Started out thinking this would be for my students, but since I review a lot of books I don't purchase, I have rethought why I do this, and it is so that other librarians can have a heads up on what new books to take a look at, and what older books may be languishing on their shelves.
I buy about 600 books a year. About 100 are nonfiction, another 100 replacements, so that only leaves about 400. Some of these come from thrift stores, and if I am paying 25 cents, I'm not nearly as picky. Still, I read far more than I can buy. If I can't be enthusiastic about handing it to a student, it will sit on the shelves unless it is something very popular. I do buy things if there are a lot of requests, hence the new R.L. Stine books.
Four books I picked up at the library this weekend didn't thrill me. Perfectly fine stuff (obviously, I checked them out), but just not a good fit. These include:
Wright, Bil. When the Black Girl Sings. Started off with a naked, uncomfortable locker room scene and continued with other uncomfortable scenes not entirely related to the theme of an African American girl adopted by white parents, who discovers gospel. Maybe for high school.
Colfer, Eoin. Airman. Loved The Wish List and The Supernaturalists, and certainly the Artemis Fowl series circulates well, but I couldn't warm to this. It's historical fiction that may have some fantasy, but I couldn't quite tell. It starts off with a lengthy tale of the protagonist's birth.
Luper, Eric. The Big Slick. Looked to be a good book about gambling, but turned out to be too old.
Marks, Graham. Omega Place. An interesting premise-- underground group of teens destroying CCTV cameras all over London because the government is using them for evil. Starts off with a shocker and flashes back. Enough action and adventure-- a little language. I may think about this one again, but something just didn't click.
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