Things I read half of...

Because it's been that kind of week/month/year. Life.

Frost, Helen. Hidden.
From the Publisher: "Years after Darra Monson's father stole a minivan with Wren Abbott hiding in the back, the girls come face to face at summer camp and together they try to work through what happened to them and the impact it had on their lives. "
Usually adores Frost's work even though I generally dislike novels in verse. Frost is a master of form and poetic device. Keesha's House and Spinning Through the Universe should be read by everyone attempting a novel in verse so they can see how it's done. However, the poetry in this one didn't blow me away. While the plot line is stronger than the other previously mentioned works, it was also creepy. Usually, I give creepy things to Picky Reader and she loves them, but there was just something about the story that didn't work for her, either.


Napoli, Donna Jo. Lights on the Nile.
From the Publisher: "Kepi, a young girl who was content staying at home helping her father who was wounded while building a pyramid for the pharaoh Khufu, is kidnapped along with her baboon, Babu, and taken to the capital city, where she is separated from Babu, sets out to find him and appeal to the pharaoh, and discovers she has powers she never knew about."

Again, an author I adore. Spinners, Zel, Stones in Water, The King of Mulberry Street-- all awesome. The 6th grade does a unit on Ancient Egypt, and this did have great descriptions of every day life (Napoli always does very thorough research). I also have more students who are interested in books about animals, but the pet baboon didn't do anything for me, and the veering into the fairy kingdom was a bit confusing. I already bought this-- we'll see how it circulates.


Jolley, Dan and O.T. Nelson. The Girl Who Owned the City.
Coming out in spring 2012 from Graphic Universe.
The reason I read half of this was because I had it on the Nook and the words were all in 8 point font! This 1975 post-apocalyptic novel still does very well in my library, and I was surprised to see this graphic treatment. Jolley did the Warriors manga adaptations, which are quite nice, and this seemed like a good reworking. I prefer to buy graphic novels that have regular novel tie ins as a sneaky way to entice children to read, so I'll buy this one if I can.

Cooper, Rose. Gossip From the Girls' Room, Rumors From the Boys' Room.

*Sigh*. Wimpy Kid. Dork Diaries. Big Nate. My Life as a Book. I get that the students like to... page through them. I just don't fully credit that they are reading them. This is another hand lettered look novel with pictures. I had trouble believing the premise from the first (From Booklist review) "Sophia becomes determined to use her anonymous school blog to post gossip about the popular kids in hopes that at least her blog will find popularity." Really? What school hosts anonymous blogs for their students? And the whole gossip and rumor spreading... sigh. These would circulate well. Just have to see.