Virals by Kathy Reichs

Many thanks to Wyatt A. for recommending this book that is a pop-culture, sci-fi mystery wrapped all in one.  Follow the adventurous, mysterious ride 14 year old Tory takes her Sci-Phile friends on when they are infected by a virus that changes their DNA so that they become a wolf-like pack with wolf-like senses and abilities.  Jammed pack with risk, adventure, twists and turns, this book will have you gasping out loud right through the end.  you are in for an adventure.  Enjoy!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

In all my reading life, I have never cried so hard over a book.  I cried because it's a book about war.  I cried because I'm so sad my time with the characters came to a close.  I cried because everything beautiful about this book is ultimately everything human.

Now I realize what I've said so far isn't going to inspire kids to read this book (especially boys) but oh, how I want EVERY kid to pick up this book.  Because there's something in this book for everyone...

• War
• Bullies
• Soccer
• Nazi Germany
• Stealing
• Foster care
• Friendship
• Death (after all, Death is the narrator)
• Creativity

Pick up this book today.  Take your time reading it's pages.  This book will stay with you.  It will haunt you and change you.  Pick it up and tell me what you think.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Top Five Reasons to Read this Book:
5. The narrator is a kid who doesn't take himself to seriously, so he'll make you laugh.
4. There has never been a better time to talk about acceptance and tolerance in our schools.
3. Because the narrator is a boy, boys will like it.
2. Because the star (no pun intended) of the book is a girl (and because the narrator falls in love with her), girls will like it.

1.  and the best thing about this book is the way Stargirl remains true to herself. She is a character I'll always remember. And I'll look for bits of her in my own students.

Go on. Read this book. Try it today. Or tomorrow. Just enjoy it.

Keep reading,
stenson

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You. by Ally Carter

What a fun series! Four books all about Cammie Morgan and her best friends at Gallagher High who are all spies. We're talking honest to goodness spies...security clearance, counter-surveillance, martial arts defense moves, and everything else a good spy know about.

The Gallagher Girls might be spies, but they are also regular girls in many ways. They take friendship very seriously, though they don't always take school seriously, they both love and deplore their parents, and they know all about heartthrobs and heartache.

Here are the books in order. Hope you have a chance to read on! Spy on! Enjoy! -stenson

Images are courtesy of Ally Carter's website which can be found here,

Summer!

It's getting really close to summer break, so I thought I'd highlight to perfect books for summer.

Both written by Jenny Han, The Summer I Turned Pretty and It's Not Summer Without You are flying around my classroom these days. I must admit I have not read them yet (but I did just download the first book on my iPod), but my students say the books have realistic characters and suspenseful, heartbreaking plots.



Here's what the author's website says about the first book The Summer I Turned Pretty:

Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer--they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

For more information about these books, click here to go to the author's site.

Pick up the book, give it a try, and let me know what you think.

Think summer, keep reading!
-stenson

*The photo is taken from the author's website too!

Ender's Game

According to Nancy Keane, a reading pro, this book shouldn't be missed. I'm adding it to my FBL!

It seems to be Harry Potter meets Space Warfare. Ender Wiggins is chosen by the world government to help save the earth. He is sent to Battle School for military training in the form of computer war games. He proves to be a genius and is looked to as a future military leader. But the fate of the human race on your shoulders is a scary prospect! Simulated war games are one thing, but what will happen in real combat?

If you read it, let me know. Or if you've read it, share your opinion. Keep reading, everyone!

-stenson

An Author Not to Miss

I listened to Sleeping Freshman Never Lie a few weeks ago, and as I've been telling my kids about the book, they've been enjoying it too. Then, some of them read other books written by the same author. I think he's one everyone should at least try!

3 of Gordon Korman's Best Books

1. Swindle
2. Sleeping Freshman Never Lie
3. Pop

Hope you enjoy! Let me know if you try them!  For more information on this awesome author, click here.
-stenson

More books to make you think.

The latest books from our gifted and talented specialist, Mrs. Donaldson.

These books aren't hard to read, though some of them might be tougher than others. These books will get you think about BIG themes and BIG ideas in life. There's more than just good stories and good characters in these books. We are talking life lessons, people. Life lessons. Keep reading! Enjoy!

Three Super Sports Stories.

Even though the Yankees won the World Series (again!), I still believe in the magic of sports. If you are an athlete or sports fan, you've probably witnessed magical moments in sports firsthand.

If you aren't, doesn't matter, you will still enjoy reading about the kids whose lives are affected by playing sports, winning and losing, and being on a team.

Just remember, sports books aren't just for athletes. Not anymore than the Twilight series is just for vampires or science fiction is just for insane robots. I promise you'll "score" with one of these (oops...bad joke!)

Keep reading everyone!
-stenson

Skeleton Key, The Graveyard Book, and Other Super but Scary Stories

Disclaimer: Your teacher HATES being scared. I don't like horror movies. I don't like ghost stories. For the most part I hate everything spooky, scary, and terrorizing.

HOWEVER, there are a few scary stories I've read because they were just too good to put down.

Here's a vlog highlighting my two very favorites.



But there are a few honorable mention books too:

The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci
Full Tilt by Neil Schusterman
The Cirque du Freak series by Darren Shan
Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer

Happy Halloween, everyone. Happy Reading too.
-stenson

Life As We Knew It by Susan Pfeffer

Miranda is excited at first because everyone is buzzing about the asteroid. What will happen? Will it look like fireworks? The whole neighborhood is out on the streets waiting for the asteroid to hit the moon. And when it does, look out. It's not a terrible sight, but it's clear right away that it's not a good thing either.

So begins the story of a normal 16 year old girl slow journey into an apocalyptic world. The coasts are flooded with tsunamis, volcanoes around the world start erupting, and the climate begins to change for the worse. Schools start to close, gas is rationed, and food is being stockpiled. While they don't have guarantees they are going to make it, Miranda and her family fight to survive. Readers have to keep reading to find out if this family is going to make it.
picture from amazon.com

What I like most about the book is Miranda. Even though her circumstances get worse and worse and worse, she handles them like a champ. Taking each day as it comes, dealing with the challenges presented, and still living a life like every other teenager. Will she get to keep skating? Will she ever go to the prom? Why did her dad chose his new wife over their family? Will her mom always be annoying, nosy, and bossy?

This is my second time reading this book. I knew the book was essentially about hope, but I couldn't remember exactly how it ended. It didn't disappoint the second time. I loved it. Hope you do too!

By the way, I have this book on the iPods if anyone is interested.

Keep reading, everyone.
-stenson

Jordan Sonnenblick's Notes from a Midnight Driver

Many good lines in this book. Many good laughs. Many meaningful lessons to be learned.

Overall, I think most kids will like Alex. The 16 year-old kid whose parents are getting a divorce, he's got a secret crush on his best friend Laurie, and he's facing the repercussions of a very serious mistake he made. It's for boys and girls, and it's easy to read even though it's a powerful book. In fact, there is a good balance of everything you need in a book. Enjoy!


Keep reading!
-Stenson

p.s. This is my 4th book of the year. 1/10th of the way to my goal!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Want action and suspense? Check.
Want gore and guts? Check.
Want likeable characters? Check.
Want a few who make you laugh? Check.
A few to fall in love? Maybe.

With elements of science-fiction and reality television, with futuristic and realistic elements , Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games grabs the readers from the first page and grips them with such suspense few are likely to successfully put it down until the end.

The book beings on the day of the Reaping, where each District of the post-apocalyptic North American country of Panem must send two youth to the 74th Annual Hunger Games. The government exerts total control over its people, and the Games are just one of its cruel ploys to remind the people their lives are only as good or as bad as the government decides they will be.

The book is a lot like The Lottery (a classic short story by Shirley Jackson) meets Survivor (the popular reality-television series) meets Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare tragedy about two star-crossed lovers). The main characters--Katniss and Peeta--are chosen from a lottery, forced to leave their families, and go to the Capitol where they will be contestants in a grisly Gladiator game.

It must be said that Katniss, who is the Girl on Fire, is a terrific heroine. Two thumbs up for a girl with the wits, strength, and kindness to be a true competitor, a protective big sister, an effective hunter, the pride of her District, and the love-interest of at least a couple of boys. She is a girl who could teach us all many lessons. Speaking of lessons, the book has several to tell....about violence in our culture, about the increasingly desensitizing nature of reality television, about the harm of a government not of the people, and about empathy.

It took me a long to pick up the book but minutes to fall in love with it. I urge all ages to read this book. Knowing two more in the series follow, I predict, as did awesome author John Green) the trilogy will be received with Twilight-esque mania. Join in on the fun. Get your hands on a copy today!

For more information like videos, message boards, and online games, check out this site.

Keep reading!
-stenson

Boyfriends.

Hmpfh. I get it. Boyfriends are a big deal when you are 14, 15, and so on. It's troublesome ground. Some girls, many girls actually, find comfort, friendship, and loyalty in their boyfriends. The relationships of their adolescents play an important role in teaching them how to navigate dating and relationships as they grow up. However, other girls only find more reasons to grow more self-doubting and dependent. Like I said, shaky ground. So, this topic- boyfriends- is a topic that usually generates too much adolescent angst and drama when I bring it up with my students. However, I know the topic is a big, big part of being a teenage girl. That's why I read E. Lockhart's book The Boyfriend List.

While it's no Disreputable History , it is an interesting book that portrays a realistic peek into the psyche of teenage girls and their struggles with friends, boys, and boyfriends. I love a series. I like the lessons the Ruby (our protagonist) learns.

Just make sure you read Disreputable History too.

Keep reading.
-stenson

p.s. The picture above is from e. lockhart's website.

Wintergirls

For every young woman out there who has battled with body-image or weight issues-
For every adult and child who has loved someone who has had these battles-

there's little I can say to show you I understand or know what it's like, but there is a book you all must read. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. As one reviewer wrote, it's hard to read, but harder to put down. You've got to give Lia (and all the young girls like her) the gift of reading her story and sharing it with others.

For a list of reviews or other information about the book or the author, go to www.writerlady.com.

You. Must. Read. Wintergirls.
-abs(tenson) kujawski

Highlights of an Independent Reading Project!

Many, many, many 7th graders are upset with me. I've made them pick a topic (they had a choice of four: war, real teens, sports, or strong young women), and they had to read about this topic for SIX WEEKS (that's a long time for 13 year olds).

Anyway, some good has come out of it. Here a few of the good books we stumbled on:

Emako Blue by Brenda Woods. A realistic look in the lives of young black women growing up in today's world.

Stolen Voices by various kids. A informative, personal look into the lives of kids living amidst war.

Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. An exciting book about a young black man who is surprised and changed by the Vietnam War.

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher. A book different from others told from the interesting perspective of a girl who committed suicide by recorded her story in audio tapes first.

The Child Called It Series. Three books about the survival of a child abuse victim. It's a true story, so it's really sad how badly he was abused, yet it makes you want to read on!

The Girl with the Baby by Sylvia Olsen. This book follows a girl who is forced to raise the baby alone. Readers learn about the consequences of having a baby at such a young age.

Book talks, Talking about books, books and talking and books and talking.

See:


It's time for Booktalks! All year, 7th graders have worked hard on their independent reading. What have they been reading? We'll soon find out. For a few samples, check out the 7READ podcast. You recognize the booktalks because the titles are in all caps (as shown above).

So the ones currently on the website are samples from last year. Soon, this year's booktalks will be up and running. Take a listen. You might want to check out a few!

Keep Reading!
-Stenson

Our DA Challenge

Booktalks! Podcasts! New Genres! It's madness!!!!

So, the DA readers are embarking on a new challenge this week. They are writing booktalks that will eventually be a part of the DA Booktalk Podcast.

Once the booktalks are recorded, we are going to find the perfect audiences. Other middle schools, other classes, other kids, public libraries, anyone interested. We'll us our marketing skills to get the word out there.

The kids were urged to try new genres. Here's just a preview of the books that the DA kids read:

Shape Shifters by Bruce Colville
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
Next by Michael Crichton
The Book Thief by Marcus Zuzack
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Persopolis: The Complete Story by Marjane Satrapi
R is for Rocket by Ray Bradbury

Have you read any of these? Will you subscribe to our booktalk podcast? Hope to hear from you, and you can count on hearing from us!

Keep Reading!
-Stenson and the DA 7th graders

Joan Bauer's Peeled

I've seen a bunch of kids reading this book, and I'm excited to try it over winter break. Joan Bauer is a fun author whose books always have a little message of hope. Maybe you've read some of her others? Like Hope was Here or Squashed?

There's a cool video with the author on this site. Maybe it's a nerdy reading teacher thing, but I like seeing the authors who worte the books I've enjoyed, you know?

Try the video, look at the site, but mostly...consider the book. Peeled by Joan Bauer is in our media center!

Keep reading!
-Stenson

100,000 in Prizes?!?!

Have you heard about this book?

39 Clues by Gordon Korman

Check out the website about it.
Check it out at the media center.
Check it out on one of Stenson's iPods (I have the website codes too!)

Get on board. Love to see kids getting this excited about a series of books. When you read it, tell us all about it!!

Good luck!
Keep Reading!
-Stenson