A Monster Calls is one of the most powerful and intensely human books I have ever read. Grief, anger, nightmare...whatever you want to call this monster comes to Conor O'Malley. But, it only wants one thing...for Conor to speak the truth. And, it has come to him in his time of need, his time of need to heal. Conor's mother, so very young, is dying of cancer. Conor is silent, bullied, brave, yet he must get beyond all of that to move on and to let his mom go. His Grandma, his father, and even his mother try to comfort and shield him, but each in their own way. At 12:07 each night the monster comes...telling him stories that make no sense, just as the cancer that is taking his mom makes no sense. The monster seems cruel and unwieldling, yet it allows Conor to find his way to cope with the incredibly-intense raw emotion that will follow his loss. Where is the rating for ten stars? This book deserves it. This book will haunt me for a long time...its story will stay in my being. The illustrations are masterful, yes they are creepy, but they lend another layer to an already profound emotion. Your whole being will ache for not only Conor's loss, but human loss, pervasive sadness, and for the compassionate monster called grief.

A Mountainous Adventure

The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic
by Jennifer Trafton

Persimmony Smudge, a plucky young girl, head-strong though she is, leads her friends, Worvil the worrier, and Guafnoggle, the Rumblebump on an adventure to warn the inhabitants of Mount Majestic (especially clueless King Lucas, the Lofty) that their mountain isn't really a mountain at all, but a giant sleeping peacefully, who must not, under any circumstances, be woken. Waking the giant would surely mean the end of their peaceful little island and all that they know and love. Persimmony, upon hearing the Leafeaters talk of this hidden secret, knows what she must do, and she sets out to do it. She must warn the king!

The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic is full of mumble, jumble mixed-up words, punctuation, and ideas, an array of delightfully odd, yet endearing characters, and an adventure to make all of us sit up and take notice.

Dangerous Babysitting

Talk about sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat, heart-pumping action in this offering from Peg Kehret...Stolen Children is the harrowing story of 14-year-old Amy Nordlund's first babysitting job. After completing her babysitting course and getting high recommendations from her instructor, Amy is introduced to Mr. and Mrs. Edgerton and their 3 year-old daughter, Kendra. The Edgertons are well off and live in a beautiful house with all the perks that go along with wealth. They do, however, clearly love and dote on their sweet natured little girl.

When Kendra's nanny takes an unexpected vacation, Mrs. Edgerton is in need of a babysitter who can care for the girl while she visits her ailing mother in the hospital. Amy is more than willing and ready to make some money. While Kendra is down for a nap, Amy doses by the pool and wakes up in the midst of Kendra's kidnapping. Two men, Smokey and Hugh have planned this with the help of the Edgerton's nanny, Darielle. Amy is caught in the middle and is kidnapped as well.

Smokey and Hugh's plan is to videotape little Kendra and ask for a ransom. What they don't realize, though, is that Amy has enough wherewithal and cool-headedness, not to mention intelligence, to plant clues in the video recordings. Her calm actions and timely tips to the police aid in their rescue.

Although I knew this one would turn out alright in the end (after all, it is a kids' book), my eyes couldn't read the words fast enough...I was on the edge of my seat through the whole ordeal.

High School Bullies

Leverage by Joshua Cohen
When a feud over weight training room privileges escalates between the gymnastics team and the football at the high school, a question of morality, ethics, and doing the right thing becomes all encompassing for members of these teams. Danny, a promising gymnast and Kurt, a gifted football player who has seen way too much in his young life, create a bond that gives them the strength to stand up to murderous, lying bullies.

Danny and his teammate, Bruce are witness to a brutal attack on one of their teammates at the hands of mentally-disturbed football stars. They are frightened and are coerced into keeping silent, even though it has a devastating outcome. Kurt, who walks in on the attack, vows to somehow, someway make these bullies pay, even though his past may come back to haunt him.

Danny and Kurt, together with feisty, goth-girl Tina, leave no doubts behind when they expose Tom, Scott, and Mike (the football heroes) and their heinous crime. A chilling look at the power bullies have over those they taunt and how adults can sometimes look the other way. Be warned...there are some brutal, vicious scenes in this book that are probably, in all reality, happening at every high school in this country. Leverage is a book that you won't be able to put down and one that does not skirt around a frightening issue in our schools today

A Paulsen Pick

While the American Patriots are waging war against the tyranny of Britain near the coast of America, young Samuel and his parents are living a peaceful life in rural Pennsylvania. That is until an attack by British soldiers and Iroquois leave many of their neighbors dead, and Ma and Pa taken prisoners. Samuel was out in the woods hunting for food when he hears the commotion. He is too late to save anyone, but knows his parents are alive and traveled along on foot with the British. He tracks their path, as only a well-seasoned Woods Runner can do, yet meets danger head on when tracking. He sees a good, peaceful family meet their death at the hands of Hessians with bayonets... as their young daughter, Annie looks on horrified. Samuel takes Annie under his wing and they continue to follow the path left behind in hopes of finally finding Samuel's parents.

He meets Abner along the road, who at first appearance seems to be a traveling salesman of odds and ends. Yet, as time goes on and after Samuel told Abner his unfortunate tale, Samuel realizes that Abner is much more than a ordinary traveler, he is carrying vital information back and forth to Patriots, trying to thwart British advances. Abner agrees to help Samuel find his parents in New York, which they do, but his parents are not what they once were. They are defeated, broken, in poor health, and are treated as slaves. Samuel becomes a leader, with the help of Abner and his friend Matthew, and leads a family once torn-apart to safe territory.

A glimpse into the brutal realities of war and the toll it takes on young men and families. Although the cause was important, the means to achieve it were devastating. War, by definition, is horrific...this American Revolution, too, paid a steep price for the independence we take for granted today.

A great action-filled, historical book for read-aloud...Paulsen pauses at the end of each chapter to fill the reader in with facts concerning certain aspects of the life, war, and people of the American Revolution.

My Top Ten Reads: 2010

Here are my top ten book for 2010. I've read a lot of good ones...it was tough to choose just ten! They are not in any particular order, except that they are in order in which I read them.

• The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey (YA)
• Kenny & the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi
• The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz
• South by Patrick McDonnell (Primary)
• Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
• Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson
• The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds (Primary)
• Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
• A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck
• One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Oh! and of course my #1 Adult book was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson.
I hope you had a year full of enjoyable reading...but, if you'll excuse me, I have to get started on my reading for 2011. Happy New Year!

Differences...or Similarities?

Faith, Hope, and Ivy June is a heart-tugging, sentimental story of two unlikely friends, Catherine from Lexington, Kentucky and Ivy June, a couple of hours away in Thunder Creek, Kentucky. The girls are the first participants in the student exchange program between their two schools...the purpose of which is to become familiar with another way of life and decide how different or similar it is. Ivy June initially travels to Lexington and is not fully prepared for the big house, indoor bathrooms, computers in every room, or the little luxuries in life. But, she sees the girls have a few things in common, too...like crushes on boys, love of family, and annoying little siblings.

When it is Catherine's turn to visit Thunder Creek, similarities and differences take on a whole new meaning...especially when tragedy strikes both families in different ways. But first, Catherine experiences what a rural community is really like with no phone, outhouses, and worrying about miners trying to make a living doing dangerous work. The girls become a life-line of sorts for each other and learn to support one another as only good friends can and do.

When the visit is over, a sense of familial camaraderie wraps around the girls and the reader knows that the girls share a bond that will not be broken soon. Empathy and compassion, along with wishes and a touch of envy envelope their friendship...one which last for years to come.

Used for Mother-Daughter Book Club at BPL-February,2011.