Teen Book Club

May 1^st – Teen Book Club – 4:30pm

Discuss the latest in teen lit! This month's book is Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.

When high school student Clay Jenkins receives a box in the mail containing thirteen cassette tapes recorded by his classmate Hannah, who committed suicide, he spends a bewildering and heartbreaking night crisscrossing their town, listening to Hannah's voice recounting the events leading up to her death.

Pick up the book starting April 10^th, then join us for snacks and discussion on May 1^st.

Book Review - The Unspoken by Thomas Fahy

Spooky....

This is the story of six children that were forced to be part of a cult by their parents. If they spoke out against the leader or did anything wrong they were severely punished. The cult leader seemed to know their worst fears. These six children escaped by burning the compound down. However, all of the adults were killed. Once the authorities figured out what had happened, the six children are separated and sent to live with foster parents. After five years they are brought together one of the survivors has died, by drowning, yet his body is found nowhere near water.

This happened to be his biggest fear. When the others meet at his funeral things start to happen, one by one they are killed - in the manner that they feared the most. Someone survived the compound fire, but who? Who is next on the list?This book was very creepy. You do not know what to expect or who to suspect. Very good scary story.

Book Review - Prom Kings and Drama Queens by Dorian Cirrone

Emily Bennett wants to make a big impact during her junior year. She has a lot she wants to accomplish - become editor of the school newspaper, finally get revenge on the Clausen twins for ditching her in junior high and to get Brian Harrington to notice her. Brian Harrington is literally the boy next door, and Emily has had a crush on him ever since his family moved in. When Emily takes a little car ride to find out what mysterious activities Brian and the other basketball players are up to, she winds up getting herself wrapped up in some criminal misadventures. In order to keep her reputation and her criminal record clean, Emily must partner up with her school newspaper rival, Daniel Cummings. In addition to their shared community service duties, Emily and Daniel are forced to work together on a story about the junior prom. All this time with skinny, thrift store shopping Daniel is taking her away from spending quality time with hottie Brian, who it seems, actually LIKES HER.

This is a great, fast-paced romantic read. Set it South Florida, it is a perfect book to read while looking forward to summer days on the beach.

Book Review - The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Helmuth is young when Hitler comes to power in Germany. He is excited and feels that Germany will improve. He is happy to join the Hitler Youth. However things start to change and Helmuth begins to doubt the sincerity of Hitler and his goal for a great Germany. In Nazi Germany it is illegal to listen to foreign radio or read foreign books. You are watched and monitored by the Gestapo. Family members are reporting other family members as enemies of Germany. Innocent people are beaten until they admit to a crime that they didn’t commit. Helmuth can’t stand it and feels the need to do something. He begins to challenge the government, what he does is treasonous. He can be killed for what he does. He takes a stand with dire consequences.

This is an excellent book that is based on a true story. One boy in Hamburg, Germany needed to try to change things. One person can make a difference. It has a little bit of a slow start, but it is all the more compelling because it is based on a true story.

Book Review - Bone by bone by bone - Tony Johnston

This is a great historical fiction that takes a look at the South during the 1950's. At this time, you aren't allowed to be friends with just anyone. You are supposed to associate with people that look like you. David and Malcolm are best friends. They do everything together. They explore their town in Tennessee and just want to be left alone. Everything is fine until David's racist father realizes that the two boys are friends. From that point on, things change. David's father tells David - If Malcolm enters the house, he will kill him. David doesn't understand why it is such an issue. David is white and Malcolm is black. Their friendship upsets many people, including the KKK. People are so threatened by it that they are willing to hurt these two boys - just for being friends. Find out what happens when Malcolm has no choice but to enter David's house. Will he survive?

The book shows how a child's innocence about the world is crushed by those closest to him. How you can be strong enough to change and be different. Excellent story about friendship, family, and doing what is right.

CR@SH!

Crash Friday, April 11th @ 5:30
Cr@sh featuring Nintendo Wii! 
Plus, play games on 2 Gamecubes and Playstation 2!
Bring your own games and controllers so the fun lasts
all night long (no M Rated games, please)
Enjoy Crafts, food, and fun!

Raffle Winner!

Congratulations to Jenna Eliasoph from Carle Place Middle School - the winner of the iPod Shuffle! Way to go Jenna!

Jenna and many others attended our Presidential Election Party on Thursday, April 3rd. We watched a great film called 18 in '08, which is all about the importance of the youth vote in the upcoming presidential election. If you missed the program, but still want to check out the film, it has been added to our circulating collection. Check it out today, and get out and VOTE in 2008!

Book Review - After by Francine Prose

School shootings like those at Columbine and Virginia Tech are terrifying, and the fictional catalyst in this captivating and often frightening book by Francine Prose. A school shooting has occurred at Pleasant Valley High. In the aftermath of the shooting, nearby Central High School hires a grief and crisis counselor, who is hellbent on preventing a similar incident at Central. Slowly, changes are made. First, no one can wear ANYTHING red to school. That includes the red AIDS awareness button that a girl named Stephanie wears to honor her dead brother. And one day Stephanie doesn't return to school. Tom and his friends are worried about the changes, which at first seem to just pose an inconvenience, but take on a more sinister tone as days go by. Daily assemblies, metal detectors, locker searches, random drug testing....every day the students' freedoms are being taken away and school is beginning to feel like a prison. Soon, students are being shipped off to boot camp, supposedly to cure them of their bad behavior before they turn into the next school shooter. But the students never return, and the parents don't seem to mind. In fact, it seems like the daily e-mails from the grief counselor are brainwashing all the parents. Tom realizes he must take action, before he is the next one shipped off.

I thought this book started off a little bit slow, but once you get into it, it is like a roller coaster ride right through the very end. Evil principals, mind control, paranoia--they all make for a great read!

Book Review - Candyfloss by Jacqueline Wilson

Which parent would you choose to live with, your mom or your dad? Really think about, would you want to make that decision? Floss is put in the position of having to choose between living with her mom or her dad. Her parents have been divorced for a while, she was unhappy about it, but it was working out. During the week, Floss lived with her mother and her mother’s new husband, Steve and during the weekend she lived with her father. Floss always wished that her parents would get back together, but the wish dies a terrible death when her mother announces that they will be moving to Australia. Floss will have to leave her father. What makes it worse is that her father does not have the money to visit Floss in Australia. Now here is the decision, live with her mother or father? She decides to live with her father and her mother is crushed.

Now she is dealing with snobby girls at school that are spreading rumors about her. They are saying that her mother has abandoned her. They say that she smells. There are even threats about calling child protective services on her father; that he is not taking care of her properly. So who would you choose? Find out what happens to Floss and her family after she makes her decision. This a great story about a girl dealing with the divorce of her parents.