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Last night I finished Book 1: Found in Margaret Peterson Haddix’s new Missing series. Just like any Haddix book (she’s so much a favorite author of mine that she has her own category) it has great suspense and mystery. This time, though, she busts out the sci-fi as well.

All of the stuff that made the Shadow Children series work is still in it. The premise is that a plane mysteriously shows up at a terminal and the only people on board are 36 babies (no pilot - the cabin is completely dark once workers show up).

But what sets this apart from the Shadow Children series is that the action picks up in the second half of the book. In Among the Hidden you have lots of ‘What type of society is this?’ and ‘Why is he hiding?’ type questions with one sad twist at the end. This book, though, is not as society-challenging but instead is more like a TV show. (But that’s okay. It’s a great read.)

I know I shouldn’t give quotes from an ARC (the book comes out later this spring) but here’s one of my favorites (with understanding that it could change its wording once published):

“I can’t believe they think you’re on their side,” Mr. Hodge said. “You must not have told them what you want to do.”

Terribly mysterious!

I finished the book last night and it should be noted that I started the book that morning.
Now on to Max Ride 4. Just picked it up this morning.

Oh my goodness! Crazy book. I just finished Bunker 10 by J.A. Henderson and anyone who loves surprise endings, like Ender’s Game, needs this book.

A military installation in the middle of a forest blows up on Christmas Eve. This book is the story of the inhabitants’ last day. What is a lot of fun is that it is told in 24-style, with chapter headings simply reading what time it is.

This is not a story of terrorists or war - the entire threat comes from within the facility. The plot has a lot of surprises so I can’t tell too much, but I can give you the headings for the general sections of the book:

1. The Grandmother Paradox
2. Genetic Pollution - (n) the dispersal of contaminated altered genes from genetically engineered organisms to natural organisms, esp. by cross-pollination
3. Meme

But it’s not just about the science, which is pretty cool science, but it has a lot of action sequences, as well. Librarians - if you have Michael Crichton books on your shelf, you’ll do well to get this book.

Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi is going to be huge, just so you know.

I got the book while at Phoenix Book Company’s reception for the illustrious Ally Carter. (You need to have her visit your library. She is very cool to hang out with.)   

The artwork for Amulet is breath-taking and definitely fits the great setting. We sometimes struggle finding appropriate graphic novels. This matches imaginative storytelling with suspenseful pacing. (Many times you want the children in the book to look over their shoulder. And I finished the book with many questions - eagerly awaiting book 2.) 

And Hugo Cabret? 284 full-page illustrations can’t be wrong.

It’s told through the lens of a camera, so there are some fun meta-writing moments when the camera pans from the moon to the city or we switch to a close-up of a denizen’s eye. Get both of these books! (And Love You, Kill You and Cross my Heart if you have fallen asleep on your duties and have not done so already.)   

I got to hang out with P. J. Haarsma tonight at Barnes and Noble. His Virus on Orbis 1 is a fun read about kids running an entire spaceship until they are sold into slavery. Fans of Pendragon/Ender’s Game/Star Wars need to check it out. He’s really good friends with Frank Beddor (who was awesome when he visited our school) (and whose MMORPG cardsoldierwars.com just went into beta) and has a similar demeanor and personality.  
  
No, he is not my older brother. He decided to stand on a chair. I don’t know why.

“It’s nothing to worry about.”
It has been a while since I have read a book that has creeped me out SO much. Actual, physical chills. Unwind. If you’re not familiar with the book, it’s the near future (although they sell iPods at the antique store) and parents are now given the option to “unwind” their kids from ages 13-18. (”Unwinding” is donating body parts to people who would better use them.)

Bright Outlook

1. Shusterman provides yet another great sci-fi/thriller/horror story. I personally think this is his best because of the challenging perspective on modern politics. Do we truly value life in the United States? How can we best demonstrate the issues with teen pregnancy so people will listen?
2. Amidst all of the ethics, the action jumps out at you like a movie. Characters in the beginning are walking along and then BOOM you have cars crashing and people being kidnapped on the highway.
3. There are some dry comments that will slide past you if you don’t know what to look for. (But they are well worth it.) Here is one of my favorites (the Heartland War was a giant civil war in modern history):

“How much do you know about the Heartland War?”Connor shrugs. “It was the last chapter in our history textbook, but we had state testing, so we never got to it.”

Bleak Future

1. Because it deals with life ethics in a pretty in-your-face way, it’s not for younger libraries. But there is little language issue (cleaner than TV) and no hot/steamy scenes.
2. It switches narrators quite a bit, so on chapters like “63. Guard” you have to realize that it’s from the guard’s perspective. This might trick some struggling readers.

I booktalked this book today. We already have 15 holds for this book and I think it’s gonna get bigger. This is a perfect introduction to books like Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World, Slaughterhouse-Five, and 1984.

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but with humility comes wisdom.”

I finally got to finish this since I’ve been scrambling for other booktalks. Something that I’ve learned about Frank Beddor is that he’s an entertainer.

And that’s okay!

Seeing Redd is not The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, and that’s okay! It’s fun.

Imaginative bursts

1. The characters really start to come into their own as Alyss is less dreamy-eyed and more monarch.
2. It expands between a mere battle of imagination as King Arch of Boarderland wants a piece of the pie. More of the Heart Queendom is seen (and yes, there are more caterpillars).
3. Lots of action, especially towards the end (like any good fantasy book these days, I guess).
4. Frank Beddor visited my library and he writes like he talks: very energetically and down to Earth. The book level lists at being high, but if students know that it’s mainly “crazy creature jargon”, they should be fine.

Rose thorns

1. I had already read Hatter M, so I was already familiar with some of the new characters, like Sacrenoir and Siren. There are descriptions of these characters, but they were scarier because I had seen them earlier in the comic book.
2. Characters die or are hurt that I hadn’t quite connected with yet.

Final conclusion: With the crazy ending of book two, there better be book three.

I’m a total Star Wars fan, so of course I’m biased. But I have a pedestal set up with the book on top and it is one of the most popular attractions before school as well as at lunch.

Return of the Jedi

1. Lots of detail! Here’s a video to get across just how much there is, and I didn’t even open all of the flaps. There are flaps upon flaps!
 
 Star Wars the pop-Up Book: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

2. Easy to read and organized by categories.

Revenge of the Sith

1. It’s gonna get man-handled. C-3PO is already showing signs of back pain.
2. No, students, there is no AR test for the pop-up book as of 12/7/07.

Final thoughts: It’s great to put on a display with other sci-fi books because it will get frequented.

Before I review this awesome book, I wanted to share this other library gem:

I will avoid the obvious “Harriet the Spy” references. But doesn’t she look like she should play opposite Keanu Reeves?

Keanu: Tubman, look out!

Blam!

Harriet: He just bought a one-way ticket.

Thought you might appreciate what comes across our scanners daily.

Genesis Alpha (almost as exciting as the Underground Railroad) is about a young boy who was created for his stem cells. His birth was sped up at month 8 to be able to save his older brother who had cancer.

Flash forward to his teen years and now his brother is on trial for murder. Should the older brother have been saved at the expense of the victim? Crazy questions arise throughout the entire book. This is suspense in the M. Night Shyamalan sense, less Clive Barker or Darren Shan. The reader constantly has to guess who’s crazy, who’s hurting, and who’s a mix.

One of the coolest parts for me is that the killer, whoever it is, left clues inside a World of Warcraft-esque MMORPG. The main character has to investigate in game (but it’s not one of those lame, “If you die in the game, you die FOR REAL” books). What’s really cool is that violence in video games is brought up but discussed quite eloquently. Yay! (for a change)

Questions of if we are more than just our DNA show up as people freak out about the genetic similarities between the two brothers.

Unlike my in-person library reviews, I can’t give too much more detail. It would be like saying, “Bruce Willis is already dead.”

D’oh.

I want to get the audio file up there for people to listen to, but check back for photos and better audio quality (hopefully).

Michael A. Stackpole (who is totally cool for agreeing to let me post him talking) presented on “Gaming: Not Just For Teens”. Great stuff.

Here’s the MP3:

Michael A. Stackpole’s AZLA Presentation

 

 Stackpole 1: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Stackpole 2: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Stackpole 3: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I saw the new Grand Canyon list while at AZLA and I was glad to see Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson in the midst.

Disclaimer: I love Disneyland.
Another Disclaimer: I’ve never been to Disneyworld.

Kingdom Keepers is every kid’s dream - to be able to stay within Disney park boundaries after closing time. Who wouldn’t want to walk those magical streets?

To fully appreciate the book, you gotta read the acknowledgments. Many thanks to Wayne and Christina for the insider’s scoop on the parks. Can you imagine having your own apartment over Main Street? Someone has to be a first responder.
(And yes, there is a sweet trash evacuation system in the city of tunnels underground. (I had an ex-girlfriend who shoplifted (after we had broken up) at Disneyland. She got to visit the “Happiest Underground Jail Cell on Earth”.)

The Zip-a-dee-doo-dah
1. Ridley Pearson, also of Peter and the Secrets of Rundoon fame, has a Disney license. Big hook-up.
2. Many of the rides are desribed in detail. The imagery, building on already strong emotional ties, puts you right there.
3. The rides have a nice, twisted spin. The premise of the book is that a hologram system, built to fully immerse patrons in the experience, goes haywire. Imagine the Pirates of the Carribbean firing at the little boats. Imagine the tiny animatronics of It’s a Small World swarming as a tidal wave of chomping faces, singing in a drone, wanting you to smile. (They actually stop up the tracks and spill over into the boats.)
4. It’s really cool trying to name which characters he’s describing. “I see two chipmunks followed by a clumsy dog in a hat.”

The Beast
1. If you are annoyed by Disney merchandising, it might be tough to get through the book. But! There is still good character development (and he even parodies how Disney has to select multi-ethnic teams to be the most staring at a copy that’s on hold right now).

This is definitely one that I wish I had more copies of (as I stare at one that’s on hold).