Thursday, September 14, 2006

I'm back.

It's not that I haven't been reading. I have. It's getting near a computer without people "helping" me. So here's what I looked at last night:

Klise and Klise, Regarding the Bathrooms. I was so excited my the abstract, which read something like "A middle school principal's bathroom renovations uncover stolen Roman antiquities". However, the book was far, far too cutesy, with every name being something like Mack Rell and Hugh Dunnit. I wanted to gag. It also abused fonts-- it was graphically confusing and was hard to follow the plot. Sigh.

Craig, Joe. Jimmy Choates: Assassin?. So good. A boy is the target of kidnappers because he is a genetically engineered person being raised by spies. In the English tradition of Stormbreaker, a chase a minute. Loved it. Ordering two copies.

Revkin, Andrew C. The North Pole Was Here. One of those nonfiction books that make my wonder "Why?" Why would we market something to middle school students that is largely excerpts of articles from the New York Times? Interesting in some degree, but not well done.

Frank, E.R. Wrecked. Gripping tale of a girl who may or may not have caused the accident that killed her brother's girlfriend. All the post traumatics. Don't think I'll buy it-- people don't ask for car wreck books, and if they do I already have a bunch. But good.

Potter, Ellen. Pish Posh. Great fun, and I need some new mysteries. The girls will love this light hearted look at celebrity.

Didn't read all of the following, since they didn't do much for me:

Freeman, Martha. Who Stole Halloween? Too young for middle shool

Miller, Sarah. Inside the Mind of Gideon Rayburn. Conusing, and thank you for using the f-word on page 5 so I could stop reading.

Banks, Steven. King od the Creeps. Too whiny, and I don't think the boys would think it funny enough to pick up.

Fisher, Catherine. The Oracle Betrayed. Fantasy, but the kind that after the first chapter I will go and scrub toilets because otherwise I will claw my eyes out rather than put up with the world that's being created.

Whew. Enough for now!