Eleanor is the new girl in town and her wild red hair and patchwork outfits are not helping her blend in. She ends up taking the only seat available to her on the bus, and finds herself sitting next to Park. Park keeps himself separate from the rude jocks on the bus. He loves comic books (although the rest of his family loves sports). Eleanor and Park, both outsiders, sit in awkward silence every day until Park notices that Eleanor is reading his comics over his shoulder. He begins to slide them closer to her side of the seat. And that begins their love story. Their relationship grows gradually--making each other mixed tapes (it's 1986) and discussing X-Men characters--until they both find themselves looking forward to the bus ride more than any other part of the day. Things aren’t easy for them. Eleanor is bullied at school and then goes home to a really scary and abusive family situation. Park’s parents do not approve of Eleanor’s awkward ways. In the end, though, this is a book about two high school kids who just really, really like each other and who believe that they can overcome any obstacle standing in the way of their happiness.
Here’s a very short video clip from the publisher that gives you a feeling for the book.
I highly recommend this book! Try it and let me know if you like it as much as I do.
That’s the day the movie, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” based on the second book in Suzanne Collin’s The Hunger Games trilogy, opens! The sequel picks up where the last film left off with Katniss Everdeen (played by Jennifer Lawrence) winning the 74th annual Hunger Games along with Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). As the couple embarks on their Victory Tour of all the districts, it becomes clear that a revolution is on the brink - with Katniss and Peeta at the center of it.
I loved the first movie and can’t wait for the second one.
The Maine Student Book Award, a joint project of the Maine Library
Association, Maine Association of School Libraries, and Maine Reading
Association, has been around for decades. While most awards for
children’s books are chosen by adults (I mean, what’s up with that,
right?) the Maine Student Book Award is awarded each spring to a book
that kids in grades 4-8 in Maine have chosen by voting. A committee
chooses a list of books, published the previous year. Kids can suggest
books to go on the list. Kids in grades 4-8 read from the list, and
then vote by April 1st.
There
is a display of available titles in the Youth Services Room at the
library. And don’t forget that many are available in Scarborough Public
Library’s very cool Cloud Library, too!
The Cloak Society, by Jeramey Kraatz is a fantasy title on the list.
Like
many kids, Alex isn't sure he wants to continue in the family business
and is struggling to find his own path. Complicating matters: the family
business is super-villainy! His great-grandfather was a founding member
of the Cloak Society, a team of radiation-enhanced bad guys whose
powers range from controlling electricity to super strength and, in
Alex's case, telekinesis. His mother is telepathic, which presents the
ultimate kid nightmare: his mother really can read his mind. On his 12th
birthday, Alex fails in his first field test, a bank robbery. His
powers cannot open the vault and he impulsively does the unthinkable: He
saves Kirbie, a shape-shifting member of The Rangers of Justice,--the
good guys. Even worse, she becomes his friend. And the more time he
spends with her, the more Alex wonders about the world outside of
Cloak—and what, exactly, he's been fighting for.
Check out the other titles on the list for more great books!
