It's been awhile, but the new list for the 2014-2015 MSBA is out.  These books were all published during the year 2013.  12 of us on the committee have been reading like crazy and we have put together a pretty great list of all sorts of different books from different genres and for all ages. We are excited and look forward to a great year of reading and activities!

Banned Books or challenged books are all over the library!  Look for their wanted posters!  Spring them from jail...by checking them out.

Lists available at the circ desk...look for them all around the library stacks!  Be careful, they may be armed and dangerous!

Celebrate your freedom to read! 

Banned Books Week is Sept. 30th-Oct. 7th

 

Feiwel & Friends have published something new and fresh in this Cyborg Cinderella story for teens.  Set in Japan in the future, the characters are dealing with an impending war between earth and the Lunars, a horrible plague reaking havoc in cities across the world, killing, with no cure.  The prince comes to Cinder to fix his android, who is caring secrets he needs access to, in hopes of saving his world.  Great twist with more to come.  Not a big sci-fi fan, but I loved this!  Can't wait for the next one!

Bittersweet Summer by Anne Warren Smith (Albert Whitman & Co. 2012) This is the third book in a fun series for the younger chapter book reader.  This book is set the summer after 4th grade.  New friends, little brothers, and parental changes, all add to the charm of this family story. 
http://www.annewarrensmith.com/Home_Page.html

Personified animal story of a Silverback gorilla, elephants and a mutt.  Inspired by a real captive gorilla who lived in a mall.  Things change when baby Ruby comes to stay and a promise is made between friends.  Slow paced but an easy, quick read.  It was a sweet animal story.  A touching tale that hits home, as right here in Hope, Maine we have rescued circus elephants coming to a refuge soon. 
http://hopeelephants.org/faq

Matt and his father don't get along. Neither one gets the other. But he reluctantly agrees to go on a dig in Mexico right after an earthquake. 30 days. There are two teens young men's stories being told simultaneously; Matt's modern tale while on the dig, discovering himself, and re-evaluating his faith. And Teom's tale from the Book of Mormon time, who is trying to save his family in a time of severe corruption, murder and thievery, while maintaining his faith. Although, not of Mormon faith, this story was captivating. I was refreshed, learning details of another faith, and it was exciting. It also gave a great peak into the world of archeology. 

I just read a harrowing story of a teenager, Delaney, who falls through the ice on a lake in Maine.  This story is relevant and could certainly happen.  A miracle, a mystery, a monster, she really doesn't know.  She is now more than she was and so much less at the same time.  11 min. is a long time to be under water!  Can she find herself again, before she pushes everyone away or does something stupid?  Heavy story and a little language, but, I couldn't put it down.  Read the book FRACTURE, by Megan Miranda and published by Bloomsbury.  Great new YA fiction.

I listened to the audio of Jack Gantos' book DEAD END IN NORVELT, read by the author himself.  This was funny, and historical.  I loved Miss Volker, the spit-fire old lady who Jack helps write obituaries for the last remaining Norvelters.  Kids will empathize with the summer with no fun and being grounded!  Jack Gantos did a terrific reading!  You'll laugh out loud!

While traveling on vacation I downloaded Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick on my Kindle Touch.  It was an incredible...sad, harsh and real story about a young boy caught right in the middle of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia.  This powerful story of the will to live and what might have to be done, to make that a reality.  What would you do?  Hopefully, none of us will ever have to find that out!  Someone asked me why this book about this subject was written for teens.  My response was, "because kids need to know about the awful, real things that happen, so that maybe we can try to prevent them from happening again.  Being aware and knowing is part of that.

Read the book Winterling by Sarah Prineas...author of The Magic Thief series.  A little girl lives on the edge in the woods.  She accidentally helps someone and discovers he is from another realm.  Something is wrong there, and she can feel that she needs to help.  She is connected to the earth and can feel and sense things.  Good and evil, a little bit of magic and herbs.  An easy read that kids will enjoy. 

Divergent by Veronica Roth is a book reccommended to my by my 13 year old son, who got it from one of his friends.  This distopian novel, set in Chicago in the not so distant future, had me hooked.  This was a book I could not put down!  I stayed up until 2:00am just to finish it!  The characters, the setting, it could so happen to us!  Highly reccommended for those who liked the Hunger Games or The Maze Runner trilogies.  You don't have to wait for the sequel...it has just been released and is called INSURGENT!  Yet more choices for Tris and Four. 


An adventure set in Africa when the main character and his sister are kidnapped!  Their father is the an ambassador and there is a lot of corruption involved.  The outlaw accused is not at all what he seems, in fact, he is so much more and Jake is doing his best, just to survive and keep his little sister alive.  This is non-stop, action and intrigue, and just when you think you have it all figured out, you don't!

I just finished a creepy, weird book that was impossible to put down. I highly recommend

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. His grandfather has told him fantastical stories all his life growing up, but it is not until his gramp dies, and everyone thinks he's lost his marbles that he begins to investigate what just might be real. He travels to an island to discover his grandfather's past and his possible future.

Banned Books Week is Sept. 25th-Oct 1st.

Celebrate your freedom to read whatever you want! Read a book that has been banned or challenged for one reason or another in the United States in the last 10 years.

Here are just a few...

Harry Potter (series)

The Chocolate War

Twilight

To Kill a Mockingbird

Gossip Girl

Captain Underpants (series)

Fallen Angels

His Dark Materials ( series)

The Giver

In the Night Kitchen

A Day No Pigs Would Die

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

A Wrinkle in Time

Julie of the Wolves

Goosebumps (series)

Roll of Thunder, Here My Cry

Junie B. Jones (series)

Summer Reading...some interesting books!

This has been a busy summer at the library. I have read some great books and am still reading.
Here are a few of my favorites from this summer...

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair by Elizabeth Laird...17th century Scotland...witch hunts...God Save the King. great characters.
How They Croaked by Georgia Bragg...oodles of gross true tales of how some really famous people died, from Henry VIII turning to ooze and King Tut being autopsied the most times.
Young Fredle by Cynthia Voigt...adventure abound for this kitchen mouse...a little bit of Poppy, a little Terrible Trins.
The Friendship Doll by Kirby Lawson...a great story of a Japanese frienship doll given to the U.S. and how it affected 4 little girls lives over time.
The Silver Bowl by Diane Stanley... Molly is a seer(witch) like her mother...is it a gift? or a curse? In the service of the castle Dethmere, she is in for the adventure she never expected.
Beyonders by Brandon Mull...Jason is a modern kid who falls into another realm...can he do what is truly right and find a way home? The first in a series.

Meeting May 24th 5:30 at Camden Public Library, ME

Don't forget to come into the library and put your name on the MSBA chart and ask Amy for stickers to keep track of your books that you have read! Join us some evening for book club and listen to all the great booktalks from everyone reading from the list. Bring a friend to the meeting. This month we'll be sharing booktalks from the new list! Can't wait to hear what everyone has to say.

I actually just finished a great book...2010 publish date, so not on list, but it was a moving book.
The book was GOOD FORTUNE by Noni Carter and followed an African girl from the time that she was torn from her mother's arms, to being a slave down South, to her fight for freedom and her right to be educated, wherein she gained even more freedom. It was a powerful read!

Vote for your favorite before the end of the month.

Everyone needs to cast their votes for their favorite book from the 2010-2011 list. You must have read at least three books and you can only vote for one of the books you have read. Make sure you either vote at your school or at your local library. You can only vote once. Ask Miss Amy for a voting slip if you need one. I will be sending all of Camden Public Libraries votes in on Wed. next week.

The new list is out and you can find the books in the library. The new bibliography will be posted here soon.

I just finished reading another 2010 published book in consideration for next year's list and it was a quick read and very sweet! It's Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder was a really fun story about a 12 year old girl who's mom is opening a cupcake shop. Her mom struggles with follow through and she helps out a lot, but her one wish is to travel. Will she get the chance, will the shop make it? Read it and find out, plus...by the end I just had to make cupcakes!!! 2 recipes included! Yum!

Book Club will meet in January on the 18th from 5:30-6:30.
I just finished reading The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby

It was an exciting story of three children with intertwined lives and mysteries. I loved the characters and can empathize with each of their dilemas. Set in the early 1800's New York city, it deals with the rich, the poor, the educated and a band of ruthless thieves. Little do they all know, how much they will all come to depend on each other. A fantastic story which is in consideration for next year's list. Let me know what you think if you read it!

Hope Everyone's been reading this summer!

MSBA book club will meet this month on Aug. 24th from 5:30-6:30.
Be ready to booktalk a book on the list! Keep reading!!!