Finneytown Secondary Campus Library Media Center
Find us on Facebook & Twitter
  • Home
    • Library Policies
    • Library Skills 101
    • Brent Library Media Center
    • Whitaker Library Media Center
  • Books
    • Online Library Catalog
    • E-Books & E-Audiobooks
    • MS/HS Book Blog
    • Book Lists
  • Class Projects
  • Research
    • Research Process
    • Online Databases >
      • INFOhio Databases >
        • iSearch
      • Cincinnati Public Library Research Databases
    • Citing Sources >
      • EasyBib Citation Maker
  • Book Club
  • Student Resources
    • AR Book Finder
    • Author Websites
    • Cincinnati Area Libraries
    • College/Career/Test Prep
    • E-Books (free)
    • Educational Games
    • Homework Help
    • Internet Safety
    • Internet Searching
    • Popular Topics
    • Reference
  • Book Fair 2019
  • Teacher Resources
    • Common Core State Standards
    • Copyright for Teachers
    • Digital Video Collection
    • EBSCOhost RSS Feeds
    • Edutopia K-12 Topics
    • Graphic Organizers
    • Internet Safety Curriculum
    • Khan Academy Videos
    • Lesson Plans
    • Ohio's Learning Standards
    • Project Based Learning
    • Rubrics
    • Teacher Websites
  • Parent Resources
    • Books & Reading >
      • Reading Aloud
    • INFOhio: How To Help With Homework
    • INFOhio: Using Databases
    • KidSource Help Your Child
    • KidSource Homework Calendar
    • Internet Safety >
      • Antivirus Software
      • Get NetWise
      • Google Tips for Online Safety
      • NetSmartz for Parents
      • Parents' Guide to Social Networking
      • Safe Kids
      • Web Aware
    • Parent Websites >
      • Awesome Library for Parents
      • Family Fun Magazine
      • Great Websites for Kids
      • NY Times: Parenting

Utopia, Iowa by Brian Yansky

9/2/2015

 
Utopia, IowaUtopia, Iowa by Brian Yansky
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Utopia, Iowa is not your typical Midwestern small town. It was built on sacred ground—constructed, perhaps, by gods—and so it should come as no surprise that many in the town possess certain gifts (or curses, depending upon your perspective). Jack Bell possesses the gift of being able to see dead people. Normally, this doesn’t hinder his day-to-day existence, but recently he has been contacted by not one, but two murdered girls, and this makes him a person of interest in Detective Bloodsmith’s books. With the help of his best friend, Ash, his little sister, Amanda, and his Gram, Jack discovers that he is being targeted by an ancient evil that everyone else has so far been powerless to stop.

On the whole, this was a cute, fun read, but there were some things about it that were jarring. Jack’s apparent obsession with screenwriting led him, as narrator, to constantly interrupt the flow of the story with screenplay ideas and movie references (complete with the date, writer, and stars of the movie). In addition, the plot line surrounding his parents’ fights and possible divorce/separation/breakup seemed awkward and unimportant to the story.

Recommended as optional for gr. 7-12.

View all my reviews

No Parking at the End Times by Bryan Bliss

9/2/2015

 
No Parking at the End TimesNo Parking at the End Times by Bryan Bliss
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

What happens when your dad loses his job, becomes obsessed with religion, sells everything, packs up the family in the van and drives across the country so that you can join Brother John and his congregation when the Rapture occurs? That is exactly what twins Abigail and Aaron are wondering now that they are penniless and living in their van, post-Rapture (or more specifically, post-non-Rapture). Their parents are still convinced that the world is about to end and they have to remain in California with Brother John until the end times actually do occur. Abigail is trying to be a good daughter—obedient and faithful—but it’s becoming really hard to remain obedient and faithful now that they are homeless and penniless with no end in sight. Aaron would like to run away, back to North Carolina where their uncle Jake still lives. Ultimately, it becomes clear to Abigail that she and Aaron are going to have to make their own plan in order to return to any semblance of normalcy.

I found it incredibly hard to believe the actions of the parents—in particular, the actions of the mom. I could somewhat understand the unemployed dad becoming obsessed with the promise of a better life, but I just couldn’t understand how the mom could constantly defend the actions of her husband when it was clear how harmful those actions were to her children. I don’t know any mother who would choose her husband over her children. Period. I also found it odd that the word “cult” was never mentioned, although it was very clear that Brother John’s "church" was indeed a cult.

Recommended as an optional purchase for grades 7-12.

View all my reviews

Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein

9/2/2015

 
Black Dove, White RavenBlack Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

From the time that she was five weeks old, Emilia Menotti was used to flying in airplanes. Her mother, Rhoda—the White Raven—and Delia, her mother’s flying partner—the Black Raven—performed an aerial show together, barnstorming with aerobatics and wing-walking all across the United States in the 1920s. Rhoda and Delia had a bond of friendship that was unbreakable, and when Delia died in a bird strike plane crash, Rhoda decided to pursue Delia’s dream of taking both children to live in Ethiopia where Teo wouldn’t be discriminated against because of the color of his skin. They lived an idyllic lifestyle for a time, but when tensions arose between Ethiopia and Italy, Teo got caught up in Ethiopian laws of slavery and conscription. Soon they were all fighting for their lives and their freedom in a country that, once so hospitable, had become their prison.

From the opening letter written by Emilia Menotti to the closing letter written by Teo Cooper, readers are swept into a world of racial discrimination, political intrigue, and a time and a place that is not often discussed or analyzed in history books. Readers unfamiliar with Ethiopian history or geography may be at a disadvantage, but the author’s beautiful writing and descriptive storytelling make up for readers' lack of background information.

Recommended for gr. 7-12.

View all my reviews

    MS/HS Blog

    Categories

    All
    Adult
    Adventure
    Animal
    Biography
    Classic
    Drug Abuse
    Dystopian
    Fantasy
    Girl Power
    Graphic Novel
    Historical
    Horror
    Humor
    LGBTQ
    Multicultural
    Mystery
    Mythology
    Nonfiction
    Paranormal
    Play
    Poetry
    Psychological Thriller
    Realistic
    Romance
    Science Fiction
    Short Story Collection
    Sports
    Teen
    Thriller
    Urban
    War
    Young Adult

    Archives

    November 2019
    March 2019
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    March 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    July 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    September 2012
    May 2012
    March 2012
    November 2011
    October 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    January 2011
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    July 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    January 2010
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009
    February 2009
    November 2008
    September 2008
    August 2008
    July 2008
    June 2008
    May 2008
    March 2008
    February 2008
    January 2008
    December 2007
    November 2007
    October 2007
    September 2007
    August 2007
    July 2007
    June 2007

    Author

    Mrs. Walker:
    District Library Media Specialist
    Lover of books
    Information nut

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.