It's FALL BOOK FRENZY TIME!

YES!  It's finally time to sign up for the 2011 Fall Book Frenzy event!!!  The bulletin board will go up tomorrow, teachers will finish signing up on Wednesday and then my 7th and 8th graders begin sign-ups on Thursday!  This is always such an exciting time for us here in the library.  We get so excited when it's time to celebrate good books, good authors and good readers!

If you don't know what I'm talking about, refer to an earlier blog post introducing this event...there's no way I'm writing all of that again!  HA! 

There are a few events I get excited about here at work...and this is one of them!

Can't wait to post pictures and lots of good stories about the event. 

So sorry you'll have to wait a while...the event doesn't happen until October 26th.  (Gotta give these kiddos time to read the books!)

Happy Reading!
RC

QR Codes

QR Codes...What are they?  Why would I need to know?  QR (short for Quick Response) is a new way of communicating information efficiently.  I'm sure you've seen them...the code to the right happens to be the code for the URL for this blog!  I plan on creating bookmarks for our middle school library with this code and an advertisement for the blog!  Can't say it was an original idea...one of my librarian peers from somewhere in KY shared it with the listserve.  But I love it!  Kids are always looking for the newest technology and we've got to keep up in this library!

For those of you who don't know how to use QR codes, here are some simple instructions for use with an iPhone or iPad.

1.  Using an iPhone or iPad, visit the App Store and download a QR Reader.
2.  Use the app to scan any QR code you find. (They're everywhere!)
3.  Your phone should then either take you to a website, show you a document or share a picture. 
4.  The app I have on my phone gives you lots of options once you have scanned the code successfully.  I'm not really sure how useful these codes are yet, but they're lots of fun.

If you'd like to generate your own code, there are lots of good generators on the web.  Just Google "QR generators" and have fun.  I squealed out loud when mine worked!!!

And for those of you who already knew all about QR codes, here's one to scan.

Happy Reading! (and scanning)
RC

The Scorch Trials

Just finished The Scorch Trials, book 2 of James Dashner's series.  I thought the first book was good...with the plot twists and character development in the second book, I can only imagine how good book 3 will be!  Just when you thought you knew who were the enemies, Dashner surprises you.  Who is the good guy?  Who is the bad guy?  And how in the world did this book end up scaring me as much as the movie, I Am Legend?  I didn't know there would be zombies...I hate zombies.  YUK!  (And these zombies want to eat your noses!  That is so sick!)  Dashner sure knows how to write detail!  I could almost smell the rot...

This is a fan-made poster which shows Thomas, Brenda and one of the Cranks who chased them in The Underneath.  Dashner wrote this scene well.  Thomas and Brenda hid in a wall while the Crank waited patiently for them to reveal themselves.  Yes, you guessed it.  He reaches into the wall for them...I screamed out loud when I read that scene!

After all the characters endure, it wouldn't surprise me if the main character woke up in a mental institution and was declared a schizophrenic!  That's how wild this book is!  I mean, in the last chapter, the characters are chased by faceless, hairless, pock-marked, lightbulb-covered giants!  How much weirder can it get?

Here's the synopsis just in case you're interested: 
Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. No more puzzles. No more variables. And no more running. Thomas was sure that escape meant he and the Gladers would get their lives back. But no one really knew what sort of life they were going back to.  In the Maze, life was easy. They had food, and shelter, and safety . . . until Teresa triggered the end. In the world outside the Maze, however, the end was triggered long ago.  Burned by sun flares and baked by a new, brutal climate, the earth is a wasteland. Government has disintegrated—and with it, order—and now Cranks, people covered in festering wounds and driven to murderous insanity by the infectious disease known as the Flare, roam the crumbling cities hunting for their next victim . . . and meal. The Gladers are far from finished with running. Instead of freedom, they find themselves faced with another trial. They must cross the Scorch, the most burned-out section of the world, and arrive at a safe haven in two weeks. And  WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.Thomas can only wonder—does he hold the secret of freedom somewhere in his mind? Or will he forever be at the mercy of WICKED?

Have you ever read a book that kept throwing you a curve ball?  If so, share. 

Books like this really keep me on my toes.

I stand behind my original statement in The Maze Runner post that this is a book for boys.  
Now on to something a little less vomit-inducing.  LOL
Happy Reading!
RC 

Time for school!

It's the weekend before school starts and I'm thinking many of you are dreading the end of summer.  I completely understand.  So, to brighten our mood on this rainy day, let's take a look at the events planned this fall in our library...
 
1.) August =  7th and 8th graders who bring their completed summer reading records back to the reading teacher will be entered in a drawing for free stuff!!
     *6th graders from CCES didn't receive the summer reading records this past spring like the Bremen and Longest students did...next year I'll include the 6th graders in the drawing.  I promise.

2. )  September = Library Aides begin work.  (1 student from the Discovery and Galaxy Teams will be chosen.  Be on your best behavior and prove you're the one who deserves this privilege!)  7th and 8th graders can sign up for the Fall Book Frenzy.  (Forgive me 6th graders, I have a good reason for not including you in this event.  Will explain later.)  Chess begins on Wednesday, September the 7th!  I'll have a meeting during school to hand out info sheets and answer any questions about chess club.


3. )  October = Fall Book Frenzy on the 26th! Held after school from 3:45-5:00.  Info provided to 7th and 8th graders later.  This event was the favorite last year and will be even bigger and better this year!  You don't want to miss it.


4.)  November =Might be attending the Kentucky Book Fair on November 12th in Louisville.  It's the 30th anniversary.  I waiting for them to release the attending authors list to make my decision.  Would like to take the "readers of the month" for August, September, and October to this event if they're interested.  If not, we'll find something else that's literary and unique to do!


5.)  December = Our Scholastic Book Fair!  This is our only fundraiser of the year.  We need to make $2500 to make any profit.  We need this fair to be a success so that we can purchase more books!  You want the latest and greatest releases, right?!  Let's have a great fair!

So as you can see, I've planned something every month to keep us engaged and enthused about reading.  Getting up early and working on homework may be just three days away, but we're getting closer to those fun events planned above and MORE!

I'm excited to meet the new 6th graders and welcome back the 7th and 8th graders!  
See you soon...

Happy Reading!
RC

FEAR THIS!

Thanks to a heads-up from one of my former students, I am able to show you the latest book cover in Michael Grant's deliciously scary series.  FEAR:  A Gone Novel is the latest installment in one of the top ten most popular book series among our middle schoolers.  I'm going out on a limb here, but I am going to say that I have more Gone fans than Hunger Games fans at North Middle.  I can personally attest to liking the Gone series more...it's intense AND full of unexpected events. 

If the cover intrigues you, you'll need to start at the beginning.  I would also visit the author's website. Click here... Author's Website
Read the books in this order:
1.  Gone
2.  Hunger
3.  Lies
4.  Plague
5.  Fear
There are supposed to be 6 books slated for this series.  I could seriously read them again...they're that good.

I would love to see this movie made.  It would be so gory and gross that it would receive an R rating, but oh my, what a great story!  Here's what the author has to say about the possibility of a movie.  MOVIE

This book is supposed to drop April 3rd, 2012.  I know what I'm reading for Spring Break!

Happy Reading!
RC

Have you ever?

Have you ever stayed up late at night to finish a book?  If so, share with me which book and try to give me a reason why you just couldn't put the book down.  I KNOW I'm not the only person up at 2:00 am reading.

Reason for this post:  I stayed up way too late last night to finish The Maze Runner by James Dashner.  Incredible plot twists, extraordinary character development and the author's definitive writing style kept me intrigued until the early hours of the day.  And then, I was so excited about the new plot developments and the foreshadowing present at the end of the first book, that I had to immediately grab the second in the series, The Scorch Trials, and read at least the first chapter.  (I had to promise myself not to read more than that.)  Teachers (and mothers) need their sleep.    Although I enjoy Dashner's writing style, I feel he really stepped up the drama and fed me exactly what I needed as a reader in the last fourth of the book.  Way to go, Dashner, I'm a hard reader to impress.

Can't wait to hear what has kept you up at night!

Happy (LATE NIGHT) Reading!
RC

James Patterson's new books released soon!

Popular adult (and young adult) author, James Patterson has two new titles releasing soon.  Although I don't read Patterson's adult novels, I know many of my friends do, so here's the cover and some information for them.
Kill Me If You Can drops on August 29th.  Here's the review found on Amazon.com...

"Matthew Bannon, a poor art student living in New York City, finds a duffel bag filled with diamonds during a chaotic attack at Grand Central Station. Plans for a worry-free life with his gorgeous girlfriend Katherine fill his thoughts--until he realizes that he is being hunted, and that whoever is after him won't stop until they have reclaimed the diamonds and exacted their revenge.

Trailing him is the Ghost, the world's greatest assassin, who has just pulled off his most high-profile hit: killing Walter Zelvas, a top member of the international Diamond Syndicate. There's only one small problem: the diamonds he was supposed to retrieve from Zelvas are missing. Now, the Ghost is on Bannon's trail--but so is a rival assassin who would like nothing more than to make the Ghost disappear forever. From "America's #1 storyteller" (Forbes) comes a high-speed, high-stakes, winner-take-all thrill ride of adrenaline-fueled suspense."

And here's the fourth in the Daniel X series, Game Over. If you're unfamiliar with this series, I've included Amazon's description of it as well.  This title drops on September 19th.

"When Daniel X discovers that a duo of evil extraterrestrials is plotting to control kids around the world through videogames, he's determined to take them both out of commission. This pair of wicked game masters wants to destroy the human race by turning brainwashed videogamers into an unstoppable army of doom! They're also running an endangered species hunting club on the side, and their next target is none other than Daniel. He'll have no choice but to turn to the aliens' rebellious son who needs help to stand up to his malicious parents. But can Daniel trust the progeny of this treacherous twosome? Or will it be "Game Over" for the alien hunter?" 

This series is popular among our middle school boys.  I thought the first book was enjoyable, with Patterson's typical short chapters and action-packed adventure.  I know this will be one book that will be checked out constantly this year!

Happy Reading!
RC

The Maze Runner

My newest literary obsession is with James Dashner's The Maze Runner Trilogy...oh my goodness, what a great read!  I'm completely drawn into the story and it's definitely one of those books that has a life of it's own.  (When I'm not reading it, I'm wondering what the characters are doing...I'm not psychotic, it's just good writing on Dashner's part!) The last time I felt this excited about a series, I had just finished Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games Trilogy and was absorbing everything written by her that I could get my hands on.  So I read all of the books in the Gregor the Overlander Series, and then found myself craving more.  Okay, so enough gushing about this book...here are some interesting facts and enough info that hopefully you'll be hooked!  Is it a coincidence that this book received the 2011 Kentucky Bluegrass Award for high school?  No, I think not.  If Kentucky's high school teenagers loved it enough to vote, don't you know my middle school kids are gonna want to read it?  You got that right!

What's this book about?   Here's an excellent synopsis from the official website.  I'm too excited to write my own...afraid I'll leave something out! 

"When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind."

.

First of all, this is a book for boys...any boy.  But especially those boys who love gross descriptions, scary plot lines, rough-talkin' characters, male-bonding scenes, etc... Even your boys who say they hate reading will love sharing this book.  This is definitely a book you'll want them to lean over the aisle with and say, "Hey, check this out!" Normally, I discourage students from sharing the gross bits because it can show immaturity, but not this time.  I'M SHARING THE GROSS BITS!  Enthusiasm for reading is contagious.  What a better side effect from sharing a book full of fantastic writing techniques than enthusiasm?


Secondly, the book is being made into a movie.  Catherine Hardwicke (yes, the Twilight director) has signed on the direct the first movie and it's slated for release in 2012.  I absolutely cannot wait.  The cast of characters will bring to the big screen lots of young male actors who have an opportunity to steal the spotlight from the Cullen Vamps, Bella and Jacob.  I'm serious.  The Hunger Games movie will come out before The Maze Runner, and it's a good thing because I'm not so sure Collins' story beats Dashner's. (I can't believe I typed that sentence!)  But isn't it a great trend that young adult books have caught on and so many movies are being made?  Kids are reading more than ever!


To see an award-winning book trailer, go to this movie trailer link. 
Random House rewarded this fan with the Kirkus 2009 Book Video Award .


To read James Dashner's blog, go to his blog

This is where you'll find accurate information on the book/movie.

To visit the Maze Runner website, go to the Random House Site. 

Spoiler Alert!:  This site may reveal more about the first book than you're ready for! So, visit AFTER reading the first.

Here are the three covers, just in case you're ready to run out and find these books...

Book 1

Book 2

Book 3- to be released in 71 days!

To listen to a clip from the audio version, click here!

Gotta get back to the book...only a few more chapters and I'm ready for The Scorch Trials.
Now, if the laundry fairy would come I'd be able to finish faster!  LOL

Happy Reading!
RC