Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien

Dystopian Fiction makes me giddy.  I just can't devour it quickly enough.

~For those of you wondering, dystopian fiction just means books about a nightmarish world completely unlike our own current world.  Books falling into this genre include The Hunger Games, Matched, The Maze Runner, The Giver, and more.  The Planet of the Apes is a movie that falls into this genre.~

Last night I finished the first book in a series about a scarred sixteen-year-old girl living in a world that used to be known as Canada.

The main character is a strong-willed 16-year-old named Gaia who is a midwife (someone who delivers babies for a living).  Gaia is under order of the government to give three of the infants she delivers each month to the wealthy people living inside of the walls of the city - even if the parents don't want to give away their children.  Gaia, and many others, are forced to live outside of the walls of the city and are envious of those who live the life of privilege inside...but do you really want to live in world where the government sanctions kidnapping?

When the government inside of the city arrests Gaia's mother and father, her world is turned upside down.  When she hears of plans to execute her mom and dad, Gaia knows she has to get inside of the wall to save them...even if it kills her.

I found Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien to be a page turner.  I hope to read Prized, the second novel, this weekend.

(Will be in the library after Spring Break.  Is also in the Book Fair.)

Ashes by Ilsa J Bick

Summary
It could happen tomorrow . . .

An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.
Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP. 

For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.

(Taken from amazon.com.)

Mrs. Lassley's Review
For me the cover says it all. Alex's life has come full circle. Her parents are dead, and she has a incurable brain tumor. She decides to take her parents ashes to Lake Superior one last time, and then disaster strikes. Everything electronic is dead, as well as tons of people. Most of the ones left are changing into nightmares. I was riveted from start to finish of this book. I would label this one as "deliciously creepy". Every student that came up to me while I was read it, got to hear how amazing I thought it was. What is even better....THERE IS GOING TO BE MORE! Ashes is the first book in a trilogy, with Shadows (Book 2) coming out in September. Make sure and pick up this book!
(Guess what...we have to copies on Overdrive!)

Notes from an Accidental Band Geek by Erin Dionne

Summary
Elsie Wyatt is a born French horn player, just like her father and her grandfather before her. In order to qualify for the prestigious summer music camp of her dreams, she must expand her musical horizons and join - gasp! - the marching band. There are no French horns in marching band (what the heck is a mellophone??), but there are some cute boys. And marching band is very different from orchestra: they march, they chant, they . . . cluck? Elsie is not so sure she'll survive, but the new friends she's making and the actual fun she's having will force her to question her dad's expectations and her own musical priorities. (Taken from Amazon.com.)

Mrs. Lassley's Review
After reading the first couple of chapters of this book, I had to put it down and just stare at it. It was like it was written for me, by me, about me. I was that freshman who marched with a mellophone. (Although, I was no where near as good as Elsie.) Everything that I was going through was in this book. So needless to say...I LOVED THIS BOOK! I could relate in so many ways to Elsie. One think that I did struggle with is how she cannot control her mouth. Everything she thinks comes out of her mouth...no matter who she hurts. What makes this book so amazing is that you totally feel for this girl who has never had any real friends except for her French horn. For those of you in band and thinking of going to high school and playing, this book is written for you.

*On a side note, I know that many of our 8th graders are deciding what they want to do in high school. I came from a school that was big. I graduated with 500 students. As an 8th grader, I wanted to continue both my basketball career and my band career in high school. My parents did not know if that is what was best because it was a lot of work, but I was able to do both for all four years in high school. Although basketball was important to me, marching band became a part of my soul. There is that moment when you step on the field that you never forget. If not for an amazing band director who worked with me through practice schedule conflicts, injuries, and just life, I would not have been able to have this amazing experience. Thank you Mr. Mangus for being such an amazing teacher!!!

Reading More Than One Book at a Time...Is it a do or don't?

The answer to the question above is a resounding DO!
As of right now I am reading 4 books; one audio, two library, and one Kindle. Many people worry about starting different books because they might get the characters mixed up. That is a possibility, but follow these guide lines and you should be able to enjoy many books:

• If you can read one using an audio book, please do so. It opens up some great listening.
• Always choose books with very different story lines. Right now the books I am reading are: 1) about a girl who has to join the band, 2) about vampires, 3) about a world where people start changing, and 4) about a girl in space. Very different, and I am not having to worry about keeping them separate.
• Try using different formats. Think about your Kindles, Nooks, hardback library books, and Overdrive.
• If you find yourself get bored with one, try another. If you are still bored with the other book, you do not have to finish reading it. It is not a law that if you start it, you must finish it.
• Do not try to do too many at a time. This is not a contest. The most I would read at a time is 4 or 5.
• If you are not enjoying reading more than 1, STOP! Just reading one book is great!

Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink

Summary
Helen Cartwright has led a very sheltered life. That is until her innocence is shattered one night when she hears her parents being murdered and must escape the fire that burns down her childhood home. She is sent to the house of Darius and Griffin, two brothers that must teach and protect her until she can accept who she is, a member of the Dictata which controls the balance of good and evil. She is now being hunted down by an organization which is led by a boy she used to call a friend. Can she uncover who she really is? Can she accept her new life?
Mrs. Lassley's Review
I was so excited to get this ARC in the mail. (For those of you who do not know, an ARC is an "Advanced Reader's Copy".) I am a huge fan of the Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy, so I have been following Michelle Zink for awhile. Temptation of Angels takes you to where good and evil are fighting, and evil has the upper hand. All Helen wants to do is find out who murdered her parents and seek justice. Although she is very unsure of her abilities, by the end, she realizes she is a lot stronger than she thinks. Add in a double love interest and a lot of action, and Temptation is sure to pull in a strong following.

I feel like a kid on Christmas morning!

I know this is a weird picture for mid February, but let me explain:

Yesterday I got the best stuff in the mail...NEW BOOKS!!! It has been so long since I have received anything like this that I almost did not remember the steps to putting them on the shelves. I had a grin on my face that could be seen all across the school. I am surprised that the whole did not hear my yell of joy. So Spartans come and check out the great new books!!

The other amazing thing going on here at the Spartan Library Blog is that we are going to expand in the department of bloggers. Ms. Lacey Cole, GT teacher, and Ms. Kristy McCoy, tech facilitator, are both avid readers and are going to start posting their reviews on here as well. This is so that you get more bang for your buck so to speak.

Hope you are having a terrific Thursday.
Mrs. Lassley

Great Things in the Library

Last week I posted 3 book reviews which I was so proud of. But, with a crazy library schedule, I have not had much time to read. (I know that many times it is thought the libraian only reads and checks out books, but that is so not the case.) We have had a couple of blogworthy events have happened that I wanted to share: - The book fair crew is working very hard to create a wonderful book fair. Recently I put the fall book fair crew into a contest to win money for the library. Yesterday I got the phone call that WE WON $500 for "Best Use of a Book Fair Crew". This is really exciting. I work with amazing students and this is just the cherry on top. And I get to get more books for the library!!!! -Overdrive has become a big thing here at Stafford. For the past 6 months Stafford has been at the top of the list for most checkouts on Overdrive. This is amazing. So many students are going to Overdrive to get books to read. I love it!! Just another great thing happening at Stafford Library111 If you are interested in Overdrive, please let me know!

Fun Things in the Library

Although you will never see me dancing on the tables, I hope that you enough the library this much!!!!

The Future of Us

I am going to do something a little different for this review. I fell in love with this book. I had been hearing about it on other blogs and even saw it advertised in my Entertainment Weekly. Mrs. McCoy, our tech facilitator, had checked it out from the Frisco Public Library and told me I had to read it. Two days later, I was done and wanted more! Instead of me telling you about the book, I found a video of the two authors, Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler, discussing the book. Who better to tell you about a book then the authors!!!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m2QQZ6TOY1YY5H/ref=ent_fb_link


I plan on getting this book for Stafford on Monday and it will be in the system by the end of the week.
Happy Reading!