Retaliation by Yasmin Shiraz had my heart pumping the whole time I read it. Now I understand why it received 2009 Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers! What would you do if someone you loved was senselessly targeted, beaten up and left for dead? This is the premise of this book and what happens continues to reverberate through each chapter. People's lives are changed (Sheila Odom and her son Khalil who was in a gang and now spends his days in a wheelchair)--- they jump to…
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Added by bj neary on November 15, 2009 at 6:54pm —
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First of all, I love David Small as an illustrator and author, especially his children's book, Imogene's Antlers, and I think he illustrated the book written by his wife, The Gardener (Not sure of the title) and my idea was this was one happy man. Stitches totally blew me out of the water with his horrendous childhood graphically depicted (a graphic biography)and the fact that he was able to overcome his family dysfunction. Small's words and drawings are superb in what they show and don't show…
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Added by bj neary on November 15, 2009 at 6:51pm —
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I just love novels in verse and Ava has just lost her boyfriend, Jackson in a freak accident. She feels responsible and is now "feeling" he is still with her. The spare words are perfect in describing Ava's profound love for Jackson. She has a strong support system with family and friends but wants to just "sleep" or stay close to home to be with him. I ached for her desolation, loved her friends for supporting her and rooted for her to find happiness and peace without Jackson.
Added by bj neary on November 15, 2009 at 6:48pm —
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I just love novels in verse and Ava has just lost her boyfriend, Jackson in a freak accident. She feels responsible and is now "feeling" he is still with her. The spare words are perfect in describing Ava's profound love for Jackson. She has a strong support system with family and friends but wants to just "sleep" or stay close to home to be with him. I ached for her desolation, loved her friends for supporting her and rooted for her to find happiness and peace without Jackson.
Added by bj neary on November 15, 2009 at 6:48pm —
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Alice lost her mom to cancer many years ago, dad remarries and Alice feels he doesn't spend enough time with her and now she has a half sister, Ivy. Spending time with her boyfriend, Blaze, going to church with her best friend and playing her guitar, Alice is doing her best to live life and remember her mom's awesomeness. A Thanksgiving trip to visit relatives changes abruptly as a snowstorm strands Alice, her stepmother and baby, Ivy. I loved Alice's pluck and determination, her teen moodiness…
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Added by bj neary on November 15, 2009 at 6:46pm —
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Ouch, this book hurts. I put off reading it for a long time because of the content and I am not usually like that. Also, I have so enjoyed Elizabeth Scott's books up to this point and this one is so totally different. Alice, is a living dead girl, abducted at age ten and brutalized over and over by Ray for the last five years, and now as we read her story, past and present---she really is a living dead girl, a robot who suffers at the hands of the nastiest pedophile you will ever want to meet.…
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Added by bj neary on November 15, 2009 at 6:44pm —
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James likes to rant and rave against society's ills---hence the title---he wants all cars gone because of the damage they do,his father doesn't understand him at all and wants to buy him a car for college. James is not even thinking of college. I liked the way the reader can see all of James' anger, angst,humor and wisecracks. We see his Sadie, sweet, concerned, active and passionate about her causes. James' writing is great, so many of the papers he submits to his teacher are hilarious and his…
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Added by bj neary on November 15, 2009 at 6:41pm —
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James likes to rant and rave against society's ills---hence the title---he wants all cars gone because of the damage they do,his father doesn't understand him at all and wants to buy him a car for college. James is not even thinking of college. I liked the way the reader can see all of James' anger, angst,humor and wisecracks. We see his Sadie, sweet, concerned, active and passionate about her causes. James' writing is great, so many of the papers he submits to his teacher are hilarious and his…
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Added by bj neary on November 15, 2009 at 6:41pm —
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I have been thinking about this book a lot, musing about the characters and how society is being portrayed in this book. School, family, and friends were always important, a love of home and loyalty to oneself and others was always present in Werlin's world of Lucy, Zach, Soleded, Leo and Sara. I thought Lucy was such a strong character who worked hard as an athlete, was a good daughter to Soledad and Leo, a fast friend to Sara and like a sister to Zach as they grow up, and someone who knew…
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Added by bj neary on October 13, 2009 at 7:07pm —
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Split is a taut, psychological thriller for young adults about two abused brothers, Christian and Jace Witherspoon at the hands of their father who is a respected judge. Older brother Christian escapes to a new life with the help of a neighborhood family and leaves a much younger Jace behind to bear the beatings meant for his mother. But after years of enduring psychological torment and physical abuse, during which Jace lives a lie, the final straw is reached. Jace discovers his father has…
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Added by bj neary on September 11, 2009 at 6:54pm —
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What a wonderful and sad book dealing with wartime, being students and becoming totally enthralled by your teacher's rendition of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and differences between people such as color, breeding and the horror that happens during war. It was such a visual novel, I loved Matilda, Mr. Watts and the simplicity of how they lived and hated what happened to all of them during this time. A Reading Olympic book for this year and I can't wait to see what the students say as…
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Added by bj neary on August 6, 2009 at 5:09pm —
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This is my 3rd book (even though this was written first!!!) and Lauren is a teen who can't believe she is dating the most perfect guy, Dave. He is kind, considerate and Lauren wonders, "what does he see in me" and everyone in school wonders the same thing too. Lauren cares about him, but she is not toally into Dave the way he is into her. Lauren's real estate dad is never around and if he is, he is usually distracted and unlucky in love. Her mom took off when she was six and since then,…
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Added by bj neary on August 6, 2009 at 5:01pm —
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Gaston Giambanco, Jr., known as Gas by his family and friends is one of my favorite characters. Gas’ life before his dear mother was killed in a car accident was a happy one even though his dad held so many jobs because of his explosive temper and prejudice. Gas loved the memories of riding horses with his mom and dad at the stables where he worked. As a junior in high school, he was still the smallest in his class but when Gas was on a horses’ back, he didn’t feel the all consuming weight of…
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Added by bj neary on August 6, 2009 at 5:00pm —
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This book was so compelling! It is about a 17 year old girl, Willow who has just lost both parents in a car accident AND SHE WAS DRIVING!!! So now that you have that horrible picture in your mind, Willow lives with her borther and his wife and baby and truly believes he blames her and hates her for the loss of their parents. Willow is a cutter and razor blades help her deal with the sick blame she heaps upon herself. But during the first days of school, she meets Guy, who is the most amazing,…
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Added by bj neary on August 6, 2009 at 5:00pm —
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This is a searing account of the fateful day in April ten years ago when Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 13 students, 1 teacher and maimed many others. Author Dave Cullen, an investigative reporter, who was there that day and he tells us he was one of the ones who gave false information that day. What he gives us is an absorbing, sickening account with the many truths that were withheld and still leaves us all to ask "why" because other than psycho Eric Harris and follower Dylan Klebold's…
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Added by bj neary on August 6, 2009 at 4:59pm —
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This new book, in what I hope is a series, was fantastic! Chapters are alternated by Grace, a human child who is dragged from her swing into the woods by a pack of wolves. And Sam, a wolf who was human and bitten, and goes between human and wolf form. Sam is one of the wolves present when Grace is attacked. But something happens when he smells her and looks into her eyes;she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen and he couldn't let their mauling continue and he stops it. So begins the…
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Added by bj neary on May 17, 2009 at 7:20pm —
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The Hunger Games is such a great read and it is science fiction, survival, violence, but so much more! Peeta and Katniss Everdeen are chosen to represent District 12 --- they must fight to the death with all the other participants of the other 11 districts in Panem (used to be Earth). Peeta has always been in love with Katniss but the powers that be have them act like star crossed lovers and the audience who watches by TV the whole time, JUST LOVE IT!!! The story involves psychological suspense…
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Added by bj neary on May 17, 2009 at 7:16pm —
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This book was so very interesting, so very painful, so very revealing, and gave real insight to the effect of paranoid schizophrenics who live on the streets. Steve Lopez's quick stop one day to listen to an African American homeless man playing violin in a tunnel reverberating with speeding cars, and the sounds of Skid Row, proves to be fortuitous for both men. Lopez's efforts to get this Juilliard trained musician into "safe" housing was met at every turn with Ayer's obstinate will to be…
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Added by bj neary on April 4, 2009 at 7:28pm —
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PhotoPeach is easy to use, load in pictures and you can put in slides as pictures if you want more text, add music and then you can go in and put about a line of text under the images.
WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH MARCH 2009 on…
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Added by bj neary on March 19, 2009 at 12:06pm —
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Well I am trying this new publishing tool because a new Friend from Images4Education showed us the great capabilities of this new Web 2.0 application. I used the element helium as a way science classes could use this. Make sure you listen to the music as you…
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Added by bj neary on March 19, 2009 at 11:29am —
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