You'll Get Through This

You'll Get Through This by Max Lucado

All of us go through struggles and have times in our lives when we question "why". Max Lucado follows the story of Joseph, from the Old Testament, when he was sold into slavery by his brothers and how God took this tragedy and made Joseph a better and stronger man. If we let Him, God can take our challenges and tragedies and helps us to overcome them and be better people because of them.

Rush Revere and the Brave PIlgrims

Rush Revere and The Brave Pilgrims by Rush Limbraugh

Written for the intermediate reader, this is a book that brings history alive. Rush Revere is a history teacher that has an incredible horse that allows him to travel back in time and experience events in history as they are taking place. He gets to meet great historical figures and ask them questions. Some of the students go back with him and see what it was really like to travel on the Mayflower and participate in the first Thanksgiving.

This was a fun read, definitely written for a younger audience, but full of information and experiences that will help young readers understand a little better some of the tragic events, tragedies and sacrifices that the pilgrams experienced as they left their home country to build a new country where they could have religious freedom.

Seven Wonders: The Colossus Rises

Jack is just your typical 13 year old boy who has a hard time getting out of bed for school, doesn't like to keep his room clean and puts off studying for his math test until the last minute, until that is, he collapses in the middle of the street and is wisked off to a strange hopital. This is not your normal hospital, there are armed guards at the door, no parents, and the only other patients are teenage kids that are just a little wierd. As Jack tries to figure out what is going on, he discovers he and the other teenagers at the hospital have a strange genetic trait that must be controled or it will destroy them. They must find the seven magic Loculi that were stolen from a long lost civilization in order to save themselves and the world.

This is the first book in the series, Seven Wonders, by Peter Lerangis. You will find this series in the intermediate section of our library. It was a fun book to read, but you definitely need to remember that it was written for a younger age group. I think it would be a good book to get your pre-teen or young teenager interested in reading.

My Story

My Story by Elizabeth Smart

As one tries to contemplate even a little bit of what her ordeal might've been like, reading each page of Elizabeth's story is a very emotional yet uplifting experience. Elizabeth does a fine job telling the sordid details of her 9 month-long kidnapping, but at the same time lets the reader feel of her strength. Throughout the book, as she takes the reader along on her terrible journey from Utah to California and back, Elizabeth explains how it was her faith and positive thinking, even when she experienced the most vile of evil influences, that helped her survive. My Story is quite the page turner.

A Tugging String

A Tugging String by David T. Greenberg

This book is aptly named because of the emotional strings that pulled 12 year-old Duvy's heart while witnessing the Civil Right's Movement in Alabama during the turbulent year of 1965. Blending facts, speeches and memories, Duvy relates his childhood experiences and the role his civil rights-lawyer father played surrounding the Selma-Montgomery Voting Rights March led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The book blends fiction with true-to-life experiences and includes useful footnotes for further information about the 3,200 people who marched the 54 miles from Selma to Montgomery Alabama in protest of the illegal practices prohibiting blacks to register to vote.

You may have noticed, this is also the book our "Great Reads for Girls" for January are going to be reading and discussing. 

What is your favorite book....?

We would love to hear what your current favorite book is! Just go to the comment section of this post and let us know.  Whether it is a Young Adult, Fiction, or Intermediate, we would love to hear from you. :) 

Ella Minnow Pea

 

 

Ella Minnow Pea is a creative, imaginative and witty story about a small community located on an island off the coast of South Carolina. The townspeople's lives revolve around one of its most famous citizens, Nevin Nollop, who penned the immortal pangram, "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog". The saying is carved into a statue in the town square for all to see until one day, a child finds the letter "z" on the ground. Chaos ensues after the town council decides this is a sign from the Nevin above and quickly denounces the less-than-frequently-used letter "z" from all writing and speech. The townspeople support the council's decision out of love for Nevin but when another letter falls from the statue, questions about its usage arise and chaos ensues. How will they all survivie? And communicate? Written with clever alliteration and letter choice, Ella Minnow Pea is a story of one girl's fight for the right of expression and the difference one person can make.  

January Great Reads for Girls

There will be no Great Reads for Girls in the month of December, but there will be one in January. The book they will be reading and discussing is "A Tugging String" by David T. Greenberg. It will be held on January 9th at 7:00pm and they will be making decorative soaps.

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

This is a Young Adult book that retells the fairy tale, East of the Sun, West of the Moon. It is the story of young girl who was never given a name because her mother was so disappointed that her ninth child was another daughter. Her family is willing to let her go and live with a polar bear for a year in order for the family to gain untold wealth. As this young girl tries to figure out what exactly is going on in her new "home", she discovers treachery and sorrow and tries to solve the riddle of this strange place that she must live in for the next year.

The Girls of Atomic City

The Girls of Atomic City; The Untold Story Of The Women Who helped Win World War II

This is a fascinating story of how a secret but massive military institution was built and the many women and civilians from around the country that were recruited and sworn to secrecy during the operation of the facility.  This story takes an in depth look at some of the women who were involved from the very beginning and how it changed their lives. Recruits were not told what they were working on, only that the work they were doing had the possibility of bringing the war to speedy end.

This is a different side of the story of an interesting part of our countries history that I enjoyed reading about. Sometimes, I felt that it was a little drawn out, but overall I think Denise Kiernan did a great job telling this story.

Ruby Red

Ruby Red     by Kerstin Gier

Gwyneth Sheppard was born into an eccentric family full of century old secrets and bursting with strange talents. Gwyneth can see ghosts, her Aunt Maddy has visions and her beautiful sophisticated cousin, Charlotte, has been studying and preparing for the time when she can travel back in time to solve the mysteries that surround her family. Unfortunately for Gwen, there was a mistake made and she is the one with the gene that will allow her to travel back in time. Without preparation and with quite a bit of animosity from those in this secret circle, Gwen is thrown into a new world with plenty of excitement and intrigue.

This is the first book in a trilogy written by Kerstin Gier. I am a little slow in finding this trilogy so all three books are out, but you may find you have to place them on hold if you want to check them out through the library. Even though I am not a big fan of time travel, I really enjoyed this book. The characters are believable and entertaining. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the trilogy, Sapphire Blue.

Lehi Family Week

Family Unity Through Reading!

November 1st - 22nd

1. Register on-line November 1st - 8th at

http://www.lehi-ut.gov/discover/library

2.  Print out a Reading Log.

3.  Read with your family for 20 minutes a day for 15 days.

4. November 22-26    Turn in your Reading Log at the Library front desk and receive a book for your home library!

Unbroken

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

Louie Zamperini, son of Italian immigrants, starts out his life as a incorrigible kleptomaniac who seemed to always be looking for trouble. As he grows into his teenage years, he turns his energy and enthusiasm into running for the high school track team. There, he finds his passion for life and a natural ability that propels him into legend status in high school tract events. Soon, he has his eye set on the Berlin Olympics. As the youngest runner on the the IS 1936 Olympic team, Louie did an admirable job representing the US, but he and others were looking forward to the 1940 Olympics, when he would have a little more maturity and would no doubt he setting new records.

And then war came. Louie finds himself drafted and assigned to be a bombardier on a B-24 bomber stationed in the Pacific. In May of 1943, his bomber is shot down and only three of the crew survive. Even though they are fortunate enough to survive the crash, they are left to drift in the ocean on a couple of two-man rafts, surrounded by sharks, starving and dying of thirst for over 40 days. Somehow, they survive only to be rescued by the enemy. As the story unfolds, we learn about the absolute horror and depravity that the POWs, who were captured by the Japanese, had to endure.

This is a captivating story that involves you in the life of Louie and has you cheering and then crying and wondering how he is going to survive. Laura Hillenbrand does an excellent job bringing his story to life.

New book in our Book Club Section!!

On September 23, I reviewed the book "Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown. We decided to purchase 5 more copies for our Book Club Section, they have arrived and are now available... So if you are looking for a book for your book club, this would be a great option.

The Light Between Oceans

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

Tom Sherbourne has survived the war on the Western Front but still struggles with the tragedies that take place in a war zone. He has learned to thrive in the isolated occupation of a lighthouse keeper and has taken the position on the remote island in Australia known as Janus Rock. Just as he secures this new position, he meets and falls in love with the outgoing Isabel, they marry and move out to the isolated island to begin their new life together. Isabel's one dream is to start a family, but over the next few years she is devastated by two miscarriages and a stillbirth. Shortly after the stillbirth, Isabel hears the cries of a baby and they find that a small boat has washed ashore that is carrying and dead man and a small but living baby.

Tom is torn over the choices before them, he wants to do the right thing and report the missing baby, but his heartbroken wife wants to claim the baby as their own. Choices are made and then they have to learn to live with the consequences. On the isolated island they live in their own world and they can almost forget the outside world, but after two years, they return to the main island and the choice they made two years ago comes back to haunt them.

This is a heartbreaking story, where there cannot be a happy ending for everyone. It is a well written story that captures your heart and makes you wish for happiness for everyone knowing that it is impossible to achieve.

November Great Reads for Girls

For November's Great Reads for Girls, they will be reading Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr.  So come and join in on our discussion and activity, For our activity, we will be making origami paper cranes and the supplies will be provided by the library.  This activity will be held on November 7 at 7:00pm. So make sure you go on to our library website and register for this fun event.

The Lions of Little Rock

Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine 

This is a well-written story placed in a time of unrest. In 1958 Arkansas, shy twelve-year-old Marlee sees first-hand her city and family divided over school segregation, But through her stalwart friendship with Liz, a new student who isn’t what she seems, Marlee finds strength and courage to take a stand. The two friends learn that they need each other desperately as they find themselves thrown into a melee of events that threaten to tear apart families and neighborhoods. Through the strength of their friendship, they soon realize that they are better able to deal with difficult adult situations together than they were on their own. “Lions of Little Rock” takes place one year after the true-to-life Little Rock Nine fiasco,  and is terrific historical fiction that reveals the power of friendship in overcoming social calamities as Marlee and Liz prove their courage as they fight against racism together.

Conspiracy 365

If you are looking for a quick read, here is one for you. It is a young adult series that covers a year of teenager Callum's life as he tries to solve a mystery that is father uncovered just before his death. The series is written a month at a time, so each of the books are pretty short, but they keep you wanting more and ready for the next month. It was written in 2009 and so all of the books are out and we do have them all.

The Boys in the Boat

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

This is an incredible story about 9 young men who overcome overwhelming odds to compete in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. This book is set at a time when the United States was enduring tragedies like the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl as well as being on the brink of war.

Daniel James Brown tells the story of these young men and how they were able to rise above their extreme poverty, learn the art of rowing, and develop the skills necessary to not only defeat the famous rowing teams of the East Coast colleges, but to go on and compete in the 1936 Berlin Ollmpics. Yet, this is not just a story about rowing. The author brings you into the time period, emotions and tragadies that are such a part of our heritage during this time in our Nation's history. He does a wonderful job of bringing their story to life. It is a definite must read.

The Golem and the Jinni

The author creates two mythical  characters that eventually come together in 1899 in New York City. The creatures are a golem , which is a figure of Jewish myth, an automaton made of earth or clay, brought to life to do the bidding of another and a  jinni (or genie), a figure of Arab myth, a magical creature of fire. The tale includes how the creatures come into being and how they survive in the new world they are thrown into. She touches on the inner workings of New York City at the turn of the century with all of the incoming immigrants and living conditions.

This book had a lot of good reviews and I was really looking forward to reading it, unfortunately, I did not really enjoy the book. I felt like the first half of the book was laying the foundation for the story and then the climax of the story really never came. There was so much building of background for the story that I found myself skimming through paragraphs at a time to get to the meat of the story. It had a great premise, it just took way to long to get there.

October Great Reads for Girls

For the month of October, our Great Reads for Girls group will be reading Palace Beautiful by Sarah Deford Williams. The activity will be held on October 3, 2013 at 7:00pm. We will be making a journal out of a composition notebook so bring a one and we will have all of the other supplies here. So get on our website and sign up and join us for an evening of fun!

The False Prince

                                                 

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Set in a time period of castles, kings and queens, four boys are picked from an orphange and trained in sword fighting, reading, dancing, and even how to eat properly. One of them will be chosen to be the long lost prince of Carthya, the others will not live to give away the new prince's true identity. The story is told by Sage, one of the orphans. The author has created characters that you want to cheer for and some you hate. I think she did a great job of developing story with many layers that always keep you wondering what's next? I definitely enjoyed this book and would recommend it!

September Great Read for Girls

Great Read for Girls is mother daughter book club for girls with Mom or other caring adult.

Join us for discussion, activities, friendship and fun!

A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban is the book we are going to be reviewing for the month of September. Come join in the fun on...

September 5th at 7:00pm.

You will need to register on line for this activity through the Library's website. I looked on line just before this post and there were still 4 tickets available.

The Apothecary

The Apothecary

By Maile Meloy

Set in the 1952 cold war era, this book follows an American family who travels to England to avoid questions about communism. Once there, fourteen year old Janie meets Benjamin, the Apothecary's son. Just as they are becoming friends, Benjamin's Father disappears and Janie and Benjamin set out to find him. They discover a whole new world where the mystery of apothecary becomes a reality and Benjamin finds out that his father has been living a double life.

Even though this book was written for a younger audience, the author was able to capture my attention and kept the story interesting. There is the intrigue of a missing father, Russian spies, magical potions and atomic warfare all mixed in with a teenager moving to a new country and a new school trying to find a way to fit in.  It was a fun read that I would definitely recommend.

Check It Out!

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

Is our latest Book Club Book. I haven't read it yet, but here is the blurb from the back of the book.

"Ella Minnow Pea is a girl living happily on the fictional island of Nollop off the coast of South Carolina. Nollop was named after Nevin Nollop, author of the immortal phrase containing all the letters of the alphabet, "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."

Now Ella finds herself acting to save her friends, family, and fellow citizens from the encroaching totalitarianism of the island's Council, which has banned the use of certain letters of the alphabet as they fall from a memorial statue of Nevin Nollop.  As the letters progressively drop from the statue they also disappear from the novel. the result is both a hilarious and moving story of one girl's fight for freedom of expression and a linguistic tour de force sure to delight word lovers everywhere.

The Rules of Survival

The Rules of Survival

by Nancy Werlin

Matt is a 17 year old boy who is writing a letter to his younger sister Emmy. The letter tells the story of their survival during the years of emotional and psychological abuse by their mother. He tells of the strategies and techniques they had to employ to survive the ups and downs of their mother who suffered from a mental illness. Throughout the book, we see Matt struggle with trying to save his sisters and wanting to escape his mother's abuses. It's a captivating story that will keep you reading and hoping for the survival of these innocent children.

Another NEW Book Club Book!!!

deadly, how do you catch an invisible killer?

Check out our latest addition to our Book Club Section!
This is a great book, there is a review of this book on our June 3 post. 

Chanda's Wars

Chanda's WARS

Allan Stratton

Chanda's war is a fictional story that brings to life the sad reality of genocide and the terrible atrocities that take place in countries like Uganda, Sudan, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Somalia.  Chanda and her younger brother and sister become orphans when their mother dies and she is left the responsibility of caring for them. She ends up traveling back to her mothers rural village trying to end a family feud that has been going on for years. As she is preparing to bring her younger siblings back home, the rebel band of Mandiki attacks the village and kills her grandfather and kidnaps her younger brother and sister. Chanda begins the search for the rebels and attempts the daring rescue of her brother ans sister.

This was a well written book that will give teenagers a real look at the atrocities that are taking place in many third world countires around the world, without going into too much detail.

Peak

Peak is the story of a 14 year old boy who loves climbing but because he lives in New York City, most of his climbs are illegal climbs on skyscrapers. After one of his infamous escapades, he is caught and sent to jail. His absentee father, who just happens to be a famous climber, who has scaled Mount Everest on more than one occasion, comes to the rescue.

Peak's father wisks him off to Mount Everest, where he attempts a climb that would make him the youngest person ever to stand above 29,000 feet. We follow Peak as begins his journey to the top of the world and the discovery of who is father really is.

I found this story to be a little slow in the beginning, but once I got going, it caught my attention right through to the end.  Sometimes, it is hard to find a story that will capture the interest of a teenage boy, I think this is a book that most teenage boys would love.

Twelve Kinds Of Ice

Twelve Kinds Of Ice by Ellen Bryan Obed

This is a nostalgic little story about the 12 kinds of ice that happen over the course of a winter. It starts with the thin cover of ice that forms at the top of a bucket of water with the anticipation of  ice strong enough to skate on. The excitement builds as the ice gets stronger and the family continues the tradition of creating an ice rink in the back yard that the whole neighborhood can enjoy! This is a fun, short read that brings back childhood memories and the adventures of growing up, even if you didn't live where it was cold enough to have an ice rink in your back yard.

New Book Club Books!!

In the next few of days, we will be adding a couple of new titles to our Book Club section!

One title you may be familiar with...."The Girl With No Name" by Marina Chapman.  I read this book in April and wrote a review on it. If you did see the post, you won't be surprised that we added five copies to our Book Club section.

The other is a short nostoligic book called "Twelve Kinds Of Ice" by Ellen Bryan Obed. It is about growing up in New Enlgand in the cold winters where everyone looked forward to skating in the back yard. It may not be your typical book club book, but it is a fun read and would be good for that time when everyone in your book club is super busy and you need something short and quick to read.

We have five copies of each of these books and if you want to put them on hold for your book club, just log onto your library account and put them on hold and you can be one of the first to get them.

Code Name Verity

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

This book was a little slow in the beginning and the only reason I kept reading it was because it is a Beehive Book Nominee for 2014 and I figured there had to be something to it. The main character rambles on and on in the beginning and it was a little hard to follow. About 20 or 30 pages in I was more engaged and by the middle I didn't want to put the book down.

It is another WWII story, but told from a completely different point of view. It follows the life of two young women during the war and how they were fighting for their country, not as nurses or struggling to survive, but as actual pilots and secret agents who are on the front lines putting their lives in danger constantly.  The plot has many twists and turns that keep you engaged wondering what is next.

I also thought the author handled the atrocities that happened in that war with great respect. She talked about what was going on, but didn't not go into such detail that it made the book inappropiate for young adutls. Although, because of the touchy subject matter, I don't think I would want my young teenagers to read the book.

Overall, I thought it was a good read and would recommend.

One Breath Away

One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf

This is the story of a gunmen who takes a small school in Iowa hostage. It is told from the perspective of five different individuals; Augie, a student at the school, Holly, her mother who is in a hopsital in Arizona suffering from severe burns, Will, Augie's grandfather, Meg, a locol police officer and Mrs. Oliver, a teacher at the school. Throughout the book, as this small town is trying to rescue the children and discover who the gunman could be, we read flashbacks that bring each of the characters to where they are today. Overall, I thought it was a good book and would definitely try another book by this author.

Great Reads For Girls - July

For July, our bookclub for girls are reading "The Midwife's Apprentice".  They are meeting on Wednesday, July 3and right now, there are 11 tickets still available, so come join us for a discussion, activities, friendship and fun!

Etiquette and Espionage  By Gail Carriger

The idea behind this book has a lot of potential. It is the story of a spy school that is designed as a finishing school and as such, it would seem to have all kinds of fun and exciting angles to explore.  It is also a “steam punk” novel. I had never heard of this style of writing until I read this book, in fact, I had to look up the term to find out what it was. As it turns out, steampunk is a type of science fiction that usually features steam-powered machinery and takes place during the 19th century.

Sophronia is the main character in this novel. She is fourteen years old and the youngest daughter of a middle class Victorian family. Because she is always exploring and into mischief, her mother sends her to a finishing school to help her become more “ladylike”. Unbeknownst to her family, the finishing school she is sent to is also a school of espionage.

I had a hard time getting into this book. I like Sophronia as the main character, but most of the characters seemed just a little flat. The story line was also lacking as well, it just never got me super involved. Part of the problem may have been the “steam  punk” theme. You may want to give it a try and see if you agree or disagree.

Deadly...how do you catch an invisible killer?

deadly...how do you catch an invisible killer? by Julie Chibbaro

It is 1906 in New York City and Prudence Galewski is a student at Mrs. Browning’s esteemed School for Girls. The only problem is that she doesn't want to be there. Prudence dreams of science, the human body and the mystery of deadly diseases rather than getting married and running a household. Even though it's unheard of at the time, she is able to get a job as an assistant to Mr. Soper, Head Epidemiologist for the city of New York and joins him in his effort to solve the mystery of a recent Typhoid outbreak, as well as, trying to stop the spread of the deadly disease.

It explores many issues of that time period including the suffragettes and the limited roles of women and Prudence is a great character whom you really learn to care about and root for. This book is high-quality work of historical fiction and one I would definitely recommend.

Money Run

Money Run by Jack Heath

This is a fun YA thriller. The story is about two fifteen year old professional thieves, Ash and Benjamin. They begin their lives of thievery when Ash's home is burglarized and rather than calling the cops, she and Benjamin devise a plan to steel back her belongings. That is when they realize they have a knack for burglary and thus begin their life of crime.

In this book, Ash and Benjamin have devised a scheme to rob one of the wealthiest men in the country. This story takes place within a 24 hour period and during that time, Ash is chased by a killer, shot at, exposed to anthrax, flies a helicopter, and many other death defying escapes, meanwhile, Benjamin is in the background running technical support that saves the day on several occasions. This is a fast paced book with very engaging characters. Some of the scenarios are a little over the top, but it was a quick, fun read and I look forward to reading the next Jack Heath novel.

Great Reads For Girls

June - Great Read For Girls

For the month of June, our mother daughter book club will be discussing and doing activities about the book "True (sort of)" by Katherine Hannigan. As of today, there are still 4 spots available, so grab a copy, sign up and come join us! This activity will be on Thursday, June 6th at 7:00pm.

The Scorpio Races

This is one of the books that is a Young Adult Beehive Nominee for 2013-14 and is written by Maggie Stiefvater.

Some race to win. Others race to survive.

"It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.
Some riders live.
Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition - the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.
As she did in her bestselling Shiver trilogy, author Maggie Stiefvater takes us to the breaking point, where both love and life meet their greatest obstacles, and only the strong of heart can survive. The Scorpio Races is an unforgettable reading experience."

Although this book is a little slow to begin, I did enjoy reading it. It did get a "mature reader" star by the Children's Literature Association Of Utah, probably because it does take about blood and gets a little grisly at some points.

And The Winner Is.....

Beehive Book Winners for 2012-2013

 In Picture Book...

Young Adult...

Informational...

Poetry...

And last but not least,  Children's Fiction...

Wonder

"Wonder" by R.J. Palacio

Wonder is a book we have in a the intermediate section of our Library. It is also a Beehive Book Nominee in the Children's Fiction category for 2013-14. Ten year old August is an ordinary boy who was born with a severe facial deformity. Because of his deformity and the many surgeries he has had to correct them, he has always been home schooled. But now, he is finally going to go to his first year of school as a fifth grader.

Not only does he have to deal with all the drama of being the new kid in school, he has the added dimension of his exceptional face. We get to tag along as he navigates the halls of his new school, and we find out that there are a lot of good kids, as well as a few not so nice kids that he runs into.

This is an uplifing book that I enjoyed reading.

Beehive Book Winners for Lehi Library

Today was the last day to vote for your favorite Beehive Book for 2012-2013. The Children's Literature Association of Utah will announce their winners on April 26th.

We tallied the votes from our patrons here at the Lehi Library and here are the books our patrons liked the most:

Children's Fiction:  Turtle in Paradise

Picture Books:  Press Here

Informational:  Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum

Children's Poetry:  Pocketful of Posies:  A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes

Young Adult:  Ruby Red

Now we will just have to wait and see how we compare with the official results.

the girl with no name

This is a memoir of a four year old girl who was kidnapped and then abandoned deep in the Colombian jungle. She wandered in the wilderness for days, scared and hungry, until she was discovered by a troop of capuchin monkeys.  She was taken in by the monkeys and learned to eat and survive by following their example. She becomes one with the monkeys until approximately five years later when she is found by illegal hunters who take her to Cucuta and sell her to a brothel. The story continues with her struggle to adapt and understand the ways of humans while being abused and beaten.

Her daughter and the author try to piece together, from her fragile memories, the events that took place after she was abandoned. This is an amazing story that shows the resiliency of a young child who defies all odds to survive and flourish in unimaginable circumstances.  Unfortunately, it also shows the extreme cruelty that some people are willing to inflict on the helpless and innocent.

It was definitely a good read that left wanting to know "the rest of the story".

Last Week To Vote

This is the last week to vote for the books that you enjoyed reading that are on the Beehive Book Nominee list for 2012-2013. We have voting sheets in the Front Lobby that are quick and easy to fill out. Come in and let us know which books you liked or didn't like. We would love to know your opinion.

Legend

One of the Beehive Nominees in the Young Adult category for 2013-2014 is Legend by Marie Lu. Dystopian societies seem to be a hot topic right now and that is exactly what Legend is about. This story has two fifteen year old characters, June, born into the elite society and Day, born into the downtrodden. They are living on the West Coast of the United States, now known as the Republic.

Day is wanted by the Republic and spends his days hiding from the government while trying to feed his family and help his community. June, though slightly rebellious, is top in her class and has a very bright future in this tyrannical government.  Day's precarious situation begins to unravel when he breaks into a hospital to get medicine for his family. During the break-in, Metias, June's older brother is killed and she vows to find Day and make him pay for the death of her brother.

Some of Day's getaways are a little over the top and June's unshakeable belief in her society is a little extreme, but overall it is a good book and one I enjoyed reading. Definitely put yourself on hold and give this book a try.

Run

Run by Ann Patchett

Bernard Doyle is the father of three boys, Sullivan, the oldest is his biological son and two much younger sons, Tip and Teddy, who are biological brothers that he and his wife adopted as babies. Soon after the adoption, his wife passes away. This story takes place many years later when the two youngest boys are 20 and 21. Bernard is very passionate about politices and none of the boys share that interest. Tip and Bernard get in an argument about his desire for them to be involved with politics, which leads to an accident and a discovery that will change their future.

This is the first book I have read by Ann Patchett, she was able to develop characters that were interesting and that you cared about and wanted to be successful. I thought it was a very good read. Unfortunately, she would occasionally use words that were not at all necessary and offensive.

List of Beehive Nominess for 2012-13

Come in and vote by April 17th on your favorite Beehive Nominee for 2012-13

Children’s Fiction Books

A Dog’s Way Home by Bobbie Pyron
Edgar Allan’s Official Crime Investigation Notebook by Mary Amato
The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens
The Familiars by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson
Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus
Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst; illustrated by Lane Smiths
True (. . . Sort Of) by Katherine Hannigan
Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm
The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann
With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo

Picture Book
Art & Max by David Wiesner
Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake by Michael Kaplan; illustrated by Stephane Jorisch
Blackout by John Rocco
Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown
Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow by Susan A. Shea; illustrated by Tom Slaughter
Doodleday by Ross Collins
Earth to Clunk by Pam Smallcomb; illustrated by Joe Berger
Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator by Mo Willems
Me and My Dragon by David Biedrzycki
Press Here by Herve Tullet

Informational Books
Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming
Arlington: The Story of Our Nation’s Cemetery by Chris Demarest
The Bat Scientists, Scientists in the Field series, by Mary Kay Carson
A Butterfly is Patient by Dianna Hutts Aston
Charles Dickens and the Street Children of London by Andrea Warren
For the Love of Music: The Remarkable Story of Maria Anna Mozart by Elizabeth Rusch
Just Being Audrey by Margaret Cardillo
Lafayette and the American Revolution by Russell Freedman
Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum by Meghan McCarthy
Tom Thumb: The Remarkable True Story of a Man in Miniature by George Sullivan

Poetry Books
Around the World on Eighty Legs by Amy Gibson
Better Together by Sheryl Shapiro and Simon Shapiro
Dear Hot Dog by Mordicai Gerstein
Emma Dilemma: Big Sister Poems by Kristine O’Connell George
GUYKU: A Year of Haiku for Boys by Bob Raczka
I Am the Book by Lee Bennett Hopkins
Pocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes by Salley Mavor
Switching on the Moon: A Very First Book of Bedtime Poems compiled by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters; illustrated by G. Brian Karas
Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku by Lee Wardlaw
The Year of Goodbyes: A True Story of Friendship, Family and Farewells by Debbie Levy

Young Adult Fiction Book
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Septys *
Blood Red Road (Dustlands, book 1) by Moira Young *
Death Cloud (Sherlock Holmes: The Legend Begins, book 1) by Andrew Lane
The False Princess by Ellis O’Neal
The Last Thing I Remember (Homelanders, book 1) by Thomas Nelson *
Okay For Now by Gary Schmidt
Ruby Red (Ruby Red, book 1) by Kerstin Gier
The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
Sean Griswold’s Head by Lindsey Leavitt
Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O’Roark Dowell
Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore *
Variant (Variant, book 1) by Robison Wells
*mature readers

Beehive Book Nominees 2012-2013

On display at the library, are the Beehive Book Nominees for the year 2012-13.

Now is your chance to come into the library and vote on these books and let us know which ones you have enjoyed. Voting ends on April 17th. There are five categories:  Children's Fiction, Picture Books, Information Books, Poetry and Young Adult.

The Beehive Awards are sponsored by a group called the "Children's Literature Association of Utah". This group was created to encourage our children to read. If you would like to know more about this association, here is a link to their website.

http://www.clau.org/index.html