The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Even though this book is fantasy, it would also appeal to those with a love of equestrian novels. I found it difficult to divide my feelings toward the regular horses and the water horses(which are deadly). Stiefvater has outdone herself by capturing the essence of folklore on these creatures and has found a way to divide the man and the horse yet keep them tethered by their love of the sea. She uses her power with a pen to build the suspense until you can do nothing but scream for the races to start.

In this suspense, she also weaves the story of a family of orphans, left to fend for themselves, after their parents death. Their need to stay together, and provide for each other, even though the eldest can do nothing but want to get away from the island forever. It is also the story of a young man, the four time winner of the Scorpio races, and his love for his deadly steed. Though he interacts easily with horses of all kinds, he struggles with his interactions with people.

The main characters, Sean and Puck, both have their own reasons for running in the races that could get them killed. Sean wants to finally buy Corr, his water horse, from the man who owns basically everything on the island and employes Sean. Puck needs to race to save her family's home and to keep her horse Dove. She also hopes that the purse will be big enough to convince her older brother to stay on the island.

They also both have many obstacles to overcome. There are many who don't want Sean to succeed this year at the races. His employer's son would like to see him gone forever, and will go to any means necessary to make that happen. Puck has found that no one wants to see her in the races because she is a girl. It appears the entire town is out to see her fail and when she won't give in to their demands, life becomes more and more difficult leaving her to wonder if she has made the right decision after all.

If I could, I would give this a 10 star review. I would rate it 12 and up for violence (which I expected) but otherwise its a very clean and very moving book. Excellent read!

 - Mrs. Daugherty

Skin

What do you do when your face is covered with acne that you can't get rid of?  Nick Barry wonders this when his face suddenly starts breaking out.  He is also experiencing cold chills that go all the way to his bones and nightmares about a well out in the country.  One day he is seized by uncontrollable anger and fights to help another kid who is being picked on.  This earns him a suspension and a couple new enemies at school. The more problems Nick has, the more he becomes isolated from his friends and his family.    Is all of this related to is breakout?  Read the book and find out!

Be sure to check out the other creepy thrillers in the Night Fall Series which are now in our library!
- Mrs. Daugherty

Among the Hidden

Population control has been enforced and Luke is a third child.  This makes him an outlaw, a secret, a shadow child.  As time passes and a housing edition moves in right down the road from their farm, Luke has to spend more and more time inside until finally he can't go out at all.  He is a prisoner in his own home because his parents decided to have him.  Then one day, he sees movement in a house in the new addition.  Everyone there is already at work or school.  He discovers another shadow child hidden in one of the houses.  And his life changes forever.

A particularly gripping story which embraces a fear held by many teenage kids.  What to do if you can do nothing!  Luke's isolation is more than any modern day teen could bear, but he does it because it means survival.  This story is fast moving and is relatively short but there is a lot to be said for the content.  It engages the reader from start to finish and leaves them wanting more.  And they can have more, if they move on to the second book in the series.  Great book for grades 4 and up. 
 - Mrs. Daugherty

A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog Named Trixie

If you have ever loved a dog and even if you haven't, you must read this book.  I was so stunned by the heartfelt emotions that Dean Koontz expressed about their dog Trixie.  I am sure this book was difficult to write and it is a great remembrance of her life and the pleasure she brought to their lives.  I would never have imagined I could feel as though I knew a dog from the simple words portrayed by their owner but Koontz has done it with this one. A beautiful story of love and devotion that only a dog owner could write.
- Mrs. Daugherty

Watersmeet

This book is gripping from the very beginning for fans of fantasy worlds.  There is racism even in fantasy and this books shows how easily we can give into our fear of what we don't know or understand. Abasina is an outcast in the village she lives in because her skin and hair are dark.  But because he mother is the village healer, they allowed her life to be spared instead of throwing her over the wall as a baby.  But she wonders if she should have been left for dead rather than endure the awful way she is treated by everyone. 

Abasina decides that she must seek out her father because of the horrible events in the village so she begins her search for Watersmeet.  She will learn much more on her journey than she ever thought possible.  She will learn to trust creatures whom she was taught were nothing but monsters.  She will also confront the demons inside herself and find out if she is any better than her tormentors were in the village.

Great book! I would recommend for grade 6 and up.  Very clean/does include battlefield violence.
- Mrs. Daugherty

A Monster Calls

One day a monster calls on Connor and makes a request that he will tell the boy 3 stories and after the last story is told, Connor must tell his own story, a true story.  But Connor learns that life is not as simple as it may seem when the monster starts to tell his stories.  As Connor struggles to make sense of the problems in his own life, he must also unravel the stories the monster shares with him.  Then he must find the strength to tell his own.

A powerfully moving book that explores the many facets of the human mind.  Though we think we know what we believe, many motivators may change our viewpoint and alter our perception of the world around us.  Injecting a monster into this story is a brilliant move which distracts to the true story of Connor and his life.  I suggest this book for 12 and up.
- Mrs. Daugherty

What a fantastic book! This was an unexpected surprise because I thought it was just going to be a book about the supernatural. What I found was a combination of World War II, supernatural, and an odd island as well as a family with real problems. Everyone feels their life is boring or typical, but when you find out you have a gift which is more like a curse, you must decide how you will fit into everyday living. Especially when it is something which no one would ever believe. I hate to tell to much if anything because this book really needs you to take a blind leap of faith, and open the cover and dive in. Utterly fascinating story which assaults the mind and really makes you think. The photographs throughout the book are a wonderful addition and they only add to the story. Please read the note in the back about where the photos came from.
 - Mrs. Daugherty

I found this book a great story of self discovery and coming of age. Will is the only ward of the kingdom who has no idea where he came from or what his last name is. When the children are old enough to be selected for their apprenticeship, Will finds that he is too small to go to Battle School even though this is all he has ever wanted. Instead he finds himself an unlikely candidate for the Ranger apprenticeship.
Will develops his skills and his body under the watchful eye of Halt. Even...moreI found this book a great story of self discovery and coming of age. Will is the only ward of the kingdom who has no idea where he came from or what his last name is. When the children are old enough to be selected for their apprenticeship, Will finds that he is too small to go to Battle School even though this is all he has ever wanted. Instead he finds himself an unlikely candidate for the Ranger apprenticeship.
Will develops his skills and his body under the watchful eye of Halt. Even most of the time he feels like an underpaid servant, Halt has reasons for everything that he does. Halt discovers that Will has a knack for the bow and arrow, more so than even Will is ever made aware. Perhaps he has found his calling in the Rangers. But Will still has much to learn about the world and friendship.
As the story progresses, the reader has the ability to follow two of the wards and see them struggle to discover themselves.
Horace was Will's tormentor before they departed for their apprenticeships. Their changing roles, as Horace moves on to Battle School and Will works on being a Ranger, will find them together once again under more extreme circumstances. Time adds maturity to both boys and a surprising twist will form an alliance between the two former enemies. Everything in this book is moving toward a higher purpose. Each detail is a planned step to the metamorphosis of the two characters and their amazing life changing episodes.
- Mrs. Daugherty

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Greg Heffley is at it again in the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid book #4.

Here's what an editorial review on amazon.com had to say about this book:

"It’s summer vacation, the weather’s great, and all the kids are having fun outside. So where’s Greg Heffley? Inside his house, playing video games with the shades drawn. Greg, a self-confessed “indoor person,” is living out his ultimate summer fantasy: no responsibilities and no rules. But Greg’s mom has a different vision for an ideal summer . . . one packed with outdoor activities and “family togetherness.” Whose vision will win out? Or will a new addition to the Heffley family change everything?"

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days will be released on October 12, 2009. I think it's time for another library giveaway and this time it will be a brand new copy of this book. Check back here at the LJHS Library blog for details!

p.s. Did you know that the author of this series is also an online game developer and designer?

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