Acceleration by Graham McNamee

Just suppose you worked in the Chicago Subway System Lost and Found. Its a boring place to be sure, almost no one goes there to retrieve their lost belongings. Maybe you would get bored and start looking through the stuff. A black leather diary might seem interesting. If you read it, you would discover that it contained detailed descriptions of brutal animal mutilations, huge fires, and maybe plans for a murder. A little research at the library might confirm that the fires and animal mutilations were real... Could you stop the murder? Would you put yourself in danger to do it?
JDW 10/26/04

How I Found the Strong by Margaret McMullan

This book is a novel that is true during the Civil War in the United States. It takes place in Mississippi where the war took harsh measures. In this book, we find a family of two boys, and a father, mother, & grandfather. The older brother gets killed in the War, & the Dad is wounded badly, but makes it home. The grandfather leaves the house one day without a trace, & never returns. This leave the son, and the black slave to do the chores on the farm.

This book reminded me of the hardships of families left behind to survive, while the father's, & brothers fought a difficult war . Their was no T.V. coverage, or computer's to send E-mails to the family members. So familes at home had to be strong in their faith, & believe their men at war would return. The Mother of the house made due with what was able to eat. The mother got potato skins, and made soup with it that was hardly edible. They made their shoes out of burlap so as not to go barefoot. The mattresses of their beds were corn husks, and that was comfortable to the family.

The living conditions during that era were very difficult to many families. But people during the Civil War made due with what they had, and went on with their lives. Life of course was not for fame, and fortune but survival was the people's focus.


L.D.

The History of NationsMexico Ed.Adriane Ruggiero

The country of Mexico is a rich culture,& unusual history, & civilizations. Many native Indian groups were developing before Mexico gained it's independance from Spain. Mexico was under Spanish rule till 1821. The interesting fact is that Hernan Cortez the Spanish conquerer of Mexico arrived on Mexican soil in 1519, & returned to Mexico in 1521 better prepared.

I would like to present to the reader the Maya Civilization that were people who never were unified in their politics. The Mayans were advanced in sports. They had ball courts way back then. Mayans were cruel too, they took their enemies for sacrifices to their gods. The Mayans believed the supernatural guided their lifes.

The Mexican people are a mixed race, & Mexico has a population of 8 million. Many people are illiterate because poverty runs rampart. The country was under a dictorship party for 40 years. The Mexican people voted recently for President Vincent Fox, & let us hope he will run the affairs democratically.

This book is fantastic, & I do not have have time to go deeper into this History of Mexico. I have lived in Mexico.

L.D.

Confessions of a not it Girl

The last year of High School never has been easy, besides all the applications for the Universities have piled up on the desk of Jan Miller. She is a teenager from New York, who goes to a private school, trying to live through her first love and having a a bad impression of her body.

The story involves us in a world of any teenager; her doubts, worries, anxieties, fears, etc.. In a light, fresh and funny way.


L.M.

Confessions of a Not It Girl

El ultimo ano de secundaria nunca ha sido facil, menos con todas las aplicaciones para la universidad amontonadas en el escritorio de Jan Miller, una adolescente de Nueva York que asiste a una escuela privada, tratando de vivir su primer amor y teniendo un mal concepto de su apariencia pesonal...
El desarrollo de la historia nos envuelve en el mundo de cualquier adolescente: sus dudas, preocupaciones, ansiedades, temores, etc. , de una manera alegre, fresca y liviana.

L.M.

Godless - Pete Hautman

What would you do if one day you decided that you wanted to start your own religion? Well that is what Jason Bock does. The object of their worship is the town water tower, and the name of his religion is Chutengodians. He recruits an unlikely group that consists of his snail-farming best friend Shin, cute-as-a-button Magda Price, and the violent and unpredictable Henry Stagg. When they decide to hold their first service on the top of the water tower it does not go as planned. Shin is afraid of heights and does not join them, and Henry is hurt when he falls of the water tower onto the catwalk. And worst off they get caught in the middle of the night. After the service Jason finds himself questioning who and what God is. His followers turn their backs on him, and blame him for what has happened. He then realizes that inventing a religion is easier than controlling it. If you have questioned religion, or have considered starting one of your own this is one book for you to read. It is harder to invent a religion than to be a part of one.

Tom Burnham

ABE Readers + Read for a Lifetime Readers

High school students living in Our library district can participate in both of these state reading programs here. We have the lists and the ballots. Registration deadline for lifetime is October 27th so hurry. Meet to talk about the books on the lists Tuesday in the teen department anytime between 5 and 8.
Ask for Joyce.

Sonny's House of Spies

Its a hot hot summer in the 1950's and Sonny will be starting high school in the fall. He has begun wondering about things in ways he never wondered before. Why did his Daddy vanish 7-years-ago? Why did Uncle Marty have a letter from daddy hidden in a drawer in the donut shop? Was he in love with Nissa the beautiful light skinned negro daughter of the his family's maid? Why were Mamby and othe blacks treated so unjustly? He suffers from nightmares and in daytime when thoughts and feelings get intense he faints. There are plenty of funny momments in this story like Sonny trying to explain about Men, Women, and babies to his 7-year-old brother and his relationship with his older wilder irreverent sister. She's exactly the kind of sister I would have liked to have had!


JDW