A Crooked Kind of Perfect

A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban

Zoe Elias is a ten-year-old girl with dreams of playing the piano. When her dad ventures to the  music store and ends up buying a wheezy organ instead of a piano, Zoe's dreams hit a sour note.  Learning the old TV songs on the organ isn't the same as mastering Beethoven on the piano, and the organ isn't the only part of Zoe's life in Michigan that's off-kilter, Zoe's mom is a workaholic, her dad, an agoraphobic, and she's got Wheeler Diggs, the school bully, following her home from school every day.  Zoe finds life is full of surprises when she enters the annual Perform-O-Rama organ competition, and that perfection may be even better when it's just a little off center.

This book is funny, sad, suspenseful and definitely quirky.  Zoe has problems, a mom who is always working, a dad who is afraid to leave the house, a best friend that doesn't want to be friends any more, and the school bully is hanging around her house baking cookies with her dad. I thought that when her dad came home with the wheezy organ it seemed like it was an accordion, but the book never called it that. Anyway, Zoe tries to make the best of her reality.

This is a story about vulnerability, complexity of family, resilience, and the power of  having people in your corner.  A great book for upper elementary and middle school kids.  I absolutely loved it!  You can find this book in the intermediate section of the library.

The Winter People

The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

West Hall, a small town in Vermont, has always been a town of strange disappearances and old legends.  The most mysterious is that of Sara Harrison Shea, who, in 1908, was found dead in the field behind her house just months after the tragic death of her daughter, Gertie.  Now in present day, nineteen-year-old Ruthie lives in Sara's farmhouse with her mother, Alice, and her younger sister, Fawn.  One morning Ruthie wakes up to find Alice has disappeared without a trace.

A small town ghost story, told from multiple points of view from 2 different eras.  We learn about Sara's life in 1908 via her diary entries. Ruthie discovers Sara's diary, hidden beneath the floorboards of her mother's bedroom, while searching for clues about her missing mom.  The author does a great job merging the past with the present and building a sly and surprising link between the two.

This is a solid, spooky, creepy and chilling tale - I was just a little disappointed in the end because I felt a few questions had not been answered. I would highly recommend this book, especially if you are in the mood for a spooky ghost story. You can find this book in the adult fiction section of the library.

Come get your "Game On" at Teen Scene this Thursday @ 6:00pm!

A Night Divided

A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen

With the building of the Berlin Wall, 12-year old Gerta finds her family divided.  She, her mother and older brother Fritz, live on the eastern side of the wall, the side controlled by the soviets.  Her father and middle brother, who had gone in search of work on the western side, are unable to return home.  Gerta, her family, neighbors and friends are prisoners in their own city.

This is a thriller about a little girl who is brave enough to risk everything to try to reunite her family.  Gerta is living in a world where all freedom has been taken away, where even thinking about certain things is against the law.  No one can be trusted, and there are spies and cameras watching everywhere.

This is an exciting story of Gerta and the plan she comes up with to reunite her family.  It made me appreciate the freedoms I have and take for granted.  I am so glad the Berlin Wall has come down, what a sad way to have to live, never trusting anyone, always afraid, with families separated from each other.  This book is a great read and can be found in the Young Adult section of the library.

Back to Basics

When She's Gone

When She's Gone by Jane Palmer

Sam is the rebellious 16 year old step daughter of billionaire, Oliver Boone. While on an outing with her mother, Sam goes to the restroom and doesn't come back. Ara, Sam's bodyguard, is determined to find her young charge and bring her back to her family. 

There are no real surprises. The reason behind everything and the 'who' behind everything are telegraphed way in advanced. The only surprise would be if you are actually surprised by any of the revelations.

The characters are kind of thinly drawn. Ara is supposed to be some sort of tough bodyguard but she's really just an emotional wreck. Stoic handsome dude is just stoic handsome dude - there's no depth to him and nothing deeper than a pretty smile. There's a touch of romance there, but it's unexplored and kind of dull.

It's a fast read. You should get through it in one sitting, but there's nothing different, unique, or exciting about this one.

Don't Forget the USU Extension Class Tonight!