The Lights Go On Again

This is the third part of the triology "the Sky is falling, and Looking at the moon". It is about two English war guests staying in canada, and enduring the pain of leaving their gaurdians who had cared for them throughout the war. Norah, the elder child yearns to go home, but Gavin barely remembers his home, and seeing that his parents died makes him feel their is no purpose in returning to his homeland in England. This is until he decided that the value of what is left of his family is worth more than his wealthy Canadian lifestyle.

The Grim Grotto

This book was written by the famed author Lemony Snicket. His devious plot and unforgiving characters make his novels intersting and unable for the reader to stop. This particular book descirbes yet another of the Baudilaire's perils, and their newfound knowledge of a secret organizetion, and Count Olaf's plot to set fire to the last safe place of the VFD. The almost death of their little sister made them even more determined to stop the plot of Count Olaf, for many parents would die at his hands, just as theirs did.

Looking at the Moon

This novel is the second part of the triology "The Sky is Falling." It is the continuation of the story about 2 war guests staying in canada, and their troubles when meeting their new relatives at their private resort "Gairloch". They are getting used to their guardians, but wonder wether having fun is a crime when their family back in Enlgand is suffereing in the war.

On the Fringe - Various Authors

This book encloses eleven stories of teens in distress, or those on the fringe. While some stories are better than others, it is definately an interesting read that all teens shuld consider reading.

Rating: * * * */5

Love Among the Walnuts (OR: How I Saved My Family from Being Poisoned) - Jean Ferris

Sandy and his parents Horatio and Mousey are rich, and live in a large mansion named Eclipse. When Horatio's two brothers Bart and Bernie try to kill the family to inherit their fortune, they only send Horatio, Mousey, their butler Bentley's wife Flossie, and their pet chicken Attila into comas. The book is about Sandy, Bentley, their nurse Sunnie, and the patients at Walnut Manor's attempts to stop all of their uncle's attemps at murder. This book is absolutely hilarious from start to finish. Definately a winner!!

Rating: * * * * */5

Draw date for the first week of Blog - Tuesday, July 11

In order to give everyone a chance, we will draw our first winner from our blog entries, next Tuesday.

We will then contact our winner and the small prize can be sent to their library branch.

This is not limited to book reviews. Every posting counts!

Catherine and Andrea

The Breadwinner

This book was written by a famous author, Deborah Ellis. The Breadwinner is about a little Afghan girl named Parvana who lives with her once rich family in a bombed out apartment building. Parvana begins her story by telling how her mom and dad were both highly educated people with degrees. Later on, the Taliban came to power and everything in their lives changed. All girls in Afghanistan were not aloud to go to school. All males had to work, therefore Parvana helped out with the household, which included fetching food and water, cleaning and dusting the house, and watching her two little syballings. She lives in a horribe life, day after day. One day, the Taliban suddenly came and knocked on Parvana's door, they demanded to take there father, they beat him up, while his wife was watching. She couldn't take it anymore she went up to the taliban and asked them why they had to take him away. They said that he was still working. Therefore they beat up his wife too. Everyday Parvana would tell the Taliban that she needed her father back. But they just wouldn't . So Parvana would have to dress up as a guy in order to work.A few months later, her sister was getting married. When Parvana's mother and sister were off to their wedding, two taliban came in holding her father, weakly. Mrs Weera had told her that, the city where her family members went was where the Taliban took over..

Awake and Dreaming

This book was written by award winning Kit Pearson. her insight on a lonely child's feelings are accurate, and her words make the reader curious to continue. It was about a child living in poor conditions with her single mother, and beeing abandoned to live with her aunt. During this time she magically gets transported to a "perfect family"by the spirit of her favorite author into a novel that was about to be written before the author died. Her experience with the family is wonderful, but after she she is taken back to reality, she meets the same family but they do not know her. All of her feelings which had been botteled up came out when her own family (the one in the "dream") did not recognzie her. She soon realized with the help of a spirit she encountered on her way to play at the house of a friend that no family was perfect, but as long as there is love it exceedes perfection.

the Da Vinci Code

This book can be viewed in several perspectives, because it exceedingly controversial to the practice of Opus Dei and orthodox Christianity. It has a riviting plot and mature humour. You can learn alot and it was really cool because the writer added alot of points of suspense, though I think the ending could have been better. I rate this book 8-9/10.

The Sky is Falling

This book was about the journey of an insecure child travelling to Canada as a war guest in the second world war from britain. The fear of dispatching from her homeland, family, friends, and what she believes is her duty to scout out German warplanes is more heartbreaking than having to move to a different continent. During her travel, nine year old Norah feels neglected by her caretakers and rebels against her new family, including her brother who had travelled along her side. The coming of 2 new frineds who understand her situation makes the blow of her feelings softer, whilst she learns to cope her new lifestyle.

Your Eyes In Stars - M.E. Kerr

Your Eyes In Stars is another holocaust novel about two friends, one American (Jessie) and one German (Elisa). When the two start an unlikely friendship, their parents are all in disagreement. Jessie's mother greatly distrusts Elisa's family, who are their neighbours, and her father is too busy manning the nearby prison to take notice. Elisa's family is very secretive, and keeps everybody else suspicious. This book is amazing!! The first part is of their lives, and the second part is their letters being sent back and forth. I definately recommend this book for its unique writing style and tale of an unlikely friendship.

Rating: * * * * */5

In the Morning - Michael Cronin

This holocaust novel tells about the lives of two men who are working against the Germans, and the dangers they must face. Starts off slow paced, but makes for an interesting read. Great for those who love reading about World War II.

Rating: * * */5

A Gathering of Days-Joan W. Blos

I just read A Gathering of Days. What and amazing book! Set in the early nineteenth century, this book is about a girl growing up in New England and how she goes through many of lifes hardships for example her father remarrying, her friend and stepbrother in love, and just going through day to day life without a mother. She also has some more exciting adventures, such as notes in her speller from a unknown person. Follow Catherine and her friends on their journey through the key years of young teenhood, in a novel of discovering self, and taking life one day at a time. An excellent book.

Sense and Sensibility- Jane Austen (again)

A moderately okay read. It's not that there were any major flaws in the development of the plot or characters, it's just that none of them had the charisma nor qualities to capture my interest. Maryanne was shallow and her sister simply seemed inactive for most of the story. It was slow-paced for the most part, and Edward Ferrar's sudden elevation in the eyes of the reader was the only gratifying moment of the novel.

Miss Anne Thropic
Isabelle

Drivers Ed - Caroline B. Cooney

Drivers Ed is a very intense book about guilt. When a boy and girl steal a stop sign, they never think that it will cause the death of a young mother. The woman's husband is very forceful about wanting to know who stole the sign, and drives the two teens crazy with guilt. This is an amazing book, which i would definately reccomend.

Rating: * * * * */5

The Legacy of Gloria Russel - Sheri Gilbert

When Billy James' best friend Gloria dies, he is forced to deal with a town that pities him, and a man they all hate, Mr. Satan. The town believes that Mr. Satan's touch is lethal, and that he caused Gloria's death after they became friends. But when Billy James befriends him, he sees that the town is greatly mistaken, and that he is a very nice man. Billy James does his best to get the town to see the true Josef Satan, for the sake of his new friend, and the legacy of Gloria. This book moves pretty slowly, and it isn't until 3/4 of the way through the book that i actually became interested in it. It deals with some tough issues that need to be adressed, such as discrimination. At some points, it is rather frustrating to read. All in all, it is a pretty good book, although i wouldn't recommend it.

Rating: * *.5 /5

I have a little brother who is absolutely fascinated by Video Games. I have never been supportive (although I am aware that there are 'educational' ones) and have actively encouraged my parents to refuse when he demands video game consoles or borrow computer games from his friends unless they have checked them out themeselves. While I understand that many people come to librarians for their opinions, I feel it is necessary for the parent themeselves to understand what the computer game is teaching the child, and whether it contributes to the learning and development of the youth in question. Every parent has a different opinion when it comes to how they want their child to be raised. The maturity and understanding of the child must also be taken into consideration. A child who is slow in developing his reading skills will become addicted to the instantaneous gratifications that shooting someone or scoring points in a game will offer. This often leads the child to become intolerant of slower processes (much like learning to read). However, it may also boost his confidence level- seeing as he/she has struggled in so many other areas. It's always important to remember that children are unique and although parents will not forget it, they are often prone to the comments of other parents and may feel pressured to either give the child what all his friends have, or to speed the child's education up to the level of their classmates. I know I've put in far more than my two cents here, but I've just read the previous posts of the teen librarians on Runescape, which no one answered to. What is your opinion on video games in general? If you have a younger brother or sister who enjoys them, how do you restrain them from playing more than their fill of games? If you have any advice you'd like to share, please comment.

Miss Anne Thropic
Isabelle

One- Richard Bach

On a philosophical level, "One" by Richard Bach is a very interesting take on one idea. Although I will attest to my belief that life is simply a series of variables applied to a basic soul, this book conveys the actual theory in a sort of modern day parable. I would not recommend this book for someone who will not appreciate the true ideas that form the foundation of the conflicts and intrique- this book requires some maturity of mind. However, I will say that if you have your own philosophies already in place, or are trying to open yourself up to a few more, this novel should certainly be on your must-read list.

Rating: 8/10

Miss Anne Thropic
Isabelle

Mansfield Park- Jane Austen

Personally I'm dissappointed with this book. It seems like it was a 'much ado about nothing' sort of novel. Although the writing was clear and stylishly done (as always) the plot seemed to elaborate on events that did not seem central to it and no catharsis is felt at the end of the novel. The resolution suddenly appears at the epilogue and seems poorly done after the struggles each of the characters has had to go through. A good read, if you enjoy a plot where 'the problem is hardly recognizable underneath the amount of jibberish spoken about un-important, un-interesting events'. Perhaps i would benefit from the maturity of a 30 year old when i next pick up this piece of work.

Rating: 3/10

Miss Anne Thropic
Isabelle

How I Spent My Last Night On Earth - Todd Strasser

When a surprise meteor is said to destroy the earth, people start going into a frenzy, and acting differently. At school, all the different social groups are mingling, and kids are now challenging their teachers. Most skip school, and the surfers are hanging out on the beach trying to catch the wave that will be caused by the meteor, and ultimately destroy the earth. Allegra and her friends now spill their darkest secrets to each other, and change their lives forever. This story is humourous, and it is really funny to see how differently people act when the supposed end of the world is upon them.

Rating: * * * * */5

Less Is More - Wendy Lawton

When Abby's father dies, she turns to food as her comfort, and gains alot of weight. When she has a chance to be on her favourite reality show, Less Is More, she immediately accepts. With the help of her friends, family, and gym teacher, she loses the weight and gets an increase of self confidence. This story of bravery, determination, and strength is not only inspiring to teens who want to lose weight, but for those who want to accomplish a goal that seems beyond reach.

Rating: * * * *.5 /5

Brave New World- Aldous Huxley

In Brave New World, a classic sci-fi by Aldous Huxley, a world of perfect stability is created, accepted, and sustained. A Utopia- where everyone is programmed to be happy with their jobs and their sole source of happiness is through Soma pills. Upon reading this, one really has to consider how plausible the idea is, especially when it comes to the encourages polygamous relationships between all of the members of the society. A great read for all those who love taking apart imaginary societies.

rating: 8/10

Miss Anne Thropic
Isabelle

The Adventures of Blue Avenger - Norma Howe

In The Adventures of Blue Avenger, a sixteen-year-old boy decides to change his name to Blue Avenger - Blue (first name) Avenger (last name) - , a comic hero he made up as a child. Throughout the novel, and it's sequel, Blue Avenger Cracks the Code, Blue learns about lemon merangue pie and William Shakespeare, amongst many other things. He also toys with the idea of free will; if we act of our own accord, or if we are simply following a plan given for us. These humourous books will keep you guessing, as well as laughing, and will give you answers to questions you never even thought of. I loved these books - two thumbs up!!!

Rating: * * * * */5

Swallowing Stones - Joyce McDonald

When a boy shoots a bullet into the air on his birthday, little does he know that it hits a father, hard at work on his roof. Swallowing Stones is about the impact one bullet can make, and how guilt can affect other people's piece of mind. This book is really interesting, and deals with some really tough topics, such as losing a father and dealing with overwhelming guilt.

Rating: * * * * */5

Did anybody go to the movies, this weekend?

Did anyone see anything good?

Catherine

Recommended books from the blog Display

If no one objects, I am going to try and put together a display of recommended books from the blog.
I often have people coming in looking for a good read.
It is always helpful to say, someone read that and loved it.

Thanks.

Catherine

Persuasion, by Jane Austen

I've just finished re-reading Persuasion by Jane Austen. Although I love Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion seems to connect to me on a deeper level. Certainly, Austen's tone is a little more serious, a little less playful, but it doesn't take away from the observations which have made her flare and writing style renouned. "As her eyes fell on him, his seemed to be withdrawn from her. It had that appearance" (Austen, 188) How many time have i experience this feeling? The subtle feelings and experience in this book have inspired my theme for this month- slow love. I particularly enjoy Austen's book because although i have never read of any of the characters in much physical contact (they do not hug, let alone kiss), apart from the holding of hands as a gentleman aids a lady into a carriage, they seem to have such strong bonds between them. She conveys feelings from on character to the reader with such vivid imagery that I have often felt as if i was watching these things occured, and being each of the characters at the same time. She brings back memories of a time when all things were so pure, so simple; when gallantry and right and wrong were all clearly outline and acknowledged by all people. Although i would not reccomend this book to all people, if you enjoy a slow novel where the smallest look makes the chapter worth reading- then Persuasion may be a delightful companion with your morning coffee or afternoon tea.

Miss Anne thropic
Isabelle

The Da Vinci Code- clearing up controversy

I would like the post to be a review as well as a reflection on some personal insight. First off, kudos to Dan Brown for writing a perfect combination of intrigue, suspense, and a sense of reality. It certainly did create controversy this summer. First, the book is based on many facts- however, it does have it's errors and certainly shows some colourful opinion. Overall I'd say it was one of the best books i've read this year. However, I was quite dissappointed with the general reaction to it. I've never seen so many people suddenly convert their beliefs based on a book without doing ANY research theemselves on what they're choosing to believe in. As a catholic myself (by my own choice, have been for 5 years now) I don't see what the fuss is about. In Canada, our major news stations are secular in nature as well as our newspapers, but many readers fail to do their independant research.
For example, the supposed 'lost' Gospelof Judas was never really lost. It had already been written off by the Catholic church early on. The problem is that nowadays, the youth (and I'm on 16, definately one of them) fails to see the roots of our culture as well as the origins on the items on which we base our culture. There have been hundreds of Gospels written- only some of which were chosen to be part of our current Catholic Bible (there are many versions of the bible- something else many are not aware of, for exmaple: the Kind James version, the NIV, etc.)
Secondly, many catholics are not aware of the philosophies upon which the church bases its beliefs. I still wonder how in the world we let stupid Descartes form much of our culture. If we all subscribed to the belief of "Cogito, Ergo Sum" then it would be perfectly alright for a 48 year old man to rape a 7 year old child. I know I'm getting off topic- and that this is a touchy area, but if the youth cannot address nor find out where we're coming from, then we might as well forget believing in the future- mistakes are bound to be repeated.
If anyone would like to debate on this subject or any philosophical topic at all (I'm sure i'll have to do a little more research) feel free to message me. After all, a blog has no meaning unless it inspires someone else to take a step in becoming more informed either about themeselves, or the world around them.
The Catechism is a great source of advice and direction (many don't even know it exists) and I sincerely hope that nothing in this post has offended anyone. Flames are most certainly not welcome. However, any message or email holding proper factual and logical arguments will carefully be replied to and addressed.

All in all, the book was very well structured and Dan Brown's method and style of writing has certainly peaked the interest of today's world, be it through controversy or not. The important thing that seems to have come out of it is that we are reading!

Miss Anne thropic
Isabelle

Raspberry House Blues - Linda Holeman

When Poppy, an adopted child, finds herself curious about her biological mother, she decides to pack up and travel to Calgary to see her father, in hopes of finding more about her. Through her adventure, she finds out more about her father, and herself. I personally love this book - it is really interesting, and is full of adventure, discovery, and deception.

Rating: * * * * */5

The Mediator: Shadowland - Meg Cabot

When Suze is forced to move to Northern California and live with three new step-brothers, it seems as though she has enough to deal with. But a new home isn't her only trouble - Suze is a mediator, and must deal with a spirit who tries to ruin her life. The Mediator is a unique story about ghosts, what happens in the afterlife, and the people who have to deal with them.

Rating: * * *.5 /5

Fireworks and hobbies

I cannot believe it is July. Summer always goes so fast.

Tonight, we went and saw the fireworks. They were the same old thing, nothing new and exciting. Suddenly, as the fireworks exploded in the sky, there was a crack of lightning. It was amazing to see and hear!

Two young guys had a camera there and were taking pictures but they missed that shot.

Speaking of photography, we have all kinds of great books on every hobby under the sun, moon and sky. Check us out!

Catherine

Looking for something to do?

Our teen departments are offering courses in: Leadership, Creative Writing, Talk like a leader and Grammar.

We have added one more:

Get Hooked on Knitting Ages10+

$15.00

Learn to knit a cool scarf to fit your style. Expert senior knitters Ellen and Jean will show you how. Supplies included.

Unionville Library

Monday, July 17 2-4:00 pm

Thursday, July 20 2-4:00 pm

Friday, July 21 10:30-12:30 pm

Call (905)513-7977, ext. 7133 for details about any of the programs.

Catherine