, about the true story of Hansel and Gretel, but is not a fairy tale just for girls, boys would love it too (b/c its bloody, it has dragons and witches and all sorts of creepy crawlies)  Honestly, how can you not like a book that starts out, "Once upon a time, when fairy tales were awesome..." ?

Cool link #6:  An interview with author, Sharon Creech (The Unfinished Angel, Love that Dog, Hate that Cat, Walk Two Moons, and more)

Cool link #7:  Classic holiday book carols.  I know its after Christmas, but its just hilarious!

Cool link #8 (last but not least):  The Children's Book Almanac.  Everyday is a new "book of the day", and interesting book facts (maybe author's birthdays, what books were published that day, etc)

The One Where I Rave About What I Read

ok, so that was my attempt at naming my blog posts like old FRIENDS episodes, and then I realized, pretty much all my posts could be titled this, but I'm still amused by it, so I'm going to leave it.

Anyway, I read two books this weekend, Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech and The Kane Chronicles: The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan.  Two totally different styles, but two awesome books.

Unfinished Angel is told from the perspective of the Angel, who lives in an old tower in a Swiss village.  The tower (and attached house) are soon purchased by the Pomodoro family who hope to live in it and build an international school in the village.  Plans are soon thwarted when Zola, the daughter, discovers that there are homeless orphan children hiding in a nearby barn and asks the Angel for help.  I don't want to say much more because I don't want to ruin anything.

But I will say, I loved how Creech gave the Angel an accent, like it was an English Language Learner (calling them "peoples" and "childrens" and just getting words mixed up).  So, because of that, if I had this book in my classroom, I would do it as a read-aloud, so my students could hear rather than see (and possibly get mixed up), or wait and give it to a child who has more advanced English skills.

The Red Pyramid is another of Rick Riordan's epic series (The Lightning Thief, Heros of Olympus), only this time, instead of focusing on Greek and Roman mythology, its centered on Egyptian mythology (although, there is a pretty funny reference to the "others" early on).  The story is supposedly a transcript of a recording done by the two main characters, Sophie and Carter, about their adventures.  Sophie and Carter are brother and sister, but are raised apart since the death of their mother (Why?  You'll see.)  Carter and their Dad, Julius, pick up Sophie for their 6-month visit and go to the Museum of London.  There, Julius purposefully breaks the Rosetta Stone (NOT THE COMPUTER PROGRAM!) and unleashes 5 ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses, including Set, the God of Chaos.  Julius is entombed in a golden sarcophagus (like Osirus) and Set embarks on a plan to destroy the world as we know it.  And now its up to Sophie, Carter, some magicians and gods and goddesses to save the world. 

If you are a fan of either of Riordan's other series, then you'll love this.  Its got the same fast pace, sense of humor, and great mix of real and mythology.

So, to sum up...GO READ BOTH BOOKS!  You won't be sorry!

 

Graphic Novels

I like graphic novels for a couple reasons:
1. They're a quick read (usually)
2.  Comprehension is largely visual, rather than based on words (great for struggling / reluctant  readers)
3.  They look cool.

(ps. If you don't know what a graphic novel is, basically, its a hard bound comic book)

I recently read three graphic novels (honestly, it probably took me 2 hours total to read all 3, if that).  One was a Nancy Drew graphic novel (which I loved---if you are a fan of the original series, this one is set in modern times, but there are a lot of throwback comments that you would appreciate).  The second was a Boxcar Children graphic novel (I didn't like that as much as the Nancy Drew, mainly because it jumped around and made me really have to follow the word part of the story close to understand everything).  The third was Twilight: The Graphic Novel.  Now, I am not a Twi-hard.  In fact, it annoys me.  However, I did enjoy the graphic novel.  It wasn't as full of the teenage angst that I loathe.  It would be more appropriate for 5th/6th graders than reading the actual series.

Now, I do have some friends who do not like graphic novels.  Because they read like a comic book, you really have to train your brain to read it like that (panel to panel) instead of how we normally read books.  But, before you make up your mind about graphic novels, try them out. 

(some other great graphic novel series are:  The Lunch Lady series  by Jarrett Krosoczka, and The Babymouse series by Jennifer and Matt Holm...I know those are both a big hit in my classroom!)

For you Twi-hards out there

Or, if you are looking for an interesting read, I present to you Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater.

Ok, so its not a vampire / mopey teenager love story.  Its a werewolf / somewhat neglected teenager love story.  But thats about where the comparisons stop.

Grace was attacked and drug into the woods near her home by a pack of wolves as a child.  Before they could kill her, a wolf with amazing golden eyes saved her.  Now a junior in high school, Grace sees "her" wolf often in the woods behind her home.  One day, a popular student at her high school, Jack also attacked by wolves and killed (insert twist here).  Now considered a threat, the wolves are hunted down.  Grace tries to stop the hunters, but is unable to.  When she gets home, she sees a boy with golden eyes bleeding on her doorstep.  He's been shot.  She takes him to the hospital and realizes that Sam, the boy, is also her wolf.

Here comes another Twilighty part:  he gives her the attention that her parents can't / don't, she calms the savage beast within him, and they fall in love.  He sleeps in her bed, but nothing happens.  The End of the Twilighty part.

Sam tells Grace that because it is getting so cold, he will be changing into a werewolf soon (for the winter, most change back to human form in the warm summer months). But, changing has a time limit---you can only do it so many times before you just stay a wolf forever, and Sam's time is almost up. 

Because you are a pretty smart cookie, you might be thinking, "Hold on a second, if Grace was bitten by Sam's pack, why isn't she a werewolf, too?"  Well, you'll find out. 

I really don't want to give away the ending, what happens to Jack, what happens to Sam, or why Grace didn't change, so you'll just have to read it and see.  Its worth it.  There is also a sequel that I might just have to look into....

Listen to an except of The Magician's Elephant

You can listen to an excerpt of The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo here.

Kate DiCamillo, for me, is hit or miss.  I love love loved The Tale of Despereaux, but hated The Miraculous Journey of Edward Toulane.  The Tiger Rising was "eh", but I find her Mercy Watson series hysterical. This is this first time I have ever been so divided about an author.  Either I love their work, or I hate it.  There is no in between.   

I'm going to withhold a review of this book, mainly because I hate having stuff read to me.  I'll get it from the library one Friday afternoon and read it over the weekend.
      

Across the Universe book launch!

While I haven't yet read Across the Universe by Beth Revis, it sounds great, and I'm hearing tons of great stuff about it.  To kick off the launch, Penguin Group (the Publishers) created this cool "secret project" for bloggers...and guess what?!?!  You get to be a part of it!

Click here for an exclusive video interview with the author, Beth Revis.

io9 is to have a free 111 page exerpt from the book that you can read....but only for today! Click here to search the site and read.


You can watch the book trailer, here.

And here are more links to facebooks, twitters and blogs than you can shake a stick at:

• Link to Beth Revis’ author website, blog and Twitter:
  

  • Website: http://www.bethrevis.com/
  • Blog: http://bethrevis.blogspot.com/
  • Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/bethrevis
• Link to the Penguin Teen website, Twitter, and Facebook:
  

  • Website: http://www.penguin.com/teen
  • Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/penguinteen
  • Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/penguinteenbook 

As I'm writing this, the Across the Universe webpage isn't up yet.  As soon as it is, I'll edit this post and share the link here.

After you check all this cool stuff out, I'd love to hear what you think!  Happy reading!

The Heros of Olympus, book 1: The Lost Hero

                                                   
I should start this by saying that I loved the Percy Jackson series.  I loved how Rick Riordan incorporated all the Greek Mythology into an action packed storyline.  I even got to a point where I was trying to guess the mythological creature by the description that was given (and usually failed miserably, but it was still fun!)  I was not as happy with the movie, mainly because it was so different than the book, but that is neither here nor there.

Riordan does that again with The Heros of Olympus series.  But this time, instead of it just being a rehashing of the Lightning Thief series but with just different characters (as some authors do), he has created a whole new prophecy, awakened new monsters and myths, introduced us to new characters while keeping some of our favorites onboard, and managed to tie in Roman mythology.  For those of you who were wondering, the Greek gods and goddesses are actually the Roman gods and goddesses, just more militaristic.  Almost like a split personality.

The story starts with Jason waking up in the back of a school bus on his way to the Grand Canyon, surrounded by people who know him, but having no recollection of them.  While there, he has to fight evil wind creatures, with the help of Coach Gleeson (a satyr protector, like Grover), Leo (his best friend, who turns out to be the son of Hephaestus), and Piper (his girlfriend, who is the daughter of Aphrodite).  They are collected by Annabelle (the same from Percy Jackson) and another camper and taken to Camp Half-Blood.  There, they are given a quest to find the imprisoned Hera, find Piper's dad, and fight giants, all while trying to keep a much stronger, darker force from overtaking the world.  All in a day's work, right?

I don't want to spoil anymore of the book, because I loved how the story was woven together.  All I can say is, if you liked the Percy Jackson / Lightning Thief series, you'll like this one as well.  Unfortunately, the next book in the series doesn't come out until the Fall :(

Read Online for Free

 @harperteen, HarperCollins Young Adult Twitter, tweeted that you can read ALL of Emily the Strange: The Lost Days online.  Click here to read!

Bargain book shopping, Maestra Amanda style

I just went to Ollie's Bargain Outlet to look for some odds and ends, books for the kiddos as prizes, cleaning stuff (mainly because I was on that end of town and I didn't feel like going to Walmart).  I was browsing the young adult / chapter books section when I found some surprising deals.

Deal 1:
New York Times bestseller Hush Hush for $3.99

Deal 2:
Loads of Ellen Hopkins (Crank, Glass, Identical) books for $3.99

Happy readings!

Change of Weekend Plans

I was planning on going to visit Aaron's mom and stepdad this weekend, however, I think I'm getting sick and I don't want to pass that on to them.  So....this leaves my weekend schedule surprisingly free for reading!  When it opens, I'm going to head over to the local library to pick up a couple more books, specifically, The Heros of Olympus, Book One:  The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan (author or the Percy Jackson / Lightning Thief Series)

I have placed on hold three more titles, The Kane Chronicles: The Red Pyramid also by Rick Riordan, Fallen by Lauren Kate, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (author or Delirium) and The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech.

   

What I'm reading this weekend

I was in another teacher's classroom today and noticed a copy of Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren sitting on her shelf.  Now, I don't know about you, but when I was growing up, Pippi Longstocking was awesome!  She was strong, she was sassy, she could take care of business.  Plus, she had that awesome hair.  So when I saw this copy, I realized that I had only seen the movie and read the little books that went along with it, not the actual chapter book.  So, book number 1 for this weekend is Pippi Longstocking.

Books two and three are graphic novels based on chapter books that I have read and loved---Nancy Drew and The Boxcar Children.  I'm interested to see how they turn out, because I'd love to use them in my classroom.

Preview of Delirium by Lauren Oliver

You can preview the first little bit of Delirium by Lauren Oliver over on the HarperCollins website.  I did and want to go buy the book right now. 

Set in the future, scientists have discovered that love is the disease, and that to cure the disease, you have to have special surgery on your 18th birthday.  Since people have started having the surgery, there have been no wars and only minor outbreaks of crime (vandalism, etc).  It it for the good of the community.  Safety, Sanctity, Community is the motto.  If you are suspected of being a "sympathizer" (I'm guessing someone sympathetic to love?), you are shunned and eventually put on trial.

Before your surgery, you are evaluated in all areas (mentally and physically), assigned a score, which will then assign you to a college (if you are smart enough), and match you with 3-4 male candidates for marriage.

The book starts with Lena, preparing for her evaluation day.

Like I said, I'm definitely going to get this one when it comes out and read the rest!

If you are on the twitter, you can enter to win a copy here.  Also, if you are on the twitter, you can follow me.  You know you want to.

I found this online...

The Children's Book Review posted the best selling children's through young adult books, based on the New York Times Best Seller List, and I thought I should pass it on!  You can  View List Here or, just scroll down.  I included links to amazon.com of my favorites off this list.

Best selling picture books:
*Llama Llama, Holiday Drama by Anna Dewdney
*Its a Book by Lane Smith (I've read this one, its hilarious!)
*Lego Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary by  Simon Beecroft
*Art and Max by David Wiesner
*Of Thee I Sing: A Letter To My Daughters by Barack Obama













Best selling chapter books:
*Heros of Olympus, book 1:  The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
*The Kane Chronicles, book 1:  The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
(Rick Riordan is also the author of the Percy Jackson / Lightning Thief series)
*Witch and Wizard: The Game by James Patterson
*The Lying Game by Sara Shepard
*Matched by Allie Condle













Best selling paperback books:
*Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
*The Book Thief by Marcus Zusac (This was a Michael Printz Award Honor Book.  It is also very sad, read with a box of tissues)
*Fallen by Lauren Kate
*Witch and Wizard: The Game by James Patterson
*The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman