The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle

Over the past week, I finished reading The Hound of the Baskervilles. It is a Sherlock Holmes book so it will always make for a good mystery story.

The book is about the death of Sir Charles Baskerville and his nephew who will inherit the house. A man named Dr. Mortimer comes to Holmes to seek his help to prove if Baskerville's death was actually murder or the act of a supernatural being.

Arthur Conan Doyle uses vast amounts of imagery to bring you into the story. He also structures the book in a way that doesn't give you too many clues but keeps you tangled in the story. With its sudden plot twists and gloomy setting it really adds a level of suspense in the later chapters.

This book is said to be one of Doyle’s best works. I one hundred per cent agree with that statement. I am not one for mystery or Sherlock Holmes books but this one was genuinely a great read. To anyone who loves mystery or Sherlock Holmes this is one book to check out.

Daniel C.

Secrets in the Shadows by Anne Schraff

This book is very intense. This is a book that goes from being from a normal life to just being a failure and being accused of a murder he committed or maybe he didn’t. Also, it is a book that has a very good ending and everyone likes a good ending so I recommend this book to everyone who is trying to read a good short story.

Julio H.

Abe Lincoln Nominees 2014: Some More Information, Part 1

The new Abe Lincoln Nominees were announced a few months ago. We thought you would like to know more about some of the nominees. This is part 1. More titles to come in the next few weeks.

Cinder - Marissa Meyer

Cinder lives with her cruel stepmother and stepsisters in a small apartment. She has to do most of the chores and most of her income goes to help pay the rent. There is a royal ball happening soon and Cinder’s sisters are eager to go. Sound familiar? It is, sort of. Cinder is not a typical teenage girl. She lives in New Beijing in a time after the third world war. She is a gifted mechanic who can fix any machine, and by the way, she is a cyborg. When Prince Kai asks for help with his personal robot, little does she know that she may be the only girl / machine who can save  the world from intergalactic war.

I hunt killers - Barry Lyga

Jazz Dent’s dad was one of the world’s most notorious serial killers. And even though his dad is in jail now, the memories of his past still haunt Jazz on a daily basis. And if that isn’t bad enough, everyone in town thinks, “like father, like son.”  They could be right. Billy Dent taught his son everything he knew, every grisly detail.  And now, with a new serial killer in town that is mimicking his dad’s crime, Jazz is obsessed with proving to everyone in town (including himself) that genes don’t determine your destiny.

Legend - Marie Lu

In the distant future, the two halves of the USA are separate countries that are constantly at war. June is the youngest soldier in the Army. Day is a young criminal who is trying to take down the Republic Government one terrorist attack at a time. They were sworn enemies until the day they found each other, and the truth.

The pregnancy project : a memoir - Gaby Rodriguez

Gaby Rodriguez never wanted to be a stereotype. Even though she is the daughter and sister of teen moms, nobody that knows her could imagine her being one herself. But she wondered, how would people react if she did get pregnant? She decided to find out. For her Senior year project, she made a decision that would change the lives of everyone in her school. She decided to fake a pregnancy. At the end of the year, she would reveal the truth to the whole school. Her story has been featured on Good Morning America and was even made into a Lifetime movie.  .

Ready player one- Ernest Cline

It is 2044 and the world is kind of a mess. To cope, everyone escapes into the world of the OASIS, a virtual world where they work, play, learn and even find love. When the creator of the OASIS dies, he leaves a huge fortune to the person who can solve a series of clues and puzzles that will take the players all over the thousands of planets in the virtual world. For five years, none of the thousands of players around the world can crack even one clue. And then Wade Watts, a poor teenager from Oklohama solves the first clue. The race is on.

2014 Abraham Lincoln Award Nominees

The new Abraham Lincoln Award nominees have been announced and we are trying to get enough copies in the LRC as quickly as possible. If you are not familiar with the whole Abe Lincoln Award thing, check out our web page on the yearly award. Trust me, it's awesome.



Here is the whole list:

Across the universe by Beth Revis
Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Daughter of smoke and bone by Lani Taylor
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Every day by  David Levithan
Everybody sees the ants by A.S. King
The fault in our stars by John Green
Five flavors of Dumb by Antony John
Hate list by Jennifer Brown
How to save a life by Sara Zarr
I hunt killers by Barry Lyga
Legend by Marie Lu
Marcelo in the real world by Francisco Stork
The night circus: a novel by  Erin Morgenstern
The Pregnancy project: a memoir by  Gaby Rodriguez with Jenna Glatzer
Purple heart by Patricia McCormick
Ready player one by Ernest Cline
Room by Emma Donoghue
Shadow and bone by Leigh Bardugo
Stupid fast by Geoff Herbach
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

And here are some other ways of looking at the nominees:

If you liked The Hunger Games....
Across the universe by Beth Revis
Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Legend by Marie Lu
Shadow and bone by Leigh Bardugo

If you like a little magic or little bit of the supernatural with your romance...
Daughter of smoke and bone by Lani Taylor
The night circus: a novel by  Erin Morgenstern

How about an element of mystery?
Across the universe by Beth Revis
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
I hunt killers by Barry Lyga

It could happen to you (or someone you know)...
Everybody sees the ants by A.S. King
The fault in our stars by John Green
Five flavors of Dumb by Antony John
Hate list by Jennifer Brown
How to save a life by Sara Zarr
The pregnancy project: a memoir by  Gaby Rodriguez with Jenna Glatzer
Purple heart by Patricia McCormick
Stupid fast by Geoff Herbach
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Happening now in an alternate universe or in the future...
Across the universe by Beth Revis
Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Daughter of smoke and bone by Lani Taylor
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Legend by Marie Lu
The night circus: a novel by  Erin Morgenstern
Ready player one by Ernest Cline
Shadow and bone by Leigh Bardugo

A dude's point of view...
Everybody sees the ants by A.S. King
I hunt killers by Barry Lyga
Purple heart by Patricia McCormick
Ready player one by Ernest Cline
Stupid fast by Geoff Herbach

A different point of view...
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Every day by  David Levithan
Five flavors of Dumb by Antony John
Marcelo in the real world by Francisco Stork
Room by Emma Donoghue

Most likely to make you think of Dexter or Hannibal Lecter...
I hunt killers by Barry Lyga

Most likely to make you laugh....
Stupid fast by Geoff Herbach

If you liked Thirteen Reasons Why...
The fault in our stars by John Green
Hate list by Jennifer Brown
How to save a life by Sara Zarr
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

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.

Blind Date by R.L Stine

The book I read was titled “Blind Date” by R.L Stine. The reason I picked this book is because I remember loving “Goosebumps” and I have read a series of R.L Stine’s books in his newest collection and I loved them. So ever since then I have been very interested in his books. My favorite book was “The Perfect Date” so I figured “Blind Date” would be good too. I did enjoy this book. It didn’t have much suspense but a lot of mystery. To my surprise, it wasn’t a spooky supernatural story like the majority of R.L Stine books I have read. This one had a more realistic touch to it which in a way made it more eerie. There was a surprise twist, which I expected there would be, but not the one that was written. I don’t think this book is for everyone but people like me who enjoy a good scary story or a thriller or a book that will keep you wondering, then I recommend this book to those people.

Michelle S.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

The Lovely Bones, written by Alice Sebold, is a very interesting book and I really enjoyed sitting down and reading it. The book is about a murder that occurred in a small suburb and it's told by the murdered girl. It captivates your attention throughout the entire book.

Once you start, it's hard to put the book down. I believe others will enjoy the book because of the mystery it contains. You never know what's happening next; there's a surprise around every corner. This book contains everything from happiness to sadness. The movie is nothing like the book so I really suggest you take some time to read the book.


Nathalie L.

The Shack By: William Young

I really enjoyed The Shack because it was really mysterious and you could never predict what was going to happen next. As I was reading, I really never got bored and that is unusual for me because I am not an avid reader.

I strongly suggest this book to people who do not really understand religion. I am Catholic but I do not attend church at all. I do believe in God but I would not say I have a relationship with Him. This book made my understanding of religion so much clearer and I actually liked it. I would also suggest it to people who like sad books with happy endings; you would not be disappointed.

Katelyn W.

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

Dan Brown's novel, “Angels & Demons”, is a work of fiction. If you have previously read “The Da Vinci Code”, then you will like “Angels & Demons”. It is actually the first of the Robert Langdon saga and it tells the story of the on going religious battle between the Catholic Church and the Illuminati. Langdon is called to Switzerland to investigate the murder of a physicist which launches him into the middle of an on going war between two ancient societies that takes him all over Europe. Eventually he goes to Vatican City to stop it from being destroyed. This book is full of twists and turns and never has a dull moment; I had trouble putting it down and I bet you will too.

Mackenzie B.

The Day the Music Died by Ed Gorman

“The Day the Music Died”, a novel by Ed Gorman, is about a young lawyer/private investigator named Sam McCain who lives in Black River Falls. It is a fiction book that takes place in the Fifties. McCain is a big Buddy Holly fan and he attends his last concert before the tragic plane crash that took Holly's life. The day after the incident a man, Kenny, committed suicide in Black River Falls and was accused of killing his wife, Susan. McCain works for a wealthy judge whose nephew happened to be that man. The judge's reputation was already on the line and with a nephew who is a murderer, he thought the family name would be completely put to shame. Everyone thought Kenny killed his wife but McCain had his doubts. He set out to find the real killer but this would not be an easy task. It is a great book for anyone interested in mysteries, scandals, the Fifties and Buddy Holly.

Eileen D.

"Blood Trail" by Nancy Springer

The book named "Blood Trail" by Nancy Springer is a fiction story. This book tells the story of Jeremy and the murder of his best friend, Aaron. The same day he was murdered Aaron tells Jeremy he is afraid but he does not tell him why. Jeremy finds out his best friend was murdered and he knows who made Aaron afraid. He doesn't dare tell anyone because he believes Aaron’s brother could not kill him. Finally, Jeremy tells the police as they are looking for answers. At the end of the book it is revealed Aaron's brother killed him because he had so much hate and stress inside. He was jealous because Aaron had lots of friends and was a popular guy in school.

Raul V.

Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

Meet Dexter Morgan. He's your average Joe; a blood spatter analyst working for the Miami Metro Police Department. However, there's a catch to Dexter's life; he moonlights as a serial killer but he only tracks down and kills criminals who have escaped the criminal justice system. Things change when a new serial killer comes to town and he stalks Dexter and his sister, Deb. This book is interesting and keeps readers on the edge of their seats. If you like the television show, this book is for you. Although it's not exactly like the show since there are key differences in the ending and with the characters but it is just as interesting.

Jacob W.

First Date by R.L. Stine

This book is about a girl who plays the saxophone and is in a band and she has never been on a date. She has a best friend, Nina, who has a boyfriend and is very popular. They are best friends even though they are different. Then a guy arrives at her homeroom in school and he is so shy but has very warm eyes. She starts to like him. She works in a restaurant and she works with his dad. Then a new guy goes there; his name is Sparks and he is very cute. So she has a crush on both Sparks and Will. But one of them is a killer and you can't really tell which one. One of them is so nice and one is very mean. Then an FBI agent comes and describes a guy they are trying to catch. She thinks it is Sparks but in reality it is Will, the nice guy. She pretends to be dead and Nina comes over and Will wants to kill her because she knows the truth about him. Then Chelsea comes over and saves her friend. The FBI arrives and takes the guy. In the end, Chelsea and Sparks stay together and Nina thanks Chelsea for saving her life.

Diana (Sonia) P.

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Marcus Wallow, also know as "w1n5t0n", and three of his friends leave school in the middle of the day to go play Harajuku Fun Madness; a Japanese mystery game in which groups of teams search for clues that are all around their town. The three of them find themselves near a terrorist bombing of The San Francisco Bay Bridge. The friends head for the fallout shelter when their friend Darryl gets stabbed while escaping the massive crowd. The four of them get apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for their suspicious activity. After three days of torture, Marcus is released and finds San Francisco has become a police state. With his best friend Darryl missing, Marcus is motivated to fight back with his friends against the DHS and dedicates the majority of his time organizing a resistance to the DHS.

Andrew K.

Pretend You Don't See Her by Mary Higgins Clark

I enjoyed reading my book, "Pretend You Don't See Her", because it was filled with a variety of suspenseful situations in which the character was put in danger and had to escape. Lacey is a hardworking real estate agent and the main character. She was the witness of the brutal murder of her co-worker, Isabelle, and eventually discovered the killer was after her too. Lacey then moved to another area to assume a new identity. This book kept me on edge as I was wondering how Lacey would survive feeling unsafe and completely alone in a different state. I would recommend other students read this novel if they enjoy murder mysteries and stories to which they can relate.


Natalie S.

A Stranger Is Watching by Mary Higgens Clark

I read the book When A Stranger Calls by Mary Higgins Clark. I really liked this book because it was action packed. The book was very suspenseful and I was always anxious to know what was coming next. I would curl up under my blanket and as I would turn the pages, I’d become startled at any little noise around me. The author just continually kept me hooked to reading this murder mystery. I certainly recommend this book. I am looking forward to reading more books written by this author.


Jaclyn C.

The Bourne Identity by Robertr Ludlum

This book starts with a man who isn't named at first and who mysteriously finds himself at the Pacific Ocean under the midnight sky in a storm. He tries to stay above the surface but he struggles to endure the storm while swimming to a large ship. When he manages to swim and climb onto the ship, he tries to conceal himself from the people on the ship.

I liked the beginning because it describes the character without you knowing his name or how he got there or why he can't remember anything from his life. I thought it was a great story because the main character is only relying on instinct and for some reason, he knows how to fight very well and uses his surroundings as a weapon. Also, he had to enter a high security bank because he needed something in storage that would prove to be useful and he got the information from a person who led him there. After leaving through the window, he gets onto the rooftop where he finds a woman who is going through hard times. He asks her if he can travel with her, far away from that place, in exchange for a large amount of money.

I think other people will like this story because it leads the main character to an assassin who could possibly be a threat to the government.

Carlos G.

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Baliett

This is an interesting story about two kids who are trying to discover who stole a famous painting. They get into the mystery a lot. They do all sorts of things to find where the thief hid the painting. This is a story that teaches you life is a puzzle and there are things that happen with no explanation.

Anayeli G.

Daddy's Little Girl by: Mary Higgins Clark

This book was about a girl named Ellie who had to deal with her 15 year old sister's death that happened 22 years ago when she was only seven years old. She always felt guilty about her sister's death because that ruined her family and most of her life and during that time her dad also left them because of the death of his daughter. Then when Ellie got older she started to investigate who she thinks the murderer of her sister was. I like this book because it is a murder mystery and I think that other students will like it because it is interesting to read if you like
mystery stories.

Anais A.

Into The Dark by R.L Stine

I like this book, Into the Dark, because it was interesting to read. A lot of suspense happened in the story. It was about a blind girl who always felt someone was spying on her and wanted to kill her. The guy who wanted to hurt her was familiar to her. She felt like he had two personalities. I hope others will enjoy reading this book because it takes you far away, helps you forget your problems and experience something new.

Rocio E.