Raptor Reads!

Seeker by William Nicholson

2011-12-09T07:41:00.000-08:00

A boy named the seeker tries to seek a future as one of the noble warriors. On his way he mets a girl who helps him and her name is Morning Star. During his journey he ends up saving his brother and becoming one of the Noble Warriors. Find out more by reading!
-submitted by student

The Secret Life of Bees

2011-12-09T07:39:00.000-08:00

Amazing book about a girl named Lily living in the south in the 60's. She is haunted about the day her mother was killed and travels to Alabama to meet the 3 beekeeping sisters. She will find out that they have something to do with her mother.
-submitted by student

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

2011-12-09T07:37:00.000-08:00

An amazing crimintal prilisophical fiction novel. This boy Alex, 15, lives in a futuriwstic repressive society, and engages in various crime sprees with his droogs. Ultimitaly, Alex realizes what he wants in life through different interactions with others. A must read!
-Submitted by student

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

2011-12-09T07:26:00.000-08:00

Hannah Baker is dead. Before she killed herself, she made 13 tapes, each one telling a story that in some way, convinced her to kill herself. The story is told form the perspective of Clay Jensen, who is somewhere on the tapes. He has to be tortured through the tapes until he gets to his because he had feelings for Hannah and in the book he has to find out how he is connected to her death. This book was good, but i've read better. If you are considering whether or not to read this, please do because it is worth it.
-submitted by student

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

2011-12-09T07:21:00.000-08:00

Hunger Games is about Katniss, Prim's older sister and surviving through the hunger games. Thus far (because I have yet to finish it) I am at the part where Prim and Katniss volunteers into the fight, and the other tribute is Peeta. They have sorrowful goodbyes and then they are in the train and on their way to the capitol, in custody of the government and the pink haired lady!
-submitted by student

Perfect by Ellen Hopkins

2011-12-09T07:16:00.000-08:00

Within Perfect, you switch points of view within four different characters: Kendra, Cara, Sean, Andre. They all feel pressure to recieve ultimate consummation and do whatever it takes to fufill that goal. READ IT!
-submitted by student

Miss Peregrine's Home for Pecular Children by Ransom Riggs

2011-11-29T08:26:00.000-08:00

Jacob's grandfather always told him fantastical stories when he was a kid. He stopped believing them. Now, his grandfathers stories are catching up with him in a mind-bending mysterious,love and unbridled horror.
~submitted by Student

Peter And The Starcatchers by Dave Barry

2011-11-18T11:31:00.000-08:00

This book describes the story of Peter and his fellow orphans who find themselves upon an undercover pirate ship, heading to a piece of land where a shooting star has fallen. Peter has to team up with junior star catcher Molly Aster to get to the star dust before the pirates.

An exciting read!

~submitted by student

Animal farm by George Orwell

2011-11-18T11:01:00.000-08:00

This book, Animal farm basically describes a respective on the Russian revolution through the eyes of an animal owned farm, in other words humans became the animals!

~submitted by a student

2011-11-17T06:54:00.000-08:00

This book is very intense but sooo good! It was from the perspective of a 5 year old and how him and his mother were trapped in a 11 by 11 foot space. It was really good and put you in a weird state of mind. I would recommend it to anyone!

Lock and Key

2011-11-17T06:50:00.000-08:00

Ruby, abandoned by her mother goes to live with her long lost sister, who is married and lives in a beautiful home. Ruby is very guarded when she first meets her extremely handsome neighbor, Nate. But Nate knows how to get past that.

The Horse Wisperer

2011-11-17T06:32:00.000-08:00

This book was incredible. It's about a girl and a horse who get in an accident that damages her and the horse emotionally and physically. The mother takes them both to a man who can talk to horses. This book was incredible and I recommend it to anyone.

2011-11-17T06:26:00.001-08:00

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

2011-11-15T07:39:00.000-08:00

Wonder Struck BY: Brian Selznick

Ben's adventure begins when he discovers a mysterious address in his mothers book "Wonder Struck". He becomes deaf when he is struck by lightning in an attempt to contact a man who could be his father. When luck fails him, he travels to New York and finds his grandmother, who is also deaf.

Great book with parallel stories told in with incredible drawings and text. Brian Selznick is a wizard! We both loved it!

2011-11-15T07:22:00.000-08:00

Stolen BY: Vivian Vande Velde
Isabelle is found running through the forest by a farmer named Browley and his dogs. She has no memory of anything until then. Browley, his wife, Avis, and their grand daughter, Ravyn, take her into their home. could Isabelle be a princess, an animal, a girl stolen by the witch of the forest six years earlier, or a creation of evil from the witch herself. Amazing book! I love Vivian Vande Velde!!

~ Posted by student

Watchers by Dean Koontz

2011-11-11T10:18:00.000-08:00

This book is set in the 1970s and centers around a war veteran struggling with loneliness. While taking a stroll in the woods he finds a golden retriever. The dog drags away the veteran to save him from a dark beast. He finds out that the dog has human-like intelligence. This sets off a strange and dark tale of adventure.

~submitted by Student

Zombies vs. Unicorns By: Holly Black

2011-04-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

This is a book that lets you answer the age the age old question Zombie or Unicorns which one is better. Please put an end to this dispute. Zombies shamble and Unicorns are mystical creatures with horns in their head. I would recommend this book because it is Hilarious.

A Hat Full of Sky By:Terry Pratchett

2011-04-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

Tiffany Aching is back in the sequal of "The Wee Free Men". It's Tiffany's time to learn witching from a new witch, but her new teacher is quite odd. Something or someone is looking for Tiffany. This is a funny and adventurous book!

The Birds

2011-04-28T08:29:00.000-07:00

The Birds is a short horror story about the birds taking over the world and killing all humans. It takes place in England. I would definitely recommend this book!

Prom and Prejudice By: Elizabeth Eulberg

2011-04-28T08:21:00.000-07:00

There's a girl in this novel that goes to an extremely fancy all girls school where everyone is obsessed with prom. Lizzie the main character goes to this school on a music scholarship. Lizzie is a little bit of an outcast, except for her best friend Jane. Lizzie faces many challenges at this school from dealing with the pompous jerk from the guys school to the over obsessed girls talking about prom. This is a great read!

If I Stay By: Gayle Furman

2011-04-28T08:17:00.000-07:00

This is a very depressing but great book! It is about a normal family that's very into music . Life for Mia is pretty normal until one very snowy day when there is a horrible accident and Mia's family is killed. Mia was thrown into coma, she wanders around outside of her body and she must decide if she wants to live or die, stay or go.

Misery By: Stephen King

2011-04-28T08:02:00.000-07:00

Famous Writer Paul Sheldon was in a terrible car accident that left him crippled. Local Coloradan Annie Wilkes takes him in and heals him or tries to. Paul while thankful for her kindness soon realizes she's a little obsessed. She claims she is his "number one fan" and now wants him to write her a book. When he refuses to write another book she leaves. He is left alone in the house for several days and becomes close to death. The struggle continues throughout the book between Paul and Annie. This was an intense great read.

Wintersmith By: Terry Pratchett

2011-04-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

Tiffany Aching has a new teacher in the new addition to the "Wee free Men" series. She may be even weirder than her last. But now that the spirit of winter is following her it makes everything tough. This would have to be my favorite book in the series. I love it!

Token of Darkness By: Amelin Atwater-Rhodes

2011-04-28T07:57:00.000-07:00

The main character, Cooper Blake, is being haunted by a mysterious ghost with amnesia. After a tragic car crash Cooper wakes up in a hospital with scars, pain and a new eccentric friend. This book is fun, fast past, and full of twists and turns. It will keep you guessing till the end.

East By:Edith Pattou

2011-04-28T07:54:00.000-07:00

This book was a very good book. It's about a girl named Rose who has a very large family. They are all named after points on the compass. One night a white bear shows up and wants Rose. She goes with him ti an ice palace. He then disappears and she searches for him. It's such a great read!!

The Long Night of Leo and Bree

2011-03-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

This story starts off with two complete strangers and their stories. Leo is a senior in High School with a lot on his mind. It's the 4-year anniversary of the murder of his sister and his mom isn't handling it well. Things fell apart when his sister was murdered and they never quite got back to normal. Leo's mother insists it's his fault she was murdered that night. One word leads to another and his mothers craziness rubs off on him. Not wanting any more to happen he leaves. Bree is also a senior in High School, she feels pressure from family and her boyfriend to do things they want her to. Fed up with people telling her what to do, Bree decides to do something for herself. A night out on the town is just what she needs. What she never thought was this "night on the town" would turn into a night she'll remember forever. Leo and Bree's night's combine, Leo still crazed from his fight with his mom thinks he needs to make up for his sisters death with another persons life. This person would be Bree. What starts out to be murder ends to be one person helping another. Bree helps Leo get over his sisters death and live his life. Bree realizes there's more to life than school and making others happy.
This book is a fantastic short read. It has just enough detail to make you never want to stop reading!

2011-03-18T10:19:00.000-07:00

The Dust of 100 Dogs, by E.S. King, is a story about a young girl who is born into this century, however she has a secret. She has a complete memory of her past life and she's determined to come to peace with that life. In her past life, her name was Emer, and she's a girl from around the 14th century and she grows up in a small village and then when her family is killed in a tragic war, she becomes very isolated and grows up to be a pirate. She sails everywhere with her crew finding treasure. She also meets a young boy, named Seanie, who appears to be mute, but he really just doesn't like talking much. They spend a lot of time together against the wishes of her uncle and they decide they love each other and they want to get married, but things go wrong when her uncle finds out and sells her to a man far away. When she leaves, Seanie is devastated and immediately begins his search for her. While all of this is occurring, Emer is also telling the story of her 100 lives as a dog and how that happened. She describes a few of her lives and a lot of the things she learned as a dog. As well as describing these lives and her dog lives, she's still a girl in the present and during this time she makes plans to go and find the treasure that she lost. She's also heartbroken about the loss of Seanie and it devastates her that she never really found him again and that he could be dead. Near the end she ends up back to where she knows she buried her treasure and when its not there she is very upset. However, she gets revenge on the man that killed her love in her past life and then on her journey back home, while sitting in the plane waiting for take off she looks out her window back at the airport and sees a man who looks very familiar and is smiling at her. She then realizes who it is and knows she hasn't lost him :)
I thought that this book was very intriguing, even though it is more of a younger level of reading. It was full of adventure and excitement and even romance and danger and of course buried treasure! I do recommend this book to anyone, it was a great read!

~ submitted by student

I Heart You, You Haunt Me

2011-03-15T09:50:00.000-07:00

"I Heart you, you haunt me" by Lisa Schroeder is about a 15 year old girl in high school dealing the the loss of her boyfriend. Ava tells that she and Jackson have been together for about 8 months and can't be any better until one great and adrenaline night turns out for the worst. Lisa Schroeder starts off the novel at the Funeral of Ava's boyfriend, Jackson. Ava goes through sleepless nights for weeks until one day she sees Jackson's reflection staring back at her in her bathroom mirror. "I Heart You, You Haunt Me" tells how Ava goes through her everyday life keeping the thought of her "ghost" boyfriend around because of the grief she was left with.

Gamer Girl b Mari Mancusi

2011-02-18T13:10:00.000-08:00

When Maddy's parents divorce, she must move with her mom and sister to their grandmother's. Her new school life is terrible. Once she attracts "the populars," her only escape are her manga drawings and her new virtual reality internet game. While her school life goes downhill, her relationship with an unknown gamer gets better. With many twists, this book is great!!!

~ submitted by a student

The Horse Whisperer by Nicohlas Evans

2011-02-18T13:05:00.001-08:00

Incredible book about a girl and a horse who get in a freak accident, which turns the horse "savage." The girl's mother seeks the help of a man who is called The Horse Whisperer because he can heal and talk to horses. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a good read. Such an amazing book, but so sad at the end!

~ submitted by a student

Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

2011-02-18T13:01:00.000-08:00

When brother orphans find themselves in Venice, they head for a broken down theater for shelter. They find a small group of similarly aged orphans, led by a kid known as The Thief Lord. He steals and connives to provide for the children, but the new arrivals separate the close-knit group. My opinion: read this book! It is beautifully written with fantastic descriptions and vivid details.

~ submitted by a student

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

2011-02-18T12:51:00.000-08:00

Carter and Sadie are brother and sister; their father has been captured by the Lord of Chaos. They have five days to save the world.

Will they make the deadline or will the world spiral into disaster? You'll have to read this book to find out...

I recommend The Red Pyramid to all!!

~ submitted by a student

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

2011-02-07T07:25:00.000-08:00

The second book in the hunger games trilogy. It tells the stories about Katrina and Peeta, trying to survive the anger of the capital, trying to control the 12 districts with their fake love and finding new love in the end.

~Submitted by student

Voices of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn

2011-02-07T07:15:00.000-08:00

Kay, a 17 year old girl loves rock climbing and being outdoors, until one day she falls into a river and crosses the border onto the dragons side. While struggling in the river, something picks her up; which happens to be a young dragon that wants to learn how to talk to humans and already can, somewhat talk to them. Kay leaves after talking to the dragon and promises to be back and help him learn how to speak, at the same as breaking the law of crossing the border. As Kay goes through her teenage life, things start to get crazy and people are planning for the worst, fearing about another human-dragon war.

-submitted by student

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya by Nagaru Tanigawa

2011-02-07T07:08:00.000-08:00

This book is about Kyon, a normal human who on his first day of high school meets Haruhi Suzumiya, the weirdest girl in the school. When he gets to know her better, he accidentally suggests she make a club. The SOS Brigade is born, and all of the five members, but Kuon are weirder than you'd think. With a combo of realistic fiction, scifi and comedy this book is great.

-submitted by student

2011-02-03T09:13:00.000-08:00

The Elite of Maggie Quinn's school are falling victim to embarrasing--and possibly fatal-- accidents. A distinct smell of sulfur at the scene of the crime, and a couple of sixth sense clues, are enough to convince Maggie it is Hell's doing.
Now, She has to defeat them and save Humanity at the one place she has never wanted to go--Prom.
-By Student

2010-12-15T09:15:00.000-08:00

A girl goes and to visit her dad, when she gets there she stars to get involved with meth. When returning back to her moms she has to face the truth and in her eyes 'face the monster."

Liked it a lot- would recommend it!

~ By student

2010-12-15T09:05:00.000-08:00

Fade is about a twelve year old boy who lives in Canada in 1943. He has the the power to fade, or become invisible.

This book explains some very heavy subjects and is a good read. I recommend it, but it is not a "feel good" book. :)

~BY student

2010-12-15T08:58:00.000-08:00

When sixteen year old Tessa gets hit in the head by a dodge ball, she ends up in heaven. The mall she grew up in, she must go through moments on her life which are connected to things she brought in the mall.

This book is great and I would suggest it to anyone!

~ submitted by student

Maximum Ride - James Patterson

2010-10-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Maximum Ride is a book full of twists and suspense.

The characters seem like they step out of real life and you can relate to them just like they are your real real friends!

4 out of 5 votes!

~Student Submission

Agnes and the Hitman - Jennifer Cruise & Bob Mayer

2010-10-26T05:48:00.000-07:00

This is a hilarious, fast paced read with great characters and surprising twists. Agnes is a food columnist who's gotten into some trouble with the law because of her tendency to hit men in the head with frying pans.

Shane is a cynical hitman with a past even he doesn't know the half of it. Shane has to protect Agnes from unsavory criminals, flamingos, and an irate mother-of-the-bride. There's many shenan iggis, awesomeness, and...

everyone should read it!

~Student Submission

City of Glass - Cassandra Clare

2010-10-26T05:45:00.000-07:00

Just amazing! With the werewolves, vampires, demons, sexy people and love interests that make you want to scream!

Just read it!

~Student Submission

This is a great story!

2010-09-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

How do you study like a scholar?

2010-09-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

Great spin off of the current commercial trends...use the databases and resources
@ your library! :)

Slaughterhouse - Five of the Children's Crusade: Kuro Vonnegut, Jr.

2010-05-03T06:42:00.000-07:00

The book is about the story of a man who has lost a grip on reality (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder-PTSD) after World War II. Rapidly jumping from moments in the war to present day, our main charecter has found unhappiness in life because he experienced so much horror as a child (age 18). The book does not glorify war so taht many young men won't be inspired to fight in the war and live a more fulfilling life.

~Student

Post Office: Charles Bukowski

2010-05-03T06:36:00.000-07:00

This book tells the story of the blue collar, an all-American pessimist known as Henry Chinaski. He works for the post office where he is the victim of cruel tasks assigned by cruel men. In his free time, he writes and develops relationships with many intriguing people.

~Student

Whirligig: Paul Fleischman

2010-05-03T06:32:00.000-07:00

Such a touching story of one man's attempt to atonement from killing a girl in an accident. Five out of five stars in my world!

~Student

Queen of the Damned: Anne Rice

2010-05-03T06:21:00.000-07:00

AMAZING. the series is just getting better and better so far. It's the story of how the Queen Mother or all Vampires awaken due to the Lestat's awesome, amazing music, and tells it from the point of views of many different characters and then from Lestat's point of view. And it is AWESOME.

~Student

Teen Literature Conference

2010-04-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

Students had a great opportunity to meet authors Matt de la Pena and Ellen Hopkins plus hear about great books at this year's Teen Literature Conference. What a huge success!

Small God By: Terry Pratchett

2010-02-22T07:03:00.000-08:00

The book was a comedy of measure. I do think that one of the gods is a turtle (the one eyed turtle).

~Student

Blue is for Nightmares By: Laurie Faria Stolarz

2010-02-22T07:01:00.001-08:00

This book is a mystery that keeps you thinking. What do the dreams mean? Who is going to kill her friend? Why do they want to kill her? You will find out if you read.

~Student

Ham on Rye By: Charles Bukowski

2010-02-22T06:58:00.000-08:00

Ham on Rye is all about Charles Bukowski's alter-ego. "Henry Chinast," who grows up druing the Great Depression, has an abusive father. Very sad, but with a good ending. Read it.

~Student

Uglies By: Scott Westerfield

2010-02-22T06:54:00.000-08:00

Set in a future where everyone is pretty ,but as Tally is discovering that does not mean on the inside. And when everyone is pretty, no one is.

~Student

Interview with a Vampire By: Anna Rice

2010-02-22T06:51:00.000-08:00

Awesome plot. Like a talentined Stephanie Rice! But very slow and very heavy, emotional stuff so taht if you read for too long, you'll feel emo for a while. About a vampire's struggle with his own killing nature, and he's trying to reconcile himself with it. Good book, great plot, totally recommended!

~Student

My Sister's Keeper By: Jodi Picoult

2010-02-22T06:45:00.000-08:00

Anna is a "designer baby" made to be genetically the same as her older sister who has Leukemia. When she's 13, she chooses to be medically emancipated from her parents. The plot is so intriguing and makes it really interesting. The author makes it that you cannot stop reading because you're constantly asking more questions. Great read!

~Student

Lord Loss By: Darren Shan

2010-02-02T10:32:00.000-08:00

This is about a boy who's family is murdered and he must go live with his uncle and discovers that a curse was placed on his family causing a child of every generation to become a werewolf. This boy learns of the demon world and a demon lord, Lord Loss. Lord Loss is the only creature obtaining the ability to lift the family curse. Very gory and descriptive.

~student

The Basketball Diaries by Jim Carroll

2010-01-28T12:58:00.000-08:00

If you can not handle graphic description this book is not for you. it is all true and it is simply Jim Carroll's diaries between the ages of 13 years old and 16 years old. He tells about growing up in the 1960's in New York City, his addiction to heroin, and his time spent selling his body for drugs and money. Still, the book is very inspiring.

Submitted by a student

The Men Who Stare at Goats by Jon Ronson

2010-01-28T12:43:00.000-08:00

This book is nothing like the movie, but that is not a bad thing.
The book will teach you more than you ever want to know about
the United States torture tactics. If you do not have a weak stomach,
read it!

~student

The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith

2010-01-28T12:35:00.000-08:00

The Vampire Diaries was about a girl that was in high school and lived with her aunt because her parents died. The girl ends up liking a new kid. No one in the school knows anything about the new kid or where he is from. You will have to read it to find out the answer!

~student

The Idiot by Fyodor Destoevsky

2010-01-28T12:09:00.000-08:00

The Idiot is regarded as the philosopher Dostoevsky's greatest work. It is the story of a Russian prince trying to stay pure in a dark corrupt world. It is long, but the ending is worth the wait... maybe.

~student submission

Jane Eyre by: Charlotte Brone

2009-10-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

This story is about a woman's life, and her struggles in life. She lived as an orphan and was treated coldly by her aunt. She is then sent off to a school, where she spends a portion of her life. She becomes a governess for Mr. Rochester, after leaving the school, but begins to fall in love with him. But, will her past prevent her from finding true love?

Zombie Survivla Guide by: Max Brooks

2009-10-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

This book starts out very funny and it is, up until your realize Max Brooks is serious. Then it gets weird and a little pathetic. It seems Brooks considers zombies an honest threat to humanity. I would say you should read this for at least some laughs, and if nothing else you'll learn to how to survive the (highly unlikely) zombie apocalypse.

The Sun Alos Rises by: Ernest Hemingway

2009-10-30T09:50:00.000-07:00

The book is about a group of people from the World War I period that are veterans. It takes place in a European setting. The group centrally focuses on characters (many of them) and moral values. A lot can be learned from this book because of the way Ernest Hemingway, such as the way war affects people. (in this case, the main character)

Basilisk by: N.M. Browne

2009-10-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

Set in a past revolt world, Donna is a scribe that gets set a special task. Rej, an underworld camber, has come to the surface in search of revenge for a man he hardly knows. The only thing they have in common, they both dream of Basilisks.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

2009-09-23T12:21:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh - just fantastic! The story takes place in a sort of alternative universe, in a country called Panem; and the main character is a girl who has to volunteer for this event called The Hunger Games, a death-math between twenty-four kids, 2 Promeach of the twelve Districts that make up Panem. The story involves love, action, fighting, cliffhangers, super-special-awesome plot twists, and everything else that makes up an AMAZING book! 100% recommended; it's very well written and sooo good.

City of Thieves by David Benioff

2009-09-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

This book was very entertaining and surprisingly accurate! It gave a great window into the lives of ordinary Russians during World War II. It allows for some very quick reading, while learning quite a bit about that time period. The reader gets to "meet" Red Army soldiers, Wehrmacht troopers, Russian partisans, and even blood-thirsty cannibals! What fun!

~ student submission

Here is a voicethread

2009-06-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

Pretties by Scott Westerfield

2009-03-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

Pretties is a futuristic book about transforming from being an ugly to being a pretty. Tally disagrees with all the surgery that people have to through to become a pretty. Tally decides to run away... but the specials catch her and make her become a pretty. Tally does multiple things to try and become ugly again that sometimes involve a great journey.

Gang Leader for a Day by Sudhir Lenkatesh

2009-03-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

This book is written by a sociology professor. He discusses his time in the early 90's while he was a grad student at the University of Chicago.Sudhir befriends a gang leader in the projects while giving him a questionnaire. The book provides a great look into the impoverished American society. Read it!

Into Thin Air by John Krakauer

2009-03-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

The main thing about this book was bringing a sense of adventure into everyday life. This book was a series of men climbing Mount Everest and expose themselves to the fury of nature.

Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli

2009-03-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

Milkweed is about a nameless orphan growing up in Nazi occupied Warsaw. His life is a tumultuous and chaotic, but he seems to love it with a child's unwavering love.
This was a great book! Misha's life really strikes you especially when he sees everything from a child's view. And, this idea that being nothing is better than anything, really almost hurts.

Consciousness Explained by Daniel Dennett

2009-02-24T10:53:00.000-08:00

The book is mainly about the author talking about all things that we so far know about the mind and how it works. He analyzed the history and theories of other scientists, but came to the conclusion that we are not yet at the level needed to even come close to explaining how consciousness work. It's a great book to read - abstract and thought-provoking.

~student submission

Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin

2009-02-24T10:43:00.000-08:00

A great nonfiction book about a man, John, who becomes a black man through medication. He travels through the south, learning how blacks are treated. His journey changes not only his skin, but his entire being.

~student submission

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

2009-02-24T07:41:00.000-08:00

Stargirl is a story about a normal guy who is struck by the new girl in school, who is zany and completly unique. She stands out, everything from her flower and table clothe desks, to singing on your birthday. Because of her uniqueness she is loved, at first. Later, her peers beceom to ostracize her because Stargirl and Leo (the normal guy) are dating. Leo is ostracized as well. This story is about his struggless

Awesome!!!

Excellent book! I would recommend it to anyone.

Hawksong by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

2009-02-24T07:37:00.000-08:00

Hawksong is about a hawk named Danica. She and her family have been fighting against the serpiente named Zane and his own family. Both royal families are done fighting as to many people have been lost to the war. So the only way for peace would be for Zane and Danica to get married and end the war between the two families.

I give this book five gold stars!

~student submission

Crank by Ellen Hopkins

2009-02-24T07:31:00.000-08:00

This interesting story proves extremely hard to put down. Crank is a poetry book about a female who gets involved with a drug called crank.

I would definitely recommend this book. I love how this book gave a great perspective through the main character's eyes.

~student submission

War All the Time by Charles Bukowski

2009-02-24T07:26:00.000-08:00

War All the Time is a collection of very dark and cynical poetry. The poems deal with love, life, death, alcohol and writing.

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to explore a mature lifestyle.

~student submission

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

2009-02-24T07:20:00.000-08:00

Twilight is an intense book that leave you questioning what is going to happen next. One of the most popular books at the moment, it is about Vampires. The beginning is a bit hard to get into, but with all the relationship troubles and mystery you can't help but fall in love with this book!

Bella Swan can't help but draw the attention of Edward. Bella and Edward's relationship struggles on and off through the entire series. Will their love overcome everything else?

~student submission

Blue is for nightmares

2009-01-12T11:30:00.000-08:00

Blue is for nightmares is a very suspenseful book.

The book is about a young girl named Stacey who has nightmares about the future. Stacey has had nightmares in the past that have come true.

This time it's about her best friend Darea and it doesn't look good. If her dream is true- how will Stacey tell Darea she is being stocked and might die?

~student submisson

The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty

2009-01-12T11:27:00.000-08:00

This book is about a group of students at two different schools that become pen pals. They write to each other often and try so hard to relate to each other.

During this time the three girls get secret assignments to see what each of them thinks.

I loved this book for many reasons and I would recommend it to almost anyone!

~student submission

Sunshine by Robin Mckinley

2009-01-12T11:24:00.000-08:00

Sunshine is a really good book about a woman and her struggles with work, boyfriend, heritage and vampires.

I thought the book was awesome. It started out slow but once hit part 3 and 4 it is real exciting!

~student submission

The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klasue

2009-01-12T11:21:00.000-08:00

The Silver Kiss is a novel about a Zoe, a girl who met a vampire. Zoe's mother has cancer and is dieing and discovers she can talk about it to Simon (the vampire). Together they help each other get through the changes that they both are going through.

~student submission

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

2009-01-12T11:18:00.000-08:00

This book is totally amazing! I loved every minute spend reading it. The story is that of a boy growing up in Afghanistan then the rest of his life afterward. It is such a page turner, I couldn't put it down! I completely recommend it!

~student submission

Freedom From The Known by Krishnamarh

2009-01-12T11:01:00.000-08:00

In this this book the author Krishnamhr explores his philosophical values of life. One of the main questions he contemplates is how we can reach the state of happiness. The secret is lies in self observing!

~ Student Submission

Blood and Chocolate

2009-01-12T10:56:00.000-08:00

This is a terrific read about a werewolf named Vivian who falls in love with a human. Vivian isn't exactly a werewolf but a wolf called a loup-garou. When a murder occurs which could possibly expose the pack (her family) This book also describes how Vivian must choose where she belongs; her pack or with her humans?

~student submission

The Truth about Forever-Sarah Dessen

2008-11-03T12:55:00.000-08:00

This book is about a girl, Macy, whose father had recently died. So, she is struggling with that, but not letting anyone know. She dates a guy that seems to not care about her and seems to be perfect in every way. Because of that, everyone has very high expectations for her to be the same. She then meets new friends who help her realize she does not have to be perfect and people like her for just being herself. Throughout this novel, she goes through a change from someone completely fake to who she really is.

I really enjoyed this book because it really gets your attention and keeps you reading I definitely recommend it.

-Student post

Great book!!! The author is good and provides great descriptions of both the emotional and physical aspects. In the book, the main character, Macy, struggles to be "perfect" but she is also struggling with her dad's death. When she gets a catering job, she makes new friends and they help her find herself. A very amazing, touching book, I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to read a good, thoughtful, deep book
~student post

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig

2008-09-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

This book is about the Author who went on a motorcycle journey with his son Chris and friends John and Silvia. The main point of the book was to talk about a philosophy on how to live and learn from experience. Pirsig talks about classic and romantic things. To live is be between classical and romantic. Classical thinking is when you facing challenge you use logical thought to solve it. Romantic is more of a Zen type experience- with your intuitions and emotions. An enjoyable, thoughtful read!
~student review

Castle of Shadows - Beverly C Warren

2008-09-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

A girl named Olivia goes to live with her uncle after the death of her parents. There at the castle is a lot of weird things going on. Olivia also tries not to admit she is in love with Alex, even though she grows up knowing he was her cousin. In fact- she discovers that he is truly not related to her at all.

~student review

Grand and Humble

2008-09-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

A novel about Harlan Chesterton the privileged son of the Governor and Manny Cravitz a lower class boy who lives alone with his dad. This novel takes you on a journey of twists and turns to unravel the causes that connect the two boys together, the premonitions of their own demise. they come to learn that the visions are truly repressed memories that unveils the truly unpredictable ending. Hortinger uses incredible writing voice and the day out of the diffrent chapters makes you want to keep reading more and more. Ground and Humble is a true visionary work and is nothing short of greatness.

Student Review

Sniper One

2008-04-16T20:25:00.001-07:00

Darkside (Becker) Vrs Neverwhere (Gaiman)

2008-04-16T20:14:00.000-07:00

Take a careful look at these covers- could it be the same book, by different authors?

We decided that these two books, while they are similar, are not copies. Darkside, which came after Neverwhere, seem sto have some similar plot elements adn characters, but that is most likely because Tom Becker probably read Neverwhere during the writing proecess. Even though teh covers UNCANNILY similar - Darkside is not a carbon, dummed down, copied version.

~student review

Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney

2008-04-16T19:49:00.000-07:00

This book is about a teenager named Greg. The book recounts (in a funny way) how students interact with friends in school...often showing conflicts in an ironic way.

I found this book to be a very pleasant and relaxing read. It is a nice change of pace from all teh serious, dramatic books I have been reading. It leaves you with a smile on your face and a lifted heart!

~student reviews

Sock Puppet Poetry Slam!

2008-03-27T12:28:00.001-07:00

Hey- Check this out...the Sock Puppet Poetry slam! Runs about 7 minutes- and contains the March Champion clip from Ms VanD! Have a good break!

19 Minutes by Jodi Picoult

2008-03-25T07:25:00.000-07:00

Peter is a high school boy who has been bullied ever since Kindergarten. One act finally triggers him to enter the school with four guns, killing 10 students and wounding dozens more. One of the survivors is Josie, who was Peter's only friend when they were younger. Her mother was the judge on the case, so Josie ends up being involved in it. However, she doesn't tell anyone that she knows something about what happened that day that could change the outcome of the case.

~Student Review

Boy Meets Boy - David Levithan

2008-03-24T20:26:00.000-07:00

This is about a boy who is gay and he falls in love. The theme and message of the book is to find yourself and fall in love. He and Noah (the new kid/love) go to a High School like no other. The homecoming queen is also the quarterback named Infinite Dariene. He also has a very colorful group of friends. If you like books that are different and that are romantic you would like this book. In my opinion, I gave this book a 6 out of 10 because I did not like the authors writing style through it, but it was an OK story.

~Student Review

Leaving Fishers - Margaret Peterson Haddix

2008-03-24T20:21:00.000-07:00

"Love bombing" - a way of showing affection to intice friendship.

Dorry Stevens knows exactly how this feels. She was sucked into "Fishers" a harsh and demanding cult. Will she be able to escape their impossible demands?

~Student review

Thirsty by M.T. Anderson

2008-03-24T20:14:00.001-07:00

This book made me want to vomit continuously. It was horridly written and looked like a 4th grade had written every piece of dialog in it. The characters are so stereotypical and two dimensional it makes it impossible to know the characters beyond their stereotype! Simply horrid writing style + bad characters + 4th grade dialog + elementary school plot = Thirsty by M.T. Anderson

~Student Review

Ben's Voki

2008-03-06T13:07:00.001-08:00

Get a Voki now!

Mein Kampf - Adolf Hitler

2008-02-22T13:00:00.000-08:00

Mein Kampf is a ridiculously long rant. A rant about the German race, about his ideals. It is a long rant with a bit of his past mixed into it. It is a long rant with a bit read, but I never want to read it again -_-*

I give Mein Kampf two stars.

If you read it, here is some advice: (1) skip round. (2) Read it in 1 sitting or try too!

New Moon - Stephenie Meyer

2008-02-22T12:37:00.001-08:00