Showing posts with label Fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fantasy. Show all posts

Monday, February 10, 2014

The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was written by Douglas Adams and is a work of non-fiction. I have read many wonderful books in the past and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is the kind of book I enjoy. 

It is a well-crafted sci-fi story about a man named Arthur Dent who is sort of depressed with the nonsense of his life. He gets taken off the earth after the world’s apocalypse and put into an intergalactic adventure on a spaceship called the “Heart of Gold”. He goes on this adventure that takes him through such an uncomfortably absurd universe. 

There are others on his quest with him, including a friend of his who was secretly an alien living on earth for 15 years before the apocalypse. Also on the adventure were a woman Arthur met at a cocktail party, although he never got fully acquainted with her and a man with his eyes set on traveling through the universe. 

The adventure is set on such an excellent scale. It sometimes has moments when it thinks about the world around us and has an interesting inquiry about the tendencies of us humans. The book is written with a wonderful sense of humor, highlighted by one alien species’ attempts to mess with the protagonists’ heads with bad poetry.

The writing includes a lot of detail and usually makes a joke about the human race. Some jokes may be about digital watches or others about being careful what you say. This book can make you laugh at times and can also allow you to think carefully about a situation so you can get a better understanding of the plot. So hang on tight to your seatbelts and get ready for a wonderful adventure through the universe in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Louis C.

Friday, August 16, 2013

Supernaturally by Kiersten White

Kiersten White’s book, Supernaturally, is a work of fiction. Sixteen year old Evie has not lived an easy life. While she was at the International Paranormal Containment Agency she fell in love with a prisoner named Lend. Eventually the situation at IPCA started to get complicated and Evie and Lend left. Together with Lend’s family they begin living a normal life. Unfortunately, Evie’s Fairy ex-boyfriend comes back revealing things about her past. She soon is told there is a war going on between the Fairy courts and Evelyn is the only one who can prevent the chaos. Evie does not know from where she came and she has been told she was not born but rather, she was created by fairies.  After that she learns when she was born a Prophecy was also written. She thought she had left the International Paranormal Containment Agency and her own paranormal activities behind but she was wrong. This book has it all; from Vampires to Werewolves to Faeries to Shape Shifters and true love. Now she has to make a choice. She has to decide if she wants to stay in the normal world with the love of her life and eventually die or go back to the paranormal world and live. If you want to find out if the Prophecy comes true,  I recommend you read this book.
Jenny G.

Beastly by Alex Flin

The book, Beastly, by Alex Flin is an amazing book. It is one of my favorite books. As soon as I started reading it I could not stop. I recommend others read it because it is heart touching. This book is about a hot high school boy who is really mean to other guys and girls who are not like him. Then Kendra, a classmate who is a witch, puts a spell on him and turns him into a beast so he can feel ugly and learn the lesson he shouldn’t make fun of people based on the way they look. He has to make a girl fall in love with him and his beastly appearance. That means true love and he only has two years to do that. A Really Romantic Story! I liked this book because it gave another point of view from the beast’s view point. I love romantic stories and this book has it all. It is similar to the movie "The Beauty and the Beast" but it is different in many ways as well. The book is way better than the movie. The book has more detail that makes you imagine exactly what’s happening in the story. I could read it again and again and still love it. Everyone who loves romance should read this book!

 Maria C.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Annotated Abraham Lincoln Nominees (Part 4)


This is the final posting (Part 4) of a series of posts about the 2013-2014 Abraham Lincoln Nominees. We have blogged each of the 22 titles on the list of nominees for this year. If you have missed the previous posts and would like to read about the other titles on the list use the search box above to locate them on this blog. The titles in this list have been selected by high school students for high school students in the State of Illinois. If you would like to find out more information on how a book is nominated click here


Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (2012)

Alina Starkov was orphaned by the Border Wars, yet was content with her life as a map maker as long as she had her best friend Mal at her side. Once again war began ravaging the great nation of Ravka by surrounding enemies. When Alina’s regiment is attacked and Mal is brutally injured Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life. Her powers catch the attention of the Grisha’s royal court an elite and magical group that whisks her off from all that she knows. The mysterious and sexy Darkling is their leader and he wants to train Alina to harness her powers to destroy the Shadow Fold. But not everything is what it seems in this lavish world of the royal court and Darkling has an ulterior motive to make Alina his own. Will Alina trust her instincts and stay true to herself or will she have to pay the price with her life.


Hate List by Jennifer Brown (2010)

At the end of their junior year in high school, 16 year old Valerie Leftman’s boyfriend Nick opened fire in their school cafeteria. Valerie was shot trying to stop him and saved a classmate in the process. Since Valerie helped Nick put together a list of people and things she and Nick hated and Nick used this list to pick his targets, Valerie was implicated in the shootings. Valerie spent her summer break in seclusion but now that senior year was upon her, she had to return to school and face her former friends not knowing whether they saw her as a villain or a hero. More importantly Valerie must come to terms with what happened and the part she played.

Room by  Emma Donoghue (2010)

Room is where five year old Jack lives with his Ma. It’s a small room but it’s all Jack knows. She created this eleven by eleven square foot room into a home for Jack but it has been her prison for seven years. His loving Ma puts him in a wardrobe to sleep at night when she is visited by Old Nick.  As Jack get older his curiosity grows too. How much longer can the room contain both Ma’s desperation and Jack’s growing curiosity?

Everybody Sees the Ants  by A. S. King (2011)
Lucky Linderman's grandfather was killed as a prisoner of war in Vietnam and his father never got over it. Living in a dysfunctional home and being both physically and verbally abused by the school bully, Lucky acts suicidal. His mother decides to take Lucky to Arizona to live with her brother and sister-in-law but problems seem to follow him as he befriends an older girl with troubles of her own.  Lucky has an ability to escape reality through his nightly dreams where he and his long lost grandfather fight in the jungles of Vietnam.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (2011)

The Night Circus is known to arrive without announcement or warning, just appearing after dark. It's black and white striped tent is filled with magical acts of illusion to delight and entertain all that attend. What the audience doesn't know is the two young magicians Celia and Marco have been trained since they were children by the mercurial instructors to compete in a game of competition. What Celia and Marco don't know is that the game is deadly leaving only one magician standing. As the two young magicians begin to fall in love their powers set off a domino effect of dangerous consequence for everyone.

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco Stork (2009)

Marcelo Sandoval has been diagnosed somewhere along the autistic spectrum and has been attending a sheltered school. The summer before his senior year his hard driving father decides Marcelo should work in the mail room of his law firm. His father wants him to discover what it's like to "live in the real world". Marcelo soon meets two coworkers Jasmine and Wendell and learns all too quickly about competition, jealousy and desire. While "living in the real world" he also discovers who his father really is.















Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a fantasy/fiction book. This book is the last chapter of the Harry Potter series. If you have read the first six of them, then I would suggest reading this one. 


The book is about Harry Potter and his two friends on an adventure. They are looking for these things called horcruxes, which are pieces of Voldemort’s soul. This is how he keeps bringing himself back to life. Once they are all destroyed, Voldemort can be killed for good. He has even taken over Harry’s magic school. 

Along the course of the book, Harry and his friends come across many obstacles. Voldemort’s death eaters know what Harry wants to do so they keep randomly attacking him. On top of that, there are crazy spells protecting the horcuxes. 

This book answers all of the mysteries from the other books. There are also a lot of surprises in the plot. This book would still probably be interesting even if you hadn't read the other books.
Egan L.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Scary Fay Books

If you read fay on the title and instantly conjured up images of Tinker Bell, you need to search the depths of your psyche because these fairies are scary and not often kind to humans.
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Mar
There are three rules of survival for Aishlin: Don't stare at invisible fairies, don't speak to invisible fairies and never reveal you possess the power of the seer's sight. The old rules are breaking. Keenan, a powerful and alluring fairy begins to stalk Aishlin. Keenan is actually the Summer King and is determined to make Aishlin his Queen.


Impossible by Nancy Werlin
Lucy Scarborough was raised by her grandmother. At 17 she discovers that the women of her family have been cursed through the generations to perform three seemingly unachievable tasks if they are to break the curse. Lucy is the only one through the generations that won't be alone as she tackles the three tasks. A spellbinding novel!

 

Tithe a Modern Fairy Tale by Holly Black
Kaye is 16 and living as a nomad, traveling with her mom's rock band. Living from town to town without rules and school, Kaye is unlike most teens. Forced to leave the band they move in with   Kaye's grandmother. This is where she meets Roiben a soldier from the Unseling Court. Kaye has childhood memories of playing with fairies but convinced it was her imagination but the fay did not forget. The Unseling court needs Kaye for their offering but will Roiben let Kaye be sacrificed?


All three of these have been nominated as Abraham Lincoln Awards.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

5 Cool New Books (if you have the time)

You want to know the number one comment that most librarians get about their job? "Man, I wish my job was to read books all day." To which, I usually reply, "Yeah, me too." Reading is certainly part of the job of a school librarian, but like most jobs (including being a high school student), you don't always get to do the fun parts as much as you would like. My reading wish list could fill a book (yeah, I said it).

Here are five recent books that are on my list to read one day...when I have time. They sound awesome. Hope you like them too.


F Bray,L 
Bray, Libba. The Diviners.  
The year is 1926. Evie O'Neill gets kicked out of her small town in Ohio when she uses her psychic powers a little too often, but she is thrilled that she gets to move to New York to live. The only problem is that she has to live with her Uncle, a curator of the Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult. She thought she was going to hang out in speakeasies and hang out with Ziegfield girls (look it up), but she soon finds herself working with her uncle on a rash of occult based murders.

F Hautman,P 
Hautman, Pete. The Obsidian Blade.
Soon after strange disks of shimmering air appear in air above his house one day, Tucker Feye’s parents start acting strange. Then one day both of his parents disappear. He suspects the disks are somehow involved and soon he embarks on a time-twisting journey that involves the death of an ancient prophet and a shadowy sect of priests.

F Rosoff,M 
Rosoff, Meg. There is No Dog. 
Here is an idea for you. What if God is actually a teenage boy named Bob? Yeah, he made the Earth and everything on it (including cute girls). But mostly, he just likes sitting around eating junk food, being moody (that's why we have natural disasters), pining after girls and ignoring Earth. That is, until the day he meets a beautiful and irresistible girl named Lucy.

F Stiefvater,M 
Stiefvater, Maggie. The Raven Boys.
Blue Sargent was born into a family of psychics, but she has no powers of her own, though her presence strengthens the abilities of people with the gift. When she meets Gansey, a Raven Boy, as the students at a nearby private school are called, she can’t get him out of her mind. Soon, he and his friends rope her into a dangerous scheme to unleash a long dormant supernatural power.

F Vizzini,N 
Vizzini, Ned. The Other Normals. 
Fifteen year old Peregrine “Perry” Eckert would spend every moment playing Creatures & Caverns (a Dungeons & Dragons like game) if he could because that is where he feels most at home. But his parents are worried about his game playing and, well, his lack of social skills. So they send him off to summer camp instead. He thinks he is in for the worst summer of his life until he gets to camp and stumbles into the World of the Other Normals. There he meets one of  the creators of Creatures & Caverns. Here the mythical creatures from game are real. Suddenly, Perry finds himself embarking on a real quest to save a princess. The only problem? He will have to deal with actually have to learn how to deal with people in his own world too. Yikes.



Thursday, September 20, 2012

Recommended Reading: If you're done with the Twilight series...

Have you read all the Twilight books (twice) and seen all of the movies?   Or are you sick of vampire books? Either way, if you are looking for something new, you might like these series.

F Clare,C 
Clare, Cassandra. City of Bones. 
New Yorker Clary Fray just wanted to go have a good time at the Pandemonium club. She never expected to witness a murder committed by three other teenagers with strange tattoos and unusual weapons. Also, the three teenagers were invisible to everyone else and there was no body or even blood to report to the police. Clary later learns that the other teens were called Shadowhunters, a secret society dedicated to killing demons. In the next twenty-four hours, she is attacked by a demon herself and mother ends up missing. With the help of the gorgeous Shadowhunter Jace and his friends, she learns of a whole new world that has always co-existed with ours.

 F Marr,M 
Marr, Melissa. Wicked Lovely. 
Rules #1-3. Do not stare at invisible faeries, do not speak to them, and definitely don't draw their attention to you. Aislinn has always been able to see faeries, but these rules have always kept her safe, until now. Everything changes when Keenan, the Summer King, chooses her as his mate. She is now involved in the 900 year old struggle between Keenan and his mother, the Winter Queen. If Aislinn refuses him, summer will cease to exist and mortals and faeries will all die. If she accepts, she will lose her own humanity.

F Noel,A 
Noël, Alyson. Evermore.
 Since the car accident that killed her family but spared her, sixteen year old Ever can see other people's auras, hear their thoughts and know their life story by touching them. She goes out of her way to avoid contact with other people until she meets the mysterious. Damen Auguste. She feels an instant connection with him. When she is with him, the noise and chaos in her head subsides. He doesn't have an aura and he always seems to know what she is thinking. But she doesn't really know who, or what, he really is.

F Stiefvater,M 
Stiefvater, Maggie. Shiver.
Grace has watched the wolves outside of her window every winter for years, but she had always been drawn to the mysterious yellow eyed one who seemed to take an interest in here too. What she doesn't know is that these wolves turn into their human form during the summer months. When she meets a boy with the same yellow eyes, she knows somehow that it is him, her wolf. As they start fall for each other, she learns when winter comes again, and with it the change, this could be last year as a human. He will lose Grace and himself forever.

F Taylor,L 
Taylor, Laini. Daughter of Smoke and Bone.
 Karou is a beautiful young art student in a Prague boarding school. Her natural bright blue hair and her sketchbook is filled with pictures of horrible monsters, drawings of the only family she has ever known, the Chimaera, She speaks many languages, not all of them human. She occasionally runs errands for the devil Brimstone, a wishmonger and father figure who has her collect teeth from around the world, especially human ones. You can understand why she doesn't know who she really is or where she came from. One fateful day she meets the seraphim Akiva with whom she feels an instant connection, she finally starts to get the answers she seeks, even if it means the end of her life as she knows it.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Abraham Lincoln Nominees: 5 Book Trailers

The nominees for the Abraham Lincoln Award for 2013 have been announced. So it's time to get down to business and start reading them. There are some great titles on the list--22 of them in fact. Information about the award and the title list can be found on our Abe Lincoln Award page. Here are book trailers for five of the nominees.


1. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld 



2.Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson



3. The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey



4. Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta



5. Matched by Ally Condie

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Wake by Lisa McMann

I honestly loved this book. It is very suspenseful. Anyone at any age can relate to this story about the mysteries of their dreams. It also has romance and I thought it was a cute story as well.

Students should read this book because the main character is in her senior year of high school so other students can relate to all the stresses she is going through. She is a very unique student and every school has one. So this book can put everyone in that person’s shoes and help them understand there is nothing wrong with them. There is nothing wrong with being different. This book is inspiring and can help people deal with the problems they have.

Valerie F.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Lips Touched Three Times – Laini Taylor

This book is a fiction novel. It has a lot of vivid details about the characters and because it is a fiction novel it has a lot of mystical creatures. This book actually has three stories and they always start with pictures. The topic all the stories have in common is they all have something to do with love and romance.

The first story has to do with a girl who describes herself and her family as a gypsy family. She is very different from the girls at her school and the goblins know that. The goblins play a big role in the story because she ends up falling in love with one of them without even knowing it.

The second story has to do with a girl who was cursed since she was a baby. She has the most wonderful voice in the world but if she uses it, anyone who hears her will die. A soldier falls in love with her and at first he never believed in the curse but when he did, it was too late.

The last story is the best story but you will have to read the book to find out why. I really enjoyed this book because I am into romance and love stories. If you are into mystical fiction love stories, I really recommend this book as it is a must read.

Karen M.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is a fiction novel. It is a story about a young boy whose parents are violently killed by an evil wizard. He grows up for most of his life in a household where he is clearly not wanted. Eventually he finds out his parents were magical and he also will be. Harry is accepted into the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft. There he meets his future two best friends, Ron and Hermione. Due to their curiosity, this group of kids always finds themselves in some kind of trouble. Over time they find out about a sorcerer's stone which can do pretty much anything if it is in the hands of a strong witch or wizard. Harry finds out the man who killed his parents desires this stone so it's a race to the finish to see who will get to it first. It is necessary to go through a series of tasks because the stone is protected.

Alyssa S.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Wicked By: Gregory Maguire

Wicked is an amazing book. I really enjoyed reading it; it was full of fantasy and exciting ideas. This is the story about what happened before Dorothy dropped into the Land of Oz. This book was really good and a fun read to learn about the Witches of Oz. It shows the battle of good and evil.


Nicole B.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

This book is about four kids and Charlie Bucket and the one adult with whom they come to the factory. Mr. Wonka closed his factory because he thought there were spies trying to steal his recipes. There are five kids who get the golden tickets hidden under wrappers of Wonka bars. The prize for getting the golden ticket is a day long tour of the Wonka factory. This is the biggest thing going on all over the world. It’s on the news and in the newspapers. The five kids get a tour of the factory and Mr. Wonka shows them all the rooms in the factory and how amazing his new creations are going to be. As they go through the factory some of the kids do not listen to Mr. Wonka and they disobey him and end up getting kicked out of the factory. By the end of the tour, Charlie is the only one left and he is given a very big surprise gift which is a life changing opportunity.

Jonny P.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Trickster's Choice by: Tamora Pierce

This book was about a girl named Aly who gets captured as a slave and sent to serve the Balitang family. When she gets there she uses her magical powers to protect the family and spy on their enemies. If Aly's true identity is revealed it could be her life at stake so she goes through the day pretending to be someone else and hopes she can keep her secret. In the end Aly has a big decision to make…go back to her family and her old lifestyle or stay with the Balitang's with whom she has become very close. What will she do?!

This was a fantasy book in which I'm usually not very interested but when I picked this one up I just couldn't put it down. It was so interesting. It has a little bit of everything mixed up in Aly's big journey. There's some action, romance, mystery and a lot of fantasy! It was a great read and I'm sure others would enjoy it as well.


Samantha S.

Monday, December 15, 2008

The Titans Curse by Rick Riordan

With out reading the first 2 books in the series I found myself not needing to read because the author does a good job of filling the reader in on what has happened. It is about the son of Poseidon going out on a limb trying to find his best friend. A good and exciting read.

Preston H.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

I love this book. It combines the supernatural world like Twilight with vampires, werewolves , demons and other fictional creatures that live with the unaware mortals. However, where the Twilight series likes to avoid fights, this book delivers action. I think this is a great read if
you are into fantasy worlds and like lots of action.

Austin S.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Brisinger by Christopher Paolini

I liked this book because it grabbed my attention from the beginning and it unveils secrets I’ve never known before. Other students would like this book because it’s something new to read and it gets real interesting so it keeps you wanting more

Edgar M.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Brisinger by Christopher Paolini

This book is STRICTLY for those who have read Eragon and Eldest. Being the third of four books, it continues the story of Eragon Shadeslayer and his dragon, Saphira Bjartskular, as they prepare with the varden and the elves to strike down the evil King Galbatorix. For those who like the inheritance cycle this book is definitely for you. I also HIGHLY recommend it for all fiction readers.

Edgar M.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Jonathon Strange & Mr. Norrell is a great novel for people who love to read fantasy novels. Set in the time of the Napoleonic wars, the purpose of Mr. Norrell was to bring the magic back to England. However, this was
not done until he had rounded up Jonathon Strange and the two appealed to the Parliament. From bringing the Lady Pole back from the dead to creating mischief on the battlefield, the novel is sure to please those who are indeed great magic lovers. Personally, this book managed to keep my attention with the constant references to England in the 1800's. However, the language in which it is written is of the same time period even though the book was published in 2004. If one can't bring themselves to read a book with over 1,000 pages or words
that are not in their present vocabulary, settle for Lord of the Rings instead. Clarke is more of a new breed of author and though her novel starts off fairly slow, it keeps the reader enthralled in the surreal world she has created until the very last page.

Shannon C.