Mrs. Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

 Can I just say that this was a pure case of judging a book by it's cover (and pictures inside too)! When browsing Barnes and Noble for the newest arrivals, this book caught my attention. The story tells of Jacob, who's lived with his grandfather's tales of extraordinary children and the home run by Mrs. Peregrine, fondly called the Bird, as they stayed in off the coast of Wales (a part of the British Islands for those who need a geography lesson) When Jacob is young he believes the tales his grandfather tells, especially when his grandfather has pictures to prove it. However, as Jacob grows older he start to have his doubts. Jacob's father tells me of his grandfather's life as one of the many children sent away from their parents during World War II. But when Jacob witnesses his grandfathers tragic, horrific death it leaves him even more confused. Was the grandfather telling the truth? The solution, find the island and the Mrs. Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

I certainly don't want to give away the entire plot. The story line is about as odd as the pictures added throughout the book. Did I like the story..... yes, I guess. The story line was weaker than I would like. What kept me reading was finding out how Mr. Rigg's managed to relate the pictures to the story. Would I recommend the book. Yes, to the right person. It was an easy read and would be a good book for those young reluctant readers who enjoy a photo to help the plot.

Social Media saves the Day!

Okay, maybe it actually saved the week. It's been a crazy one with the freak snow storm I wrote about. No electricity in many parts of the town. No school for the last week. No reason to leave the house except for emergencies (It's just too dangerous with all the power lines down)  But, when checking my Facebook page I stopped a small note from Colleen Houck's Tiger's Curse page. She mentioned being at the Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley Massachusetts at 7 o'clock.  She's a couple of towns away from mine. OMG!!! I love the Tiger's Curse series and I knew the newest in the series, "Tiger's Voyage" was due out this week. A quick glance at my watch told me it was already 6:00pm. If I didn't leave soon, I'd miss her. So what did I do? Of course I left a note for my husband then headed out the door!

The weather caused the turnout of people to be very low. Colleen even mentioned her room had been given away. It was an exciting night. Because the turnout was low, we were able to have a great conversation about the books, and her writing experiences. She's such a nice, down-to-earth person. What a great experience!!! Yeah Facebook!

in a Heartbeat

November begins with a unusual New England snow storm which reeked havoc on trees and power lines. School has been canceled for days now and until recently we didn't have power either. The good part of no electronics is it means more time to read. My daughter and I finished one book and are well on our way to finishing the second in just a few days. So what's my choice for this week?

"In a Heartbeat" by Loretta Ellsworth
Scholastic Publishing, ISBN 978545389600

Amelia and Egan are two teenage girls who lives are about to link in ways neither of them imagined.

Eagan is an outgoing, driven young figure skater; determined to push herself to the Olympics. There are secrets in her family that complicate her relationship with her parents, especially with her overbearing "skater-mom" mother. She just received her driver's license, just got a boy friend and wants to experience life a little, much to her mothers dismay.

Amelia's personality and family life is opposite from Egan's. Amelia is quiet and unassuming. Athletics are no longer possible since Amelia received news six years ago that her heart was defective. She is apprehensive about receiving a new heart, knowing that her joy is obtained through the tragedy of another. Amelia is on the heart donor transplant list.

Yes, you are correct if you think you know where this story is heading. Eagan's life is cut short when she falls during a jump at her skating competition. Amelia is to receive Eagan's heart since Eagan checked the organ donor box on her drivers license.

This story is told from alternating viewpoints of Eagan and Amelia. Amelia finds from the moment she wakes up in the hospital that she is carrying more than just the heart of her donor. Amelia starts taking on characteristics of her new donor. Some neurophychologists call this cellular memory, theorizing that memory is not exclusive to brain cells. Eagan's story is told from the fog of the afterlife, she sees her life, both the good part and bad, through memories. Eagan's drive in life and conflicts with her mother pushes Amelia to find her donor's parents and give them closure.

Personally, I found this story to be an excellent YA book. I was interested in the way the author showed the personality of both girls, shaped by their family relationships. The subject of organ donation was also a often overlooked subject for a young adult book. Loretta Ellsworth did a superb job dealing with this subject of young people who have to deal with organ donation and those who lose their lives unexpectedly.

Girl, Stolen by April Henry

Scholastic Publishing

Cheyenne Wilder, a sixteen-year-old girl has just stepped into a nightmare. She's sleeping in the back of her car while her step-mother gets her some medicine for her pneumonia. A strange man gets into the car and starts driving away... with her in the car. Terrifying? Yes! Now add to that situation the fact that Cheyenne is blind. What starts as a car theft turns into a kidnapping scheme when the thieves find out Cheyenne is the daughter of Nike's president.

This story is an excellent choice for middle school readers. It has all the suspense and action most kids enjoy in a good book. I especially liked how April Henry developed Cheyenne's character; explaining how she learned to uses her senses,both physical senses and emotional senses, to survive in a sighted world.

Stolen, by Lucy Christopher.
Gemma is traveling with her parents. While in an airport, the cup of coffee she ordered at the stand is paid for by a stranger, a man called Ty with entrancing blue eyes, a man who pays attention to her. He seems familiar some how...

Ty drugs Gemma and takes her away to the Australian outback to be with him forever. Who is Ty? Why did he decide to kidnap Gemma? Will she be able to escape such an isolated and hostile place? Will she want to?

This book is an amazing book of survival. We learn what happens to a person who has to do what is needed to survive. Fascinating! Definitely, a MUST READ!!

What a great tale of Nicky Flynn and his new dog, Reggie. Nicky has had a rough couple of months. His parents just separated. He just moved to the Boston suburb of Charlestown with his mom. Which means a tiny apartment with no bedroom of his own, a new school. Life can't get much worse. Then his mom brings home a dog. Reggie is a retired seeing eye dog who takes over Nicky life. That's a good thing! With Reggie faithfully at his side through good times and bad. Nicky and Reggie walk through the streets of historic Boston finding the clues to life and finding new friends along the way too

Library Books on the Kindle, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Amazon

Library Books on the Kindle, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Amazon