Unwind by Shusterman

There was a Second Civil War and it was fought over reproductive rights. The outcome has dire consequences: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child "unwound," whereby all of the child's organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn't technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive. This book was recommended to me by the school librarian. I also had the pleasure of seeing Shusterman when he gave a presentation at school and since this book is part of so many reading lists, I felt I should read it too. Right from the start, the book had me hooked --it definitely makes you stop and think. This dystopian book is told from the alternating points of view of three teens, Connor, Risa and Lev. They have all been sent to be unwound, Connor because of behavior, Lev as a tithe and Risa because she is not quite good enough as a pianist. This may be a shocking concept, but Shusterman makes it realistic by bringing in actual history such as Nazi Germany, to lay the foundations for the book. There is a bit of romance, and lots of adventure and tension and would appeal to both boys and girls. Check out the book trailer for this book http://www.nisdtx.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=3590 Rating 10 out of 10 Reading next: Fractured

Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick

Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick It's 1910 and Sig Anderson is fifteen. He lives with his father, Einar, stepmother, Nadya and sister Anna in an isolated Scandinavian cabin deep in the Arctic Circle. Einar had been the Assay Clerk in Nome, Alaska, during the Gold Rush 10 years previous where he would check the quality of gold brought in by prospectors. After the failure of the Alaskan Gold Rush, Einar moved the family to Giron. Survival skills are top priority in the harsh enviroment. They aren't enough, however,to prevent Einar from making a mistake sending him through the ice and into freezing water. Unable to build a fire or warm himself, Einar freezes to death out on the lake where Sig finds him hours later. Nadya and Anna race into town to get what help they can. Sig is left uncomfortably alone with his father’s body until a stranger comes to the home.He says his name is Gunther Wolff, and he claims that Einar owes him fortune in stolen gold. While Sig tries to calculate his chances at retrieving his father’s old revolver before his unsuspecting sister returns and ends up captive too, he wonders if his father truly stole all that gold. This book is entertaining and a must for anyone who enjoys an adventure. It is a quick and easy read. Rating 7 out of 10 Reading Next: Unwind by Shusterman

Summer Reading Starts July 2nd

Enter to win a Tote full of goodies each week. One raffle ticket for each 100 pages you read. Drawings every Friday through August 10th If you need more logs, go to the sidelink and print a copy of the log

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

368 pages. Beth and Ryan were holding hands. It was enough to risk a formal citation for indecency, and they knew better, but I didn't say anything. Curfew rounds wouldn't begin for another two hours, and freedom was stolen in moments like these. Enjoy dystopias? Give Article 5 a try. Be forewarned, if romance annoys you, then this is not the book for you. Article 5 is a quick read. I read it in a day. I definitely felt it was a page turner, I couldn't wait to find what happened in the end. Ember, the heroine, was a mix of emotions, and often I found my self becoming frustrated as she couldn't seem to make up her mind. Her ideas of right and wrong were inflexible and sometimes seemed a little out of place considering the world she lived in. Chase is the boyfriend that she has a love/hate relationship with. Read Article 5 If you like dystopias If you like romances If you like action/survival novels This book gets an 8 out of 10. Currently reading: not sure

Truancy City--a must read!!

I just finished the ARC of the conclusion to the Truancy series--Truancy City. The conclusion to the Truancy trilogy by author Isamu Fukui, whose first book, Truancy, was published when he was a senior in high school. As a new threat arises from outside the walls of the City, the warring Truants and Educators must join forces or be destroyed. The fate of the City is determined at last in this long-awaited conclusion to the Truancy trilogy. This is definitely a page turner with some surprising twists and turns. It is the first book that has completely caught my attention in a long time. This is a must read for anyone who loves dystopias. This is definitely rated 10 out of 10

And The Winners Are. . .

CREATIVE WRITING CONTEST WINNERS-- And the winners are . . . Middle School First Place Clare Costello Emerald Fire Second Place Bailey Scribner Third Floor Bedroom Third Place Jake Cleary The Cure High School First Place Riva Martin A Strange Day in July Second Place Howard Ho The Crystal Core Third Place Jordan Cameron Captain Tory

The Creative Writing Group SKYPED with Kimberly Pauley this week and thought the interview was wonderful. The kids were aged 10-18. They came away with so much knowledge and a new appreciation for writing and publishing. Kimberly really connected with the group, even the ones that are usually hard to get interested. Her books flew off the shelf after the SKYPE and one of the mom’s who is reading Cat Girl’s Day Off along with her daughter came to apologize for missing the interview. She is enjoying the book as well as her daughter and was disappointed to have missed the SKYPE. Again, thanks so much Kimberly, it was a wonderful interview!!!!