http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ Notes from staff and users of the Takoma Park Maryland Library. en-us hobgoblyn1200@gmail.com 2010-03-05T14:56:25-05:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/002164.html Alicia Afterimage by Lulu Decacre reviewed by Leila Alicia Afterimage is a true story about a teenager, named Alicia, who was killed in a car accident by a friend who was speeding and hit a pole. Lulu Delacre interviewed everyone who was touched by Alicia, and they had their own parts in the book to explain their feelings and emotions after the crash. One thing I liked about Alicia Afterimage is that Delacre used the characters' real names because it's very rare that that ever happens. Something that I didn't like was that it was short and there weren't enough details. People who have lost a friend would like this book. Lulu Delacre wrote this book after her daughter died in a car accident, and she herself is the character Mamě. Alicia Afterimage is a very touching story and you have to have some sad books in your life, don't you? This book is best for teens because of how sad it is. 2164@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2010-03-05T14:56:25-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/002163.html 2163@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2010-03-05T14:42:30-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/002162.html 2162@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2010-03-05T14:33:50-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/002161.html 2161@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2010-03-05T14:23:34-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/002160.html Under a War-Torn Sky by L M Elliott reviewed by Bronte I originally read this book for school. I went to a small Montessori school and we read books having to do with the time period we were studying, so while we learned about WWII in history class we read this book in English. This was one school book that year that I flew through. Henry Forester is in the Air Force, but when he gets gunned down deep in enemy territory he must rely on the help of others to get him home alive. This book is so sad and the story it tells so true for many of our boys caught under a war-torn sky. The writing is fast-paced and the story just flies by, you rush through it to see if he lives or dies. Since this has a guy as the main character and is a war book I would recommend this for young kids in general (10-12). 2160@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2010-03-05T14:09:34-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/002159.html Ex Machina by Brian K. Vaughn reviewed by Grady Ex Machina takes the classic superhero story in an inventive new direction. The series' protagonist, Mitchell Hundred, is a former superhero turned Mayor of New York City. In the first book of the series, he is faced with a blizzard as well as a murderer killing snow plowmen, shutting down the city's school system and a controversial painting stirring political opinions of him. The story moves between past and present, revealing Hundred's power to control machinery and his conflict with his police commissioner. Hundred is shown as a flawed, complex person, as any superhero should be portrayed as. As a mayor he is plagued with problems that are too big for a superhero and the contrast of this is made in the alternation between past and present. I thought that it was an interesting comparison drawn between the rolls of superhero and mayor as both are responsible for entire cities and both are held to the criticism of the public. The story shows that an absence of snow plowmen could do as much damage to a city as any super villain. Ex Machina also criticizes American youth, showing the evolution of a young artist through her works as she degenerates and a young boy who kills people to get back at bullies who picked on him. Vaughn paints an honest picture of New York that pulls the reader in. I recommend Ex Machina as a nice alternative to the usual crime fighting superhero comic. 2159@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2010-03-05T13:59:08-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/002152.html The School Story by Andrew Clements reviewed by Leila The School Story by Andrew Clements is a book for young writers. It's about a girl named Natalie who wrote a book, and the process she goes through in order to have it published. Her mom is a publisher and Natalie has to trick her in order to get what she wants. The best part about The School Story was that it was like children took over. For example, a child writes a book and has a child play as her agent. Another thing that stood out to me was that the agent was more up to the role playing than Natalie, the girl who actually wrote the book. It is also inspirational for children who dream of being writers or authors when they grow up. It was for me. Andrew Clements has written many books. Some of them are The Landry News, Room One: A Mystery or Two, The Last Holiday, A Week in the Woods, The Report Card, Lunch Money, and many, many more. Clements is a very strange writer and hopefully you will love reading his books. 2152@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2010-02-19T14:54:33-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/002151.html The Pretty Committee Strikes Back, a Clique Novel by Lisa Harrison reviewed by Genavera The Clique is back as strong and pretty as ever in their fifth novel, The Pretty Committee Strikes Back. The Octavian Country Day School is heading on their Presidents day class trip and the Clique is psyched, especially because their crushes from Briarwood Academy are going to be sleeping in cabins only yards away from theirs! Now that the boys are going to be staying so close, the clique, minus one ( Kristen couldn't afford the trip) decide to participate in Massies Underground Clinic for Kissing (M.U.C.K.). Things may sound like their going pretty smoothly until Alicia finds out her crush may be crushing on someone else, Dylan finds her mother kissing her history teacher, Yak, and Claire gets a brand new haircut and enemy. The Pretty Committee being perfect? Not so much. I enjoyed this book a lot because it deals with the insecurities girls really feel and situations they are put in. It also has an ending that makes you want to read the next book in the series. Fans of the other Clique books will devour this book and want to read more. 2151@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2010-02-19T14:36:54-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/002150.html Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones reviewed by Joie Magic in a world parallel to ours. Full of movement and suspense as a heartless man seeks some one who could make him whole. A lady, wrinkled with age, yet remains the teenage girl inside. The castle forever moving under the influence of a demon. A witch that caused misery every time she was angered or annoyed. This is Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones. When Sophie is stuck at home because she is the eldest, while her younger sisters went to seek out their fortunes, a rather nasty witch pays a visit. The Witch of the Waste seeks information and she turns Sophie into an old lady. And her only course for help, in the magical land of Ingary, is to seek out the infamous Howl. When she reaches the moving castle, however, she gets much more than she bargained for, including fire demons, tackling suspicious doors, learning magic, and trying to keep Howl as happy as possible to avoid the green slime he can produce. This book is an excellent book for any occasion. Both girls and boys would enjoy the details, hilarious parts, and the tension when the climax reaches a breaking point. They might hold their breath when Howl is moving the entrances, or when the prophecy of the Witch of the Waste catches up to them. Unfortunately, it can be a bit slow sometimes, but I think that adds to the charm of such a magical world. This a read for anyone who wants to be known as a fantasy reader! 2150@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2010-02-19T14:15:53-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/002149.html Poseur by Rachel Maude reviewed by Segan Poseur. I'm not going to say it's good, but I'm not going to say it's bad either. The book is kind of typical but it still has a lot of flavor to it. Poseur is about four high school girls who love fashion, hate each other, but soon are forced together to create a designer label for their private school. But the worst part about it is they all have different personalities. One is laid-back and cool. Another is shy but is really edgy. Another one has a ghetto-fabulous style and the last one is a chic hippie girl. Charlotte Beverwil, Janie Farrish, Melissa Moon, and Petra Greene have nothing but fashion in common. So will they be able to work together as a team, or break apart and fail in the process? Girls will mostly like this book, but from ages thirteen and up. Poseur is so typical, but also funny and flows better than you think it will because you never get bored. So I think you should check this book out ASAP! 2149@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2010-02-19T13:58:17-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/002148.html Amos Fortune Free Man by Elizabeth Yates Reviewed by Lydia Amos Fortune Free Man is a very informational book. It is about a slave who becomes free and starts making his own family. He realizes that if you never lose your dignity then you can never lose yourself. I liked this book because it really shows you what life was really like back then. The best thing about this book is that while being entertained you are also being informed on what slavery was really like. The worst part about it is that reading this you start feeling for the people who had to live in that time. I would most likely recommend this book to people who are ages 7+ and to people who are really interested in history. Amos Fortune is a very good book so please go read it. 2148@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2010-02-19T13:32:13-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/002128.html 2128@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2010-01-29T14:37:48-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/002126.html Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher Reviewed by Mimi Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher was truthfully one of the best books I read all summer and changed my outlook on life in so many ways. The book is narrated by T.J. Jones, one of his school's best athletes, who's never played on a sports team because he doesn't believe in competition. But when asked by a mentor to help form a swim team, T.J. decides to give competitive sports another chance. The team is made up of all sorts of misfits that would never fit the role of high school jock. There's a guy with mental retardation, a body builder, a guy with one leg and then of course T.J. who is one of the only black people in town. As T.J. struggles with racism, trouble at home and the stresses of finally being a part of a team, he also learns to love who he is even with the challenges that come with it. But will this team of misfits conquer their personal issues and rise to success or will they never have somewhere to belong? What I loved most about this book was the protagonist, T.J. He is such a mixture of personalities and abilities and he is always confident in himself and has the will to do anything. Even at times when the pressure of being different comes back to haunt him, T.J. never lets it stop him from believing in himself and his team. The author, whose other books I have also read and loved, made T.J. so realistic that I felt myself rooting for him at every moment. Anyone and everyone should read this book but be prepared for some derogatory terms, to show the contempt for the townspeople, and a fair amount of foul language. 2126@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2010-01-29T14:31:01-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/002125.html What's in a Name? by Ellen Wittlinger Reviewed by Joie A quiet, sheltered suburb along the coast of Folly Bay. Seems peaceful, but that is hardly ever the case. Calm winds, high waves, and the final chapters of some high school lives are about to be plunged into confusion. The town, split apart, by the anxiety of war. And the teenagers, vying for love, attention, and friendship. But as the town falls into battlefield, these ten teenagers begin to think, who are they really? Stereotype. It's found everywhere, in everyone. Someone could, literally, walk down the street and start stereotyping the first people they see. The kids in the accelerated program are geeks. The guys wearing hoodies all the time are gangster. Yet in this story, What's in a Name, these teenagers realize that the stereotypes in their school makes them need to struggle for true identity. Most adults never realize how much agony some teens go through, thinking about: who are they? Expertly written, deep, and profound, What's in a Name has viewpoints all around and will change the way you see those kids with calculators or those guys shooting hoops. You will begin to see them as having unique identities, not classified like bugs. I particularly enjoyed this book because, although not everything applied directly to my life as a teenager, I could feel similarities with how their school was organized and how their social ladder worked. It broadened my mind, as I felt more and more empathy for more people in school and how they must have their own problems as well. Ellen Wittlinger was extremely talented when bringing the stories of the ten teens into one story, the story of Scrub Harbor's seniors. I would recommend it to anyone who is or once was a teenager. One mustn't have too much of a judgmental mind to read this though. The whole point is to keep your mind open and to figure out, through each of these teenagers, What's in a Name. 2125@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2010-01-29T14:14:43-05:00 http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/archives/002124.html The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien Reviewed by Grady There is a verse sung in the halls of the legions of fans. The stanza which illustrates the power and bloody glory of Mordor. It is written as such, an ever binding oath of power granted to the Rings of Power and the One Ring. Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne In the Land of Mordor where shadows lie. One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them In the Land of Mordor where shadows lie. ~Tolkien The Lord of the Rings And so, it began. The most epic classic trilogy for the entire century began with that fateful forging of the rings. Even as the first nineteen rings were forged, The Dark Lord, Sauron, created his own. The One Ring, destined to be used as the ultimate weapon of control and domination. But during the Elves and Men's final stand, it was lost and Sauron seemingly defeated. But now, as the mysterious One Ring makes its way to unlikely heroes, the first of a series of trials begins. And the fate of Middle-Earth lies on the edge of a knife. From the edges of Middle-Earth, the inhabitants of Good gather in Rivendell, a city of elves. After the discovery of the One Ring, a council is called. Who shall take the Ring-bearer, to Mordor to destroy the One Ring forever? They must've gazed apprehensively at Frodo, Ring-Bearer, as he was simply a small and ill-fated hobbit. But a Fellowship must be gathered, else forever will Middle-Earth lay under Sauron's control. The Fellowship of the Ring presents their oaths and embark on a journey which it is quite possible none will survive. But their journey spawns for much longer than one book. It weaves and intertwines, even after the fellowship is broken beyond repair. Frodo and Sam continue on their perilous path to Mordor, and soon find it hard without the diligent guiding of Gandalf. Help is both blessed and cursed to them in the most unlikely ways, as Bilbo's pity returns in spite. Meanwhile, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli are pursuing those who fled with Merry and Pipin, yet they arrive to find most for naught. Sauron's true allegiance deceives everyone and the union of the Two Towers mark an age of desperation as the Kingdoms of Men must unite. Else all is lost as people lose faith and only the heroes and legends themselves can bring Men to the battlefield to fight for the peace of Middle-Earth. Then, the tides look bleak. After a stunning betrayal and a hope shattering capture, Sam must rally himself in a last ditch attempt to save Frodo and make it to Mount Doom. Frodo confronts the fate of the greed the Ring twists in him, and they are both slowly dying from the pain and weariness of the journey. Sauron is now throwing his entire might onto one of the last strongholds of Men, Minas Tirith, city of Gondor. The armies of Rohan and Gondor must rise together as the wretched Witch King, leader of the Nagzul, rides into battle. Aragorn must reclaim a throne, and the Fellowship, though broken apart physically, is held together by the ties of friendship. The final battle is coming, and whether Frodo succeeds or not bears upon all minds. It is time. For many decades, The Lord of the Rings has been a trilogy of untold fame and adoration. It presents Middle-Earth's history as the ultimate story. The movie released followed another surge of fans of Middle-Earth. Simply masterful, it is a true legend. To read such a work is almost mind-numbing. This is the stuff of legends and classics. 2124@http://www.takomapark.info/library/books/ 2010-01-29T13:59:04-05:00