Book Review: Croak by Gina Damico

Croak is an amazing book by Gina Damico. This book makes you wish it was real, and if it couldn't be real, then let it be a movie or TV show.

In Croak the main character Lex is someone who most girls wish they could be; smart, edgy, cool and she doesn't take any bull crap from anyone. As far as romance goes, this book is not lacking.

These are troubled times, and suspicion rises, but there are still people who believe in Lex. This book makes you hope that there will be a place where kids with discipline problems will be wanted, even needed, and understood. Lex is one of those kids and she has the power to transport your soul. Knowing her problems, would you let her transfer yours?

I say, "Let's go misfits!" If you want a little trouble in your life, you need to read Croak by Gina Damico!
**Review by Iyanna**

More About Croak:

Fed up with her wild behavior, sixteen-year-old Lex's parents ship her off to upstate New York to live with her Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping that a few months of dirty farm work will whip her back into shape.

But Uncle Mort's true occupation is much dirtier than shoveling manure. He's a Grim Reaper. And he's going to teach Lex the family business.

She quickly assimilates into the peculiar world of Croak, a town populated by reapers who deliver souls from this life to the next. But Lex can't stop her desire for justice - or is it vengeance? - whenever she encounters a murder victim, craving to stop the attackers before they can strike again.

Will she ditch Croak and go rogue with her reaper skills?

More About Gina Damico: 

I grew up under four feet of snow in Syracuse, New York. I received a degree in theater and sociology from Boston College, where I was active with the Committee for Creative Enactments, a murder mystery improv comedy troupe that may or may not have sparked my interest in wildly improbably bloodshed. I have since worked as a tour guide, transcriptionist, theater house manager, scenic artist, movie extra, office troll, retail monkey, yarn hawker, and breadmonger. I live in Boston with my husband, two cats, and a closet full of black hoodies. (From Damico's website)



 

Rate Your (book) Date!

During February we ran a fun event called Blind Date with a Book and many students took a leap of faith and grabbed a book without knowing what it was about at all! Part of the program was that if you went on a date and wrote a mini-review you got to pick a book off the free book shelves. I was pleased to get several reviews back! Here are a few snippets:

The Fairy Ring
By: Mary Losure

Frances was nine when she first saw the fairies. They were tiny men, dressed all in green. Nobody but Frances saw them, so her cousin Elsie painted paper fairies and took photographs of them "dancing" around Frances to make the grown-ups stop teasing. The girls promised each other they would never, ever tell that the photos weren’t real. But how were Frances and Elsie supposed to know that their photographs would fall into the hands of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle? And who would have dreamed that the man who created the famous detective Sherlock Holmes believed ardently in fairies — and wanted very much to see one? Mary Losure presents this enthralling true story as a fanciful narrative featuring the original Cottingley fairy photos and previously unpublished drawings and images from the family’s archives. A delight for everyone with a fondness for fairies, and for anyone who has ever started something that spun out of control.

Rate you date!  "Sad, beautiful yet complex. At first I thought it was just another fairy story, but when I read it I was inspired by the two girls."

Dear Blue Sky
By: Mary Sullivan

A timely, eye-opening novel showing how war affects families on both sides

Ever since her brother Sef left for Iraq, Cassie has felt like her life is falling apart. Her parents are fighting over her brother having gone to war. Her smart, beautiful sister is messing up. Her little brother, who has Down syndrome, is pretending he's a Marine. And her best friend no longer has time for her. In her loneliness Cassie turns to a surprising source of comfort: Blue Sky, an Iraqi girl she meets through her blog. The girls begin a correspondence and Cassie learns that when Blue Sky says "I want my life back," she means something profound, as she can no longer venture out in her destroyed city. Cassie takes strength from Blue Sky's courage and is inspired to stop running away from the pain, and to reclaim her life. (from goodreads.com)

Rate your Date!  "The story is about a modern day war in Iraq. The girl's family is falling apart but she finds out about Blue Sky. It is a good story."

Go On a Blind Date with a Book

It's almost Valentine's Day and here at the library we are celebrating by going on a blind date... with a book. Stop by any time this week to take a chance on one of our new titles. You won't know exactly what book you are picking up, but we've given you a little snippet on the cover to catch your attention. If you take out a book on a blind date and return it with a mini- review, you can pick out a book to keep off of the Freebie shelf.

So...

Take a chance,

Take a look,

You may just find,

Your perfect book!

Feature of the Week

We have been getting some great new books in and this week we are featuring 2 of my favorites. Archvillain and Archvillain 2: The Mad Mask by Barry Lyga.

Archvillain-

Kyle Camden knows exactly where he was the night Mighty Mike arrived: sneaking around the fallow field behind Bouring Middle School, preparing one of his most ingenious pranks yet.

Which is why he couldn't tell anyone where he was. Or what he saw.

Those lights everyone saw in the sky weren't tiny meteors burning up in the atmosphere. They were some kind of strange, supercooled plasma that bathed the entire field - including Kyle - in alien energies

Archvillain 2: The Mad Mask-

Things haven't been going well for Kyle since Mighty Mike became the new town hero. He's pretty sure he could fix this disaster if he could expose Mike's secret (he's an alien), but to do that Kyle would have to admit he is the Azure Avenger -- the unintentional town archvillain.

One night a new masked hero, aptly named the Mad Mask, arrives, boasting to the Azure Avenger of an off-the-charts IQ and superior superpowers. Yet the Mad Mask has come seeking intellectual assistance in building Ultitron (the robot of all robots). In exchange he offers to allow the Azure Avenger to use the awesome Ultitron to rid the world, or at least Bouring, of Mighty Mike. Forging alliances isn't usually Kyle's style, but it seems he has no choice. While Kyle agrees to help, he also has another plan: finding out who the Mad Mask is and how he got his powers. Because the last thing the Azure Avenger needs is another mindless archvillain hanging around town!

Stop in the library today to check out these, and all of our other great new books!

Feature of the Week

It's been a few weeks since our last feature- but the first book orders are in and it's time to show off! This week we have a great pair of books that just came in, and, as an extra bonus, I also have an ARC of the third book of the series... and it could be yours. First check out this awesome series.

 

The Fourth Stall

By: Chris Rylander

Author Website

Do you need something? Mac can get it for you. It's what he does—he and his best friend and business manager, Vince. Their methods might sometimes run afoul of the law, or at least the school code of conduct, but if you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can pay him, Mac is on your side. His office is located in the East Wing boys' bathroom, fourth stall from the high window. And business is booming.

Or at least it was, until one particular Monday. It starts with a third grader in need of protection. And before this ordeal is over, it's going to involve a legendary high school crime boss named Staples, an intramural gambling ring, a graffiti ninja, the nine most dangerous bullies in school, and the first Chicago Cubs World Series game in almost seventy years. And that's just the beginning. Mac and Vince soon realize that the trouble with solving everyone else's problems is that there's no one left to solve yours.

The Fourth Stall Part II

The life of crime is good.Mac has taken down legendary high school crime boss Staples, business has been booming, and Mac and Vince are getting ready for middle school baseball tryouts. But this can't last. Mac has always tried to keep his friends close and his enemies closer. But what happens when you can't tell the difference?

This dilemma walks into the fourth stall in the form of Trixie Von Parkway--an eighth grader with a mean look and an even meaner predicament. The new science teacher is terrorizing her, and she needs Mac to get him off her back. Seems simple enough, but as Mac starts to dig deeper, he finds even more trouble brewing at his school, including a new administrator bent on destroying his business, and indications that Trixie isn't who she claims to be. In the past, the worst thing that could have happened to Mac was that he might lose a little money, maybe catch a beating. In The Fourth Stall Part II, though, there's going to be much more on the line than that.

Sounds good, right?!  If this series seems like it's up your alley, then I have a deal for you. I have a copy of The Fourth Stall Part III  just waiting to be read. If you read the first two and want more (which you will), then you can have first dibs on Part III. There's only one little catch... you have to review the book. Either for the Student recommendation wall or for the website, your choice, but you have to let us all know what you think. 

Stop into the library to find out more! 

***********************************

Thank you to Kellie at Walden Pond Press for the ARC of The Fourth Stall Part III!  

A Call for Reviewers

Love reading? I want to hear from you. If you are interested in writing reviews to be posted on the blog please see Ms. Taddeo for more information.

5th Graders Geek the Library

Before Christmas break the 5th graders worked on an awesome project that was a spin off of the Geek the Library program.


For those of you unfamiliar with Geek the Library, check out their website! The program is a fabulous one that helps to show support for local libraries by highlighting all the awesome things you can learn and do at the library. Geek Skiing? There's a book for that. Doctor Who more your style? There's a book or movie for that too. From resources to programs and events, libraries do it all, which is why I Geek the Library.

So how did I tweak this program for my 5th graders? Well, it was pretty easy, I went to a seminar a few years ago at NYLA by Buffy Hamilton and she highlighted how she implemented the program in her library. This was 2 years ago and I was really excited to get to take her idea and my kids and make it happen!

For our project the kids were working on using our online catalog system. What better way to get that done then by looking up what we geek?! To start students had to brainstorm what they geek. What they love so much they can't help but be a nerd about it. We had some great topics- everything from Superman to Knitting made the list. Next the kids had to look up that topic in the catalog to see what kind of resources we had available. They needed to make note of the title, author and call number and whether or not the resource was currently available in the library. Lastly, they each made a poster about what they geek, including all the resource information so that other people can check out not only what everyone geeks, but the resources we have to offer. It was great seeing the kids share their passions and find common ground with classmates they may not have talked with before.

It was a fun project and I'll definitely miss the 5th graders as they head back to their home school for the Spring semester!


________________________________
For more about Buffy Hamilton and all of her amazing ideas and programs check out her twitter page. I for one can't wait to see what she does in her new position at the Cleveland Public Library. She's given me more great ideas then I can count already, and I can't wait to see what's next!

A little Holday decorating at the Library!

Now that December's here it's seems like we are finally settling into a routing with Library Club... just in time for the holiday's and another vacation! This week we had almost 40 kids from all four grades come into the library to eat lunch and work on projects. 

kids got to pick from three choices: 

Series Signage had students designing posters to hang in our series section highlighting some of the great books we have to offer. Their artistry is pretty amazing and I especially love the posters that really reflect the books they are representing! 

Library Club Picks got the kids started on mini-reviews of books they love which will then be showcased all over the library. 

By far the favorite choice was the book tree! I was so impressed at how well everyone worked as a group to design and build the book tree. I gave them a few pointers (build big to little, keep thickness of books the same and put the spines facing out) and they were off an running. It was great to watch everyone come together, troubleshoot and get it built! My favorite part was watching the students find the perfect topper. I think their pick is awesome!

Stay tuned for updates on feature of the month and a glimpse at the great Series Signage these kids are creating!

And the Winner Is....

Well, the elections were a huge success with every student in the school getting a chance to come down and vote for President as well as for the new Lincoln Loot design.

For President: Winning with just over 93% of the vote...

Obama was in front all day so it was no surprise when we announced him as our winner!

Our other vote was for the very important Lincoln Loot design. Students had a chance to submit their designs and then the entire student body voted for which design they wanted to use.  Our winning design won with just about 60% of the vote!

Look out in the next few weeks as student can begin earning some loot by showing off their knowledge of the Lincoln Lifeskills!

Next week is Thanksgiving Break- I hope everyone has a great one and we'll see you back her after the holiday!

Lincoln Middle School Elections!

The results are rolling in! PRESIDENTIAL RACE LINCOLN LOOT

Author of the Week

I've found that when I only feature one book they fly off the shelf so fast that by the time day 2 of the week rolls around there are non left to feature... so instead of featuring just one book each week, the library will be featuring an author. 

This week's author of the week is.... 

Joseph Bruchac! 

He is one of my favorite writers and we have some great Bruchac books in the library.

 Bearwalker

As a member of the Mohawk Bear Clan, Baron has always been fascinated by bears--their gentle strength and untamed power. But the Bearwalker legend, passed down by his ancestors, tells of a different kind of creature--a terrible mix of human and animal that looks like a bear but is really a bloodthirsty monster. The tale never seemed to be more than a scary story. Until now.

During a class camping trip deep in the Adirondacks, Baron comes face-to-face with an evil being that is all too real. Although he knows how the story ends in the legend, Baron must overcome this Bearwalker on his own terms (from goodreads.com)

 Skeleton Man (and the Return of Skeleton Man)

Ever since the morning Molly woke up to find that her parents hadvanished, her life has become filled with terrible questions. Where have her parents gone? Who is this spooky old man who's taken her to live with him, claiming to be her great-uncle? Why does he never eat, and why does he lock her in her room at night? What are her dreams of the Skeleton Man trying to tell her? There's one thing Molly does know. She needs to find some answers before it's too late.

(from goodreads.com)

Code Talkers

After being taught in a boarding school run by whites that Navajo is a useless language, Ned Begay and other Navajo men are recruited by the Marines to become Code Talkers, sending messages during World War II in their native tongue.

(from goodreads.com) 

These are just three of the Bruchac titles we have in the library! If you want to learn more about Bruchac and his books check out his website here.

National Bullying Prevention Month

I came across a video this morning from Simon & Schuster this morning and it was too good not to share. Check out what some of our favorite authors have to say about bullying.



Remember, everyone deserves respect. Everyone.

Week of October 9th

Welcome back to the library after a long holiday weekend. We are jumping in head first and starting the week off with our first Library Club meeting. Today we will be creating posters for Teen Read Week which starts on Monday. The theme of Teen Read Week is "It came from the Library" and reminds me of those great old horror movies. We'll spend time today brainstorming some good scenes and getting some pictures to use in our posters. I can't wait to see how it all turns out!

As we start to gear up for Teen Read Week, we are also winding down from Banned Books Week. While we didn't have a huge event here in the library we did spend some time talking about what it means to be banned and challenged and some of the reason why this occurs. Thanks to a fellow librarian in the district I'm able to share this great infographic from Cal Poly. It gives a great interactive look at banned books, and even lets you see how many of the top 100 banned books you've read! (I've read 48. Not to shabby). You can check out the infographic here:

A few programming notes: 

The library will be closed the rest of the week for SRI testing. We will be back to our normal schedule next Tuesday.

Library Club will meet on the following dates in October. Tuesdays 10/9, 10/16 and 10/23

Have a great week back at school!

Welcome to October

It's October and that means Fall is in full swing! Library club and library helpers will be starting up this week, so listen up for the announcement and then stop in to sign up. I've got some fun stuff planned, starting with getting the library ready for Teen Read Week. So if you've ever wanted to help out in the library, learn to make awesome posters and maybe a video or two, then Library might be for you!

Book of the Week:
Since this is October and the most fun holiday of the year happens to be in October, this month I'll be featuring all our best creepy stories. This week we are starting with one of my favorite authors, Neil Gaiman, and we are featuring not one, but three of his books!

Coraline


Coraline's often wondered what's behind the locked door in the drawing room. It reveals only a brick wall when she finally opens it, but when she tries again later, a passageway mysteriously appears. Coraline is surprised to find a flat decorated exactly like her own, but strangely different. And when she finds her "other" parents in this alternate world, they are much more interesting despite their creepy black button eyes. When they make it clear, however, that they want to make her theirs forever, Coraline begins a nightmarish game to rescue her real parents and three children imprisoned in a mirror. With only a bored-through stone and an aloof cat to help, Coraline confronts this harrowing task of escaping these monstrous creatures.

 The Graveyard Book

After the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own.

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family . . . 

The Wolves in the Walls


Lucy hears sneaking, creeping,
crumpling noises
coming from inside
the walls.

She is sure there are
wolves living in
the walls
of her house.

September 24th- End of the Month and Open House

The end of September is almost here and everywhere we are starting to see signs of fall. The leaves are turning, fall sports are heating up and events are starting to get scheduled here in the library. This week we have open house on Tuesday at 6:00 and starting next week students can sign up to be library helpers. I've got some great ideas for the library, but I can't wait to hear what your ideas are! So if you are interested in helping out in the library, keep an ear out for the announcements next week and then stop by the library to sign up! 

Book of the Week:

This week's book is another one I stumbled across in my office. I have to say, I sat down and read through it cover to cover. It's an awesomely fun book that lets you really interact with the story! 

The Secrets of Deltora by Emily Rodda

Uncover the secrets behind the legends in a lavishly illustrated new addition to the hugely successful Deltora series.

A book for old and new fans of the popular Deltora Quest series, this travel guide is told from the perspective of Doran the Dragonlover, the greatest Deltoran explorer ever and a friend of the dragons. Readers will travel with Doran through the seven gem territories, learning the secrets of Deltora-from its many dangers to its special places and magical creatures (from goodreads.com)

Check out this great book or one of our other books featuring Dragons.

Week Three!

Welcome to week three at Lincoln Library! The library is now fully open and classes are being scheduled throughout the day. Stop in to browse for a new book, check out the new magazines that are coming in every day or to use the computers. If you need help with anything, all you have to do is ask! 

I came across a great article today about Common Core and the Library. It does a great job of highlighting what the library can do in terms of supporting the classroom curriculum and get kids the access they need to be successful. I'm still learning the ropes (and figuring out where everything is!), but if you'd like to collaborate I'd love to work with you! If you have projects coming up and would like me to start looking at what resources we have and what resources we need, let me know. 

Book of the Week:

This week we have not just one book to highlight, but an entire series! While looking through the office I stumbled across a great series by Jon Scieszska, The Time Warp Trio. I have several of the books and they have awesome titles like: It's All Greek to Me and Your Mother was a Neanderthal. these are not new books, but they are new to me (and you) and are worth a look! Admittedly I wanted to start reading several of them right away, but instead I'm putting them out for all of you. Make sure you check out the display of Time Warp Trio books when you stop into the library this week!

A little taste of what you might find....

 The Knights of the Kitchen Table

What would happen if three regular kids from Brooklyn got a mysterious blue Book with silver designs that could transport them anywhere in time or space? What if these three guys met up with King Arthur, the knights of the Round Table, Merlin the magician, one burping and gas-leaking giant, and a fire-breathing dragon? The Time Warp Trio series would happen. (from Jon Scieska's website)

Your Mother was a Neanderthal

The good news about the Stone Age is that there are no homework assignments or tests. The bad news is that there are hungry saber-toothed tigers, rampaging wooly mammoths, a tribe of cavemen who love rotten meat, and a tribe of cave women who look like they are getting ready to sacrifice the Time Warp Trio. If this book costs $14.99 in hardcover, $4.99 in paperback, and there are 3 members in a trio, would you do your math homework if you were a wooly mammoth?

Welcome to week two!

It's week two and the library is officially open for business! Students are welcome to come in and take out books and teachers can start signing up to reserve the library.

Love Graphic Novels? Adventure? Monsters? I want to hear from all of you! There is a suggestion box on my desk. If you are looking for a specific book and we don't have it, let me know. If you've finished every book by an author that we have and you want more- tell me about it! If you simply can't get enough books about dinosaurs, suggest I buy some more. I want to know what you guys like to read, so stick your suggestions in the box and when it comes to book ordering time I'll do my best to get the books that you guys want to see!

Book of the week:

Variant
By Robison Wells

This is another fantastically creepy book. It's full of twists and turns and by the end you're not sure who you should be rooting for! I know that when I read I try to figure it all out before the end, and this is one of the few books that when I got to the last page I was totally wrong! It's a wild ride that will leave you wanting more... which is good, because the second book in the series, Feedback, comes out next month and I've got it on my list for the library!

More about Variant:
Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.

He was wrong.

Now he's trapped in a school that's surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive.

Where breaking the rules equals death.

But when Benson stumbles upon the school's real secret, he realizes that playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape--his only real hope for survival--may be impossible.

Day One!

Happy First Day of school! Things are kicking off here in the library with orientation. If you would like to bring your class down to see the library, and play a game or two, please contact me to schedule a time. The library schedule is posted to the right in the calendar if you want to look ahead to see when it is available.

We have some great books ready to be loaned out, including Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver. She is one of my favorite authors and this book is a great read! For my 5th graders who said they love book with magic and adventure, this might be the one for you.

Want to know more?

Liesl & Po
By Lauren Oliver

Summary:

Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice,until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone.

That same night, an alchemist's apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable.

Will's mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey. (from Goodreads.com)

Welcome!

Welcome to the new library blog at Lincoln Middle School. I am the new librarian, Ms. Taddeo, and I am really looking forward to meeting and working with everyone this year!

On this page you will be able to see the library calendar, check out upcoming events and projects, see what's new and exciting in the library and browse through online resources.

Stop into the library to talk about projects, books, resources or to schedule library time. Or stop in just to relax and read!

Check back here to see what's new, I will be updating often with new posts and resources. If you have content you think would fit in here on the site, feel free to contact me.

I look forward to meeting everyone soon.

~ Ms. T