Just Finished a Good One!

Last night, I finished reading Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz.If you enjoy stories with lots of action and enough special gadgets to make James Bond happy, this could be the book for you.

Alex Rider is a 14 year-old boy, living in London with his uncle since the death of his parents many years earlier. But when the police show up late one night to tell him that his uncle was killed in an automobile accident, Alex finds himself all alone and filled with questions about what happened. While the police claim his uncle was in an accident, Alex finds the car riddled with bullet holes. This leads Alex to uncover more secrets about his uncle, Ian Rider. He was not really a banker as Alex had been lead to believe, but a spy working for British Intelligence's MI6. The organization realizes that Alex has many of the characteristics that made his uncle so valuable to them, and they recruit Alex to work on a very special mission for them. It involves going undercover to find an international terrorist and the person who murdered his uncle.

Alex is soon involved in life or death situations as he races against the clock to stop the diabolical plan of a madman. Check-out Stormbreaker, and you'll be checking out the non-stop action of Alex Rider in this first in a series of 9 books. Don't miss out!!

Still Reading . . .

I took home Breaking Stalin’s Nose by Eugene Yelchin (2012 Newbery Honor Book) and Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz, thinking I would preview them and then start one the next day at lunch. I didn’t even get to my preview of Stormbreaker because I was hooked on Breaking Stalin’s Nose from the first sentence. I didn’t stop until I reached the final three word sentence that concludes this amazing, thought-provoking read.

The story is told by 10-year-old Sasha Zaichik, who lives with his father in Russia. At the time of the story, Russia is ruled by Joseph Stalin, a man who would cause the death and suffering of tens of millions during his almost 25 year reign. However, as this story opens, Sasha idolizes Stalin and believes the lies and half truths he has been told about Stalin's leadership.

Sasha is excited because he will become a member of the Young Pioneers at school the next morning. But with a knock on the door late at night comes the soldiers who will arrest his father, who has been betrayed by a co-worker. That night Sasha begins to see the painful truth about his father, his friends, and his idol, Joseph Stalin.

The story takes place over a span of two days, and it that time, Sasha’s world is completely changed. Black and white illustrations add the perfect touch to this hard, cold story of fear and confusion and the pain of learning that reality can be very different from what you believed it to be.  

In the afterword, the author discusses his own experiences and gives some of the history of this brutal time in Russia.

This one will leave you thinking. . .

 

One more down . . .

As I ate my sandwich for lunch, I was able to finish The Dark Stairs by Betsy Byars. Both were tasty, but the book had lots of humor and suspense, too. If you like mysteries (especially ones like Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew) you might want to try this more modern series. Herculeah, the main character, is the daughter of a police detective and a private investigator who loves to get involved in the cases of her parents.  The book was a little frightening, definitely suspenseful, and sure to leave you wanting to read the other 6 books in the series.

Here’s what Betsy Byars says about the books: All my life I have loved mystery stories and wanted to write one. Then, by accident, I got the name Herculeah. And sometimes when I get an unusual name like that, the character sort of develops on her own. That's what happened with Herculeah and she turned out to be so strong that I had to give her something strong to deal with - like murder.

Next on my reading list: Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz and Breaking Stalin’s Nose by Eugene Yelchin.

3 down, 97 to go

I was in the car for 12 hours this weekend, traveling to and from Tulsa to see my son’s football game. (Yes, TU won, and even better, Austin got to play!!) It seemed like a great time to get started on a reading challenge. I packed the car with lots of options and decided to start with Thunder Birds by Jack Arnosky, a book nominated for the 2013 Texas Bluebonnet Book Award. I quickly decided that if I couldn’t be a librarian (I love my job!!) I would want to be the kind of nonfiction author and illustrator that Arnosky is. He travels all over (with his wife, who he calls his “partner in adventure”) to gather information on his subject before he begins to write. For this book, he visited places all around the United States to see “nature’s flying predators” both in the wild and in sanctuaries (sanctuaries: places where wounded animals are kept and cared for).

The illustrations in this book are incredible – many are life-size and all are beautifully done. You will see many amazing birds and learn countless facts as you make your way through this book. This was a great selection for reading in the car because there were so many facts that I could share with (and amaze) my husband. Take your time with this book; pour over the illustrations (some on fold-out pages!!), read and wonder about the things that birds do – and be ready to want to share what you’ve learned . . . and possibly go exploring on your own!

The next book I read was Hamster Magic by Lynne Jonell. Have you ever wished that your pet could talk to you? Ever wanted to be granted a wish by a genie? If you answered yes to these questions, Hamster Magic may be the book for you (though the wish is granted by “The Great Hamster”, not a genie!).  Fantasy, fun, and furry animals – what’s not to enjoy? A quick and easy read, this book is also on the 2013 Texas Bluebonnet Award list.

My final book of the weekend, and my last Bluebonnet Award nominee for a while, was Misty Gordon and the Mystery of the Ghost Pirates by Kim Kennedy. I really enjoyed the setting of this book – a quirky old New England village during the fall season (including Halloween!) which was a perfect backdrop for this story’s crazy characters and extraordinary events. The weather in Tulsa even cooperated and produced a nice little storm to add the perfect mood for my reading. As the weather gets cooler (or stormy) and pumpkins, goblins, and other magic begins to appear in your part of town, grab this book and curl up for an exciting read – there’s humor, mystery and magic – and an ending that leaves you with the possibility of more to come.

Let the Reading Begin!!

Dear River Valley Students,

My plan for the school year is to read 100 BOOKS before our last day on Wednesday, June 5th. I plan to read all kinds of books – fiction and nonfiction, mystery and adventure, realistic and fantastical, long and short, with pictures and without. All kinds of books! I plan to read only books from the River Valley Library and to share my thoughts about them with you on this blog. My goal is to know the collection better and to make recommendations to you, so that you can become a better, more prolific reader, too. (prolific: inexhaustible, abundant, creative)

I think becoming a reader is one of the most important things that you can do this year, so I invite you to set a reading goal for yourself. Could you read one book a week, every week of the school year? Maybe a book every two weeks is better for you, or maybe even a book a month or a book every grading period. You decide what’s right for you, and join me in a reading challenge.

Visit my blog regularly to see what I am reading and if I am on track to meet my goal. Read along with me and share your opinions about what I’ve read and your suggestions for what I should try next.

I was so excited about my plan that I started over the weekend. See my next post for information about my first reading selections.

Oh, and wish me luck!