Archive for 2006
Monkey Town: The Summer of the Scopes Trial by Ronald Kidd.
In 1925, small town Dayton, Tennessee, is the talk of the nation. John Scopes, a neophyte high school teacher, is on trial for teaching his students the theory of evolution. There are famous lawyers and reporters on the scene and leading the trial.
This story, based on actual events from the Scopes trial, is told through the eyes of fifteen-year-old Francis Robinson, one of Scopes’ students (who also happens to be in love with him.) While observing the trial, she befriends a reporter and is troubled over the whole media frenzy and worried about what will happen to her teacher. She is even more disturbed that her father has had a hand in its creation. Find out how the trial turns out and what becomes of Scopes…
Check out these other books based on actual events:
Abby Takes a Stand by Pat McKissack
A ten-year-old participates in the civil rights movement.
The Truth About Sparrows by Marian Hale
A friendship between young girls that takes place during the Depression.
Beyond the Burning Time by Kathryn Lasky
A mother is put on trial for witchcraft.
December 22nd, 2006
Lesley
Do you like books that make the hair on the back of your neck stand up? Do you like stories that can only be described as bizarre? If so, The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs by Jack Gantos is for you.
Ivy Spirco may seem like a girl who simply enjoys her mother’s company — and why shouldn’t she — her mother is the only parent she’s ever known. However, as Ivy grows older, she realizes that her love for her mother is not an ordinary love. Ivy is terrified that her mother will die one day and she is determined to keep that from happening. As Ivy struggles with the inevitable, she comes to understand what it means to have the love curse of the Rumbaughs.
For more thrilling reads, check out:
Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Freaky Green Eyes by Joyce Carol Oates
The Raven and the Monkey’s Paw: Classics of Horror and Suspense by Edgar Allan Poe
Twice-told Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne
December 17th, 2006
Krissy
Wednesday, January 3
2-4 pm
Looking for something to do during Winter Break? Come enjoy a certain snowy movie and a winter snack.
December 13th, 2006
Krissy
The December book of the month is Looking for Alaska by John Green. Miles Halter’s life is about to begin. He’s ready to enter into a “Great Perhaps” at his new boarding school in Alabama. Once there, he meets Alaska Young, a beautiful and troubled girl who throws him headlong into life, love and the mysteries of how just one life can impact another.
John Green has written a compelling debut novel. It is the 2006 winner of the Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in young adult literature.
The December Book of the Month is on display at the South Madison Library. Stop by and check-out a copy.
The 2006 Printz Honor books include:
Black Juice by Margo Lanagan
I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
John Lennon: All I Want is the Truth, a Photographic Biography by Elizabeth Partridge
A Wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson
December 9th, 2006
Ruth
Hey, we all have one, want to know more about how it works and why it works the way it does? These books are a great combination of stories and science.
Phineas Gage: a gruesome but true story of brain science by John Fleischman. This one is not for the squeamish - includes details about Phineas’ injury and some gory depictions.
Blink: the power of thinking without thinking by Malcolm Gladwell. Ever wonder what causes you to have a “gut reaction” to something? Find out how it happens, why, and how to use it to your advantage.
For the Love of a Dog: understanding emotion in you and your best friend by Patricia McConnell. Find out how involved your brain is in how you (and your dog) are feeling. They don’t call it “chemistry” for nothing!
December 7th, 2006
Karen
Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
Wish you could be exploring Europe during winter break? Pick up this wonderful book and travel along with Ginny as she follows a trail left by her quirky, artistic aunt Peg in a packet of little blue envelopes. She can only take what fits into one backpack, and she can’t bring along guidebooks, maps or a cell phone. Ginny has never traveled abroad and has never gone anywhere like this alone. You’ll feel like you’re right there with her as she discovers new things about herself, new things about her aunt, and love.
Want to read another book about following mysterious instructions? Try I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
Want to read a book about discovering yourself through travel and letters? Try Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
Want to read a book about spontaneous and unpredictable European travel? Try Saffy’s Angel by Hilary McKay
November 28th, 2006
Carissa
Crave a true story, then try Freedom Riders: John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the Front Lines of the Civil Rights Movement by Ann Bausum. This book captures the fight for Civil Rights in 1960’s America by focusing on a single aspect of that fight, the Freedom Rides. The goal of the Freedom Rides was for a mix of white and African American people to ride busses through the Deep South, where interstate bus segregation was illegally enforced, in a hope to be arrested and therefore forcing the Justice Department to enforce laws opposing segregation. John and Jim were part of that bus ride, and were both brutally assaulted by the Klan and others in Montgomery, Alabama. The story focuses on how two different people, one white and one black, came together and put themselves in great danger to advance civil rights.
If you are looking for other true stories about the Civil Rights Movement try:
A Dream of Freedom: The Civil Rights Movement from 1954 to 1968 by Diane McWhorter
A Wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson
November 21st, 2006
Kelly
Fairest by Gail Carson Levine. Loosely based on Snow White, Fairest follows the story of Aza — a large bulky girl who’s ugliness is often shied away from by her parent’s guests at the Inn. It’s her beautiful and magical voice that earns her a place as lady in waiting at the palace and sets her off on an adventure complete with trolls, goblins, and an enchanted mirror.
Try these other fairy tale based titles:
Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley. Cinderella told in a totally different and richly satisfying way.
Golden by Cameron Dokey. Completely bald Rapunzel.
Goose Girl by Shannon Hale. Princess hiding out as a goose girl with a special ability to talk to animals.
Beast by Donna Jo Napoli. Beauty and the Beast in Persia.
November 12th, 2006
Bridget
The feature book for November is Timeline, by Michael Crichton. With our November Book of the Month, we are featuring adult books that teens love! Recommended for ages 15 and up.
Written by the same man who brought us to the edge of our seats with Jurassic Park, Timeline is another sci-fi thriller full of great writing, gripping scenes and sound science pushed to the edge. Via quantum technology, a group of young scientists travel back in time to medieval France to rescue their mentor. Unbeknownst to them, they face treacherous abbots, mad lords and peasant bandits all eager to cut their throats in the midst of a civil war.
The November Book of the Month is on display at the Sequoya Library throughout November. Here are a few other great adult books recommended for teens:
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
November 2nd, 2006
Karen
Daisy Kutter: The Last Train by Kazu Kibuishi is an exciting graphic novel packed with fast-paced action scenes that combine the Wild West with a futuristic world filled with robots. If you want a fun graphic novel with a sassy, strong main character, look no further.
Daisy Kutter is no ordinary person. She’s a smart-mouthed lady who has just given up her gun-toting bandit ways to run a general store. However, Daisy can’t help but feel a little bored. Looking for excitement she enters a poker tournament and shows her impressive skills. But she ends up losing her store in the final round. When the winner, knowing Daisy’s infamous reputation, offers her a job to test out a new security robot, she has no choice but to accept it. As events begin to unfold, though, things are not quite what they seem. Will Daisy figure out the truth? Will Daisy even survive the job?
For other graphic novels full of adventure check out:
The Books of Magic by Neil Gaiman
Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things by Ted Naifeh
Bone Volume 1: Out From Boneville by Jeff Smith
Good-bye, Chunky Rice by Craig Thompson
October 30th, 2006
Carissa
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