Losing Is Not an Option

This book of short stories is definitely for those who can identify with athletes. From football stories to great track stories, Losing Is Not An Option by Rich Wallace will resonate with readers who have experienced the ups and downs of competing in the athletic world.
In the title story, "Losing is Not an Option", a High School Senior, Ron, is a school track star. He is a long distance runner, and has won honors in Cross Country, but now in the Spring, is competing in track events. Despite distractions, like girls, card games and separated parents, Ron devotes himself to pushing his body every day to increase its endurance and strength. He often recalls his domineering father's words that "losing is not an option," and steps up his efforts to be the best runner he can be. Ron is confident he can win each race he runs until he faces the big state tournament. Self doubts threaten to take control.
Ron wants more than anything to win that State title...will all of his hard work pay off?
The author of Losing is Not an Option, Rich Wallace, seems to know what it takes to make an outstanding athlete. This book is geared toward High School students, but Middle School teens will enjoy it as well. Readers will not be disappointed with the realistic tension created by the characters as they enter high stakes sports contests.

The Pit and the Pendulum and Five Other Tales

The Pit and the Pendulum and Five Other Tales by Edgar Allan Poe

This is a collection of short stories written by one of the most respected authors of horror stories, Edgar Allan Poe. The lead story, "The Pit and the Pendulum", is riveting in its ability to draw in the reader. In the first line of the story, we learn that someone has been sentenced to death by the Spanish Inquisition. The prisoner's hands and feet are bound. When he comes to, he finds himself in a dark dungeon. He is blinded by the blackness, but begins to desperately explore his cell by feeling along the wall and floor. When he trips, he finds his chin hard against a cold slimy surface, but his nose and cheek contact nothing, nothing at all...that is his first inkling that there is a deep, seemingly endless pit in the middle of his dungeon.
Inventive torture is a specialty of the Spanish Inquisition. After the prisoner does not fall into the pit, the jailers need to find another method to torture him to death. When he wakes up next, he finds himself completely bound, lying on a table. The only part of him that can move is his left elbow and hand. The prisoner is extremely hungry and thirsty. He finds a bowl full of meat just within reach of his hand. He begins to eat bits of meat...then he hears rats creeping out of the pit. The rats are horrifying enough,but when he sees a strange pendulum moving back and forth above him, he realizes it is swinging lower toward him with each pass. The pendulum is posed exactly above his heart.
Will the prisoner survive the pit and the pendulum? Will the torturers break his willl to live, or will he lose his sanity to the evil devices of those who conspire against him?
Edgar Allan Poe user a large vocabulary and is fond of making descriptive passages, but this is part of the intrigue and helps set the eerie quality of his stories.
Edgar Allan Poe's stories are classics and will be something you hear about the rest of your life. His stories will haunt you for years to come.

The Giver, Gathering Blue, Messenger

This is one of the most debated book series that I have encountered in my time teaching. However, it also one of the most moving. Never has a book caused more questions, deep thinking, and introspection on the part of the readers as The Giver. This happens every time I read any book in the series; the big life-altering, brain-filling questions take over, accompanied by a great story.

The series begins with The Giver, published in 1993 and winner of the Newbery medal the same year, is set in a future society that, at first, seems perfect. They embrace the idea of Sameness-a plan that has eliminated pain and sadness from the lives of their citizens. However, the citizens have also given up most emotional meaning in the trade. The story beings by following the main character Jonah as he turns twelve and learns about his future career. Jonah inherits the position of "receiver of memories". This is important in case anyone needs help making a decision based on the time before Sameness. While receiving the memories from The Giver, Jonah begins to see the scary truth behind his community, and must decide what to do with this new knowledge.

The next book, Gathering Blue, takes place in a society completely different from the world in The Giver. After her mother's death leaves her an orphan, Kira does not know what her future holds. The Council steps in, and gives her room and board in exchange for repair of the cloak that is worn at the Ruin Song Gathering by the singer. This cloak shows the history of the culture, and Kira realizes that it also holds the future. The title references her need to create blue dye, and create a future that is better for herself and those of her world.

Messenger looks into the future for Matty, a character that has appeared in a supporting role in both The Giver and Gathering Blue. Matty is a messenger for the village he lives in, a village that takes in the outcasts from the surrounding communities and uses them as a way to create a whole community where no one feels unwanted or turned away. Something is changing, and the once welcoming place decides to close its doors to newcomers. Frightened by what this means for him, and his job as messenger, Matty must make one last trip to seek Kira (from The Giver).

Hunger Games

Katniss lives in our world...in the (hopefully) far away future. She lives a tough life in District 12 where she spends most of her time trying to provide for her mother and sister after her father died. She does this by hunting in an area that is forbidden, and she is darn good at it.

Every year, her life takes an even deeper dip on reaping day. This is the day when the government makes each district pay for the uprising against the government years before by selecting two of its children-1 boy, and 1 girl-to participate in The Hunger Games. At District 12's reaping, Prim, Katniss's sister, is called to participate. Katniss quickly volunteers to stand next to Peeta, the baker's son, and participate in her sister's place.

The Game is televised nationwide, and the only way to win is to win over your audience. This isn't Katniss's area of expertise, and she leans on the help of her fashion designer and coach, as well as Peeta to prepare. Unfortunately, when it is revealed that the only way to win is survive-it is kill or be killed, literally- Katniss realizes the only one she should truly depend on is herself.

I think that there are a lot of reasons that I love this book. Again, the kick-butt female character who needs no one, especially not a boy. I also like that it moves quickly, and seems like it could get even the most reluctant reader involved. It has a girl as a main character, but Peeta has quite a large role as well. There is romance, but there is fast-action that focuses on hunting, fighting, and survival. It is not a book for boys, girls, or just young-adults. It has something for everyone.

Read the Time Magazine article at the link below about The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, the sequel.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1919156,00.html

Graceling

Bought for me by my husband, this book quickly became one of my all-time favorites. Always the center of great reviews, this features a fantasy world with strong characters, but none are stronger then Katsa. She is the female lead, who quite frankly, kicks butt. But she hates herself. She is Graced, which means she has a special talent-one that she was born with. This is marked by her eyes being two different colors. For some people, being Graced means they have the ability to predict the weather, or cook a fantastic meal. Unfortunately for Katsa, she is Graced with the ability to kill. Because of this, she is used by her uncle, and kin,g as an assassin. Katsa trudges through her life miserably, until she meets a prince from another kingdom who helps her find another way to live.

I truly can not explain how much I loved this book, with characters that are fully developed and with easy to relate to problems, a plot that sucks you in right away, and a good balance of story and action. I hope that it is open to a sequel that will feature characters that I have grown fond of.

Chasing Lincoln's Killer

Nonfiction is not my thing, usually. When I read a book, I usually am choosing to escape the world that I live in and find a more magical place- which is why I am such a fan of fantasy and sci fi. If more nonfiction were fast-paced and exciting like this story, I would probably enjoy it more!

This book is based on the best-selling adult novel Manhunter, also by James Swanson. Chasing Lincoln's Killer is the story of how John Wilkes Booth organized and carried out the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, and tried to organize the simultaneous murders of other high-ranking members of the government, such as the vice president. It also chronicles the twelve days that Booth dodged the manhunt by hiding in houses of unwitting supporters, barns, and the woods. It also tells of his purpose- to seek revenge on the Union Yanks, and hopefully inspire those that still believes in the Confederacy to rise up and fight again.

I enjoyed the story that was told by this book, and the minor stories that were woven within. I thought it was an interesting way to approach one of the most important events in American history, and liked the way it is told following Booth. A definite nonfiction selection for my book shelf.

The Underland Chronicles

The Underland Chronicles are another example of a series that I wish I had read years ago. I loved The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and that finally convinced me to give them a try.

These books tell the story of Gregor, a boy who has a tough life. Growing up in poverty, Gregor's dad disappeared suddenly, leaving his mother in constant worry and stress to take care of the family. Gregor does his best to help, and one day is assisting with the laundry while watching his baby sister Boots. Suddenly, Boots is gone. Gregor desperatly searches for her, and falls down a very curious tunnel that was hidden behind one of the machines in the laundry room. This tunnel takes him to The Underland, a place deep in the earth where people exist in complete darkness. They live with an uncomfortable truce with giant cockroaches, spiders, and rats. When Gregor and Boots arrive, there is a war brewing. Gregor just wants to get home, but the people in Underland believe that he is the warrior that their prophecies told about, he is forced to stay. Gregor then realizes there are secrets rampant, and some could involve his father's disappearance. He decides to embark on the adventure of a lifetime to save the people he just met.

And so begins Gregor's journies an life in the Underland. Collins does an excellent job creating an alternate world that at first seems creepy, but then grows on the reader. One can only marvel at how Gregor keeps his life together, but he still seems like a very "real" kid. There is action, adventure, and suspense abound in these stories that are very addicting.

Sarah Dessen

I admit, I judge books based on their covers. I know that I am not supposed to, in theory, but I think everyone does to a certain degree. That is why it took so long for me to read any of Sarah Dessen's books. They just seemed so...girly. And I am not a girly girl. So I just bought them for my students who loved them, and didn't really think they were worth my time. Then, I had a student finally talk me into giving one a try- The Truth About Forever. While it isn't my favorite Dessen book, I really enjoyed it. Dessen keeps common themes through her stories, but makes them different enough that each is enjoyable. Each has a romance element, but the focus is more about the main character- a teenage female girl- who is struggling with a problem. The problems are often ones that many of us can identify with: divorce, body images, friends. Check out some of my favorite Dessen books below, and give one a try. I have read them all, and would reccommend most to lovers of realistic fiction.

Just Listen- My absolute favorite Dessen book because it combines a story with music. Annabel was "the girl who has everything; at least that's the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf 's Department Store. This year, she's the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong. Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling. With Owen's help, maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends.


Keeping the Moon- A close second to Just Listen, this is my least favorite book cover. I like the story of individuality and weight issues. Probably some of Dessen's strongest characters are contained in this book...Fifteen-year-old Colie is spending the summer with her eccentric Aunt Mira while her mother travels. Formerly chubby and still insecure, Colie has built a shell around herself. But her summer with her aunt, her aunt's tenant Norman, and her friends at the Last Chance Diner & teaches her some important lessons about friendship and learning to love yourself.


Someone Like You-Maybe the most far-fetched of her stories, this is still a good read. Sad, but the focus on friendship is definitely a plus. Halley has always followed in the wake of her best friend, Scarlett. But when Scarlett learns that her boyfriend has been killed in a motorcycle accident, and that she's carrying his baby, she's devastated. For the first time ever, Scarlett really needs Halley. Though their friendship may be tested by the strain, like a true friendship, it will endure.

The Mortal Instruments Trilogy

This is the story of Clary, a normal fifteen-year-old growing up in New York City accompanied by her best friend Simon. That is, until she witnesses a murder committed, oddly enough, by three other teenagers. She soon discovers the truth behind the group- they are Shadowhunters; warriors specially trained from a young age to fight and kill demons that inhabit our world. The "person" they killed was actually a demon.

The Shadowhunters become interested in Clary. Why can she see them? What is her past? Clary realizes that she doesn't really know about her childhood, or her mom's life before her, but she realizes it too late. Her mom has disappeared, and Clary is attacked by a monster. Without the help of Shadowhunter Jace, Clary would never make it through this journey, and the search for her mom, alive. This creates a bond between the two that they cherish, and hate. It doesn't make Simon too happy either.

I claim this trilogy as my most recent favorite fantasy series. It has everything I loved from the Twilight series- romance and action, as well as an interesting plot that takes place during present day- but in the right proportion. There is a great deal of action, with an underlying storyline of the love-triangle between Clary, Jace, and Simon. There are some parts that are PG-13 in both violence and relationships. However, I do not rate it as more mature then Twilight.

Wendy Mass

I just finished my third book by Wendy Mass- A Mango-Shaped Space. Ms. Sauer recommended it to me, along with a number of students who read it. I have avoided it for the sole reason that I knew part of the plot dealt with the main character's cat Mango. And anyone who knows me as a reader knows I have a tough time handling books dealing with animals, especially because the animals often die, and that just breaks my heart.

I promise that I won't give anything away about Mango, but I will tell you that I have found out that Wendy Mass is a truly gifted author. She does an excellent job presenting characters that are different, but likable. There are no parts in her books where I might think to myself, "This is so not-likely. It almost seems fake." Instead, I catch myself surprised that she handles such odd situations, ones I have not and will not experience, by making them seem like they are everyday problems. Below are the reviews/summaries of three of Mass's books that I have read.

A Mango-Shaped Space: Mia's family, and life, are normal. She lives in a rural area and is the middle child. Her younger brother Zack is a little odd since he keeps track of all the McDonald's hamburgers he's eaten, but everyone loves him anyway. Her teenage sister Beth is kind of snotty, but sweet at heart. Mia, well, she has a secret. Whenever she hears sounds, she sees colors and shapes. For so long, Mia thought everyone was this way. Now she figures she is the only one, she hopes to keep that secret between her and her cat Mango.

I truly loved this story. It was not action-packed, but was very 'real'. While I could put this book down, I know it is a story that will stay with me for a long time.

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life: Jeremy is kind of a chicken. He is afraid to go farther than a few blocks from his house, and really hates surprises. His best friend Lizzie is almost the complete opposite. When Jeremy gets a box that claims to hold the meaning of life, he knows he is going to have to change in order to open it by his 13th birthday. He can not open it without the keys, which are missing, and must enlist Lizzie's help to discover a new side to himself, and find the keys.

I was surprised by how the twists in plot, intriguing themes, and interesting characters really drove this novel and made it an enjoyable read.

Every Soul a Star: Mass uses three very different characters to narrate the story of a total solar eclipse at Camp Moonshadow. Ally, whose family runs and lives at the camp has been preparing for this day for most of her life. Bree, whose family is moving to take over the camp, wants nothing to do with the eclipse. Jack is an underachiever, along for the ride to make up for failing science. These three start off in stereotypical roles, but soon the reader sees glimpses of their true characters.

I was impressed by the seemless plot, even though each chapter was narrated by a different character. I loved how, like all of us, Ally, Jack, and Bree seemed one way- but surprised everyone in the end. If you need one good reason to read this book, you have to get to the description of the eclipse. It is amazing.