Who Isn't Afraid of Sharks??!?

I have a friend, Kristen Tracy, who writes books for teens. I've enjoyed all of her titles so far, but this summer, she's coming out with the best one yet! Sharks and Boys is the story of . . . well . . . sharks and boys. When Enid decides to follow her recently-ex boyfriend to see if he's going on a date with another girl, she certainly doesn't expect to wind up stranded at sea on a rubber raft with her twin brother, her ex and his twin, and two other sets of twin brothers. And she certainly didn't think that they would be fighting injury, thirst, sunburn, and bloodthirsty sharks! Sharks and Boys has everything you would want in a good summer read . . . scary predators, handsome boys, and a cinematic style that allows you to see all the action in your head. I, literally, could not put this book down, and stayed up way past my bedtime so that I could see what happened to the stranded teens. Keep an eye out for this one!

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

How do you stay true to yourself when you do not even know who you are? That is what Frankie Landau-Banks tries to figure out as she navigates from an unknown duckling to a sought-after swan in this funny, feminist tale.

With a title like this how can you resist? HCL has it in playaway format which I enjoyed but you can always interlibrary loan it if you would rather read it.

Delirium

Love is a disease that finally has a cure the question is, would you really want to be cured? Lena Haloway thinks so. She knows firsthand what being uncured can do and she wants the safety and happiness that being cured can bring her. What she does not realize is the only way to know happiness is to know sadness as well.

Delirium is the first book in a trilogy by Lauren Oliver. If you enjoyed Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies Series you will want to check this one out. We do not have it available at HCL yet but you can check it out through woodlands.lib.overdrive.com in WMA, PC, or iPod format.

One Wacky Family

I can admit that my family--nuclear and extended--can be a bit weird. This has been true my entire life, and I think it's added to my enjoyment of books about large families with strange habits. In that vein, I've slowly but surely been working my way through the Meg Langslow series by Donna Andrews. These mysteries, beginning with Murder With Peacocks, feature a sarcastic female blacksmith who investigates murders while also dealing with the rest of her responsibilities. Meg's extended family is a hoot, and Andrews somehow manages to make them funny and eccentric while still being endearing. You'll have to interlibrary loan this series, but it's well worth it if you're looking for humorous mysteries.

Saving the World Will Change You

So I figured my first post should be about a series that has had an impact on my life as a reader. Have you guys ever read the 'Animorphs' series by K. A. Applegate? They were popular in the late 90s. I started reading them when I was in middle school. I bought the first one at a yard sale, fell in love, and then- lo and behold- the library had more! And we still do. :) This is a great series if you like teen sci-fi novels like Maximum Ride and Virals. The characters are original and believable and loveable, the plot twists and turns and keeps you interested, the dialoge is enjoyable and well-writtedn, and sometimes these books just make you laugh out loud. The library has most of the series, and you can always get the ones we don't have on interloan. Check them out! I'm very excited because Scholastic is publishing a reprint of this series. At least the first few, and then if they are well-received, the rest of the series as well. The reprints will be tweaked versions of the originals, with more updated pop-culture references and fixed loopholes or inconsistencies. (When you write a 50-some-odd book series, it's hard to be consistant, right?) I'm looking forward to reading these new versions of an old favorite, and I hope you'll enjoy them as much as I always have.

You can find more information on the official Animorphs website here.

A View Behind the Curtain

The books of Agatha Christie are very popular in Hillsdale, although I've never known exactly why. Granted, they are suspenseful and well-written with lots of twists and turns. Christie was a master at her craft. But they were published so long ago, conventional library wisdom would dictate that they wouldn't get checked out much anymore. At any rate, patrons who enjoy Christie's mysteries will want to check out Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks by John Curran. With material from Christie's 73 private notebooks, this book gives us a peek into the author's mind. It includes drawings and two previously unpublished Poirot stories.

Late to the Party

If you have children between the ages of 9 and 16, you probably already know all about the 39 Clues series. It consists of 11 books written by seven different wildly popular authors, and it has been a runaway hit. So, of course, I hadn't read any of them. Finally, guilt overtook me and I read Maze of Bones, the first in the series and I loved it! Full of quirky characters, cranky cats, explosions, and mysterious clues, this book has everything a kid could want. And, it's perfect for those adults who grew up loving Ellen Raskins The Westing Game, as it's quite similar in concept and feel. I've already checked out the second in the series, One False Note.