The Results Are In! (Poll #8)

The readers of the newly redesigned The Bookshelf have voiced their opinions; the results to Poll #8 are in! Poll #8 addressed the topic of the ever-debatable and ever-changing market of eBooks and eReaders. I imagine everyone understands what eReaders and eBooks are by now, but for the theoretical few that may not, this previous post might be handy to you. 

Amazon Kindle

My views on eReaders and eBooks are mixed. On the one side, paper will always be my most favorite form of book. I enjoy holding the book in my hands, feeling the cover, turning the pages, and easily jumping from the front of the book to a page in the back. However, on the other side of my mind, the defendant side, I truly recognize that the material, the words, and the story are not at all different in the eBook format than the paper format. I also recognize that eReaders and eBooks aren’t leaving any time soon – they’re too popular to just stop existing one day. It is my hope that the paper book will share that same outcome. I do not think paper books will become obsolete because paper books have been around for thousands of years. The Amazon Kindle, the most popular eReader, was first released in 2007, just four years ago. I believe that a world with equal parts e- and paper books would be perfect.

Time for the poll results!

The question: What are your views on eReaders and eBooks?

And the results:

• They are the way of the future! Paper books are the past! 3 votes, 12%
• They're nice, but paper books are better. 12 votes, 50%
• I think both eBooks and paper books are excellent! 4 votes, 16%
• eBooks and eReaders are horrible! 2 votes, 8%
• I've never read an eBook, so I'm not sure. 3 votes, 12%

Nook Color

The clear winner is option number two, “eBooks = good, paper books = better”. Second place, and my personal opinion, is “eBooks = paper books = excellent!” Tied for third was “eBooks > paper books” and “eBooks = ?” Interestingly, there were only two votes for “eBooks are D:< ” compared to the three votes that “eBooks are :D” received. I like that option number two won because it says that both e- and paper books are good, but that eBooks and eReaders will need much improvement until they reach the level of awesome that is reserved for paper books.

Thank you so much for the total of twenty-four (twenty-four!) votes! Unfortunately, there will be no polls in August. But don’t fear! August will be filled with a great deal of reviews, recommendations, summaries, and news! A new poll, topic yet to be revealed, will be published in mid-September.

– Jacob 

(images via and via)

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children: Eccentric and Exceptional

Eccentric. With a title that sums up the mood of the book itself, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (a pseudonym, presumably) is a treasure chest of witty characters, unique photographs, and a delightful story. Wonderfully composed, Miss Peregrine tells the tale of Jacob and the stories that were told to him by his grandfather.  Jacob’s grandfather was a Jewish WWII survivor that, as a child, escaped from his native country of Poland to an island off the coast of England. Jacob’s grandfather told him tales of a house for children that he stayed at during the war. He told Jacob about children at the house that had special qualities and abilities. A levitating girl, an invisible boy, a girl who could make fire with her hands, and a boy made of bees were among the children that Jacob’s grandfather insisted were real. As a child, Jacob believed the unbelievable stories, but as he got older doubt began to replace his once wondrous beliefs.

Fast-forward to when Jacob is sixteen-years-old. In a freak accident, Jacob is the last to see his grandfather alive. The police describe his grandfather’s death as an animal attack. Jacob wearily believes the police, but there is a strand of recollection in his memory. Right after his grandfather’s death, Jacob saw a creature, a monstrosity, with tentacles hanging outside its mouth. Making connections, Jacob begins to return to his grandfather’s stories, finding coincidences and patterns. Traveling with his father, Jacob visits England to find his grandfather’s old rescue home, hoping to resolve the many secrets that are wrapped around his mind.

An inside photograph

Jacob becomes determined to figure out if his grandfather was telling the truth or if he was simply crazy. Photographs included in the book of the children described by Jacob’s grandfather, inspire the reader’s creativity levels, while encouraging Jacob to dive deeper into a world unknown.

Exceptional. Fast-paced and detailed, Miss Peregrine leaves you hanging on every word. Definitely one of my top books for this year, it is a refreshing, humorous, different summer read. The inside photographs supplement the book perfectly, adding to the genius of the story and often breaking up the rather long chapters (One was bordering on seventy pages!). Jacob’s adventure is one to be heard and one to be remembered. Miss Peregrine’s sequel cannot possibly arrive soon enough to fulfill the desire that came with the cliff-hanger ending of the first book. A quirky rollercoaster ride of a book, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children allows your mind to explode in an array of creativity, wonder, and imagination.

Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

(images via and via)

STRONG Characters

STRONG, in all caps, characters are leaders that can be viewed as role models and influential people in literature. STRONG characters seek excellence, but not at the expense of others. They strive to be the best they can be, but understand their limitations. They display their generosity and teach others, but also realize when it’s their turn to follow instead of lead. They face their obstacles and succeed, or at least try, to defeat their fears and demons. STRONG characters are often liked, main characters in novels. However, any book character, much like any person, can be STRONG. Listed below are three STRONG female and male characters and what traits, skills, and values they possess.

Three STRONG Female Characters

• Evie, from Paranormalcy: Determined, thoughtful, and witty, Evie always does her job, containing paranormal creatures, in a timely manner. Assertive, but not harmful, she disarms her suspects, but always makes sure that they are properly treated and are set on the right track at the International Paranormal Containment Agency (IPCA). A good friend to her mermaid pal, Evie demonstrates a STRONG, powerful aura of stability and gratitude.

• Lanesha, from Ninth Ward: Young and independent, Lanesha must take lead over her elderly guardian, Mama Ya-Ya, her dog, Spot, and her friends, TaShon, Max, and Ginia, as the take cover in the heart of Hurricane Katrina: the poverty-stricken Ninth Ward of New Orleans. Lanesha has the ability to see ghosts, including her deceased mother. Despite be mocked for her ability, Lanesha remains kind, curious, and STRONG during such an uncertain time.

• Liesel, from The Book Thief: Facing a new foster family during a difficult time in the world’s history, WWII, Liesel must adapt to new surroundings and new ways of living. Hiding the majority of the time due to her religion, Judaism, Liesel teaches and occupies herself while living in conditions that would cause many to give up. STRONG till the end, Liesel’s story is one to be heard.

Three STRONG Male Characters

• Marcelo, from Marcelo in the Real World: Born with Asperger’s Syndrome (a form of autism), Marcelo is proud of his abilities. Enjoying taking care of animals and learning the Christian religion, Marcelo is not afraid to speak his mind. But when he’s forced to get a job in the mail room of his father’s law firm, Marcelo must enter a whole new world, where not everybody is kind or easy to understand. Marcelo must be STRONG to be prosperous.

• Doug, from Okay for Now: Between moving to a new house, attending a new school, and living with an abusive father, being STRONG is not easy for Doug. However, finding friends at the local library and solitude in drawing, Doug discovers how happiness and generosity can change people for the better.

• Brewster “Bruiser,” from Bruiser: An outcast, a loner. Teased, bullied. Brewster, better known to his classmates as “Bruiser,” is always silent, the bruises covering his body the only thing expressing that something’s wrong with him. When Brewster falls in love with a girl named Brontë and becomes best friends with her brother, Tennyson, he begins to feel like he is STRONG enough to reveal his dark secrets.

(images via and via and via)

John Green: Stories that Sing and Soar

“What sings and soars in this gorgeously told tale is Green’s mastery of language,” wrote Kirkus Reviews in a review of John Green’s novel Looking for Alaska. Looking for Alaska, the winner of the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award for Young Adult Literature, is John Green’s first published book, but not his only award winner. Green’s books have accumulated legions of fans, stunning reviews, and armfuls of awards.

Just because Favorite Author Month, May, is over here on The Bookshelf doesn’t mean I’ve stopped recognizing great, favorite authors. John Green, an author from Indiana, writes novels about facing difficult situations of identity in a realistic manner. Having written three books and co-written two more, John Green writes deftly, blending loneliness, sorrow, humor, love, and self-realization to create stories that soar high above the bar of standard young adult literature. Choosing abnormal situations that can be matched with more realistic ones, Green brings the words on the page into the mind of the reader, planting questions and harvesting ideas. I have all five of John Green’s books, and I give them all five out five stars. I think it’s agreed that John Green is an author worthy of recognition here on The Bookshelf.

Looking for Alaska tells the story of Miles “Pudge” (ironic because he is tall and lanky). Miles, a loner who thrills himself in learning the last words of famous figures, begins attending boarding school, in search for the “Great Perhaps” (part of Rabelais’s last words). At this new boarding school, Pudge develops many new friends, some of which you would not call the best of influences. These friends include Colonel, a roommate who acts, well, like a colonel, and Alaska Young, a colorful, mysterious girl. Surprised at how deep his new friends’ thoughts are, Pudge sees the world from a different angle. Finally finding happiness and friends, Pudge thinks he’s on his way to the Great Perhaps. Until, of course, something terrible happens. Using humor and an interesting storytelling method of counting the days before and then the days after a certain event, Looking for Alaska is a great book for mature readers about decisions and the impacts they have on yourself and others.

 

Two other books by John Green, An Abundance of Katherines and Paper Towns, also tell eloquent tales of trials and tribulations throughout the often harsh journey known as life. While these books pull key elements from Looking for Alaska, elements that made Alaska amazing, they are their own books, all completely original and diverse. An Abundance of Katherines won a Printz Honor.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson, co-written by John Green with David Levithan, and Let it Snow, co-written with Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle, are both fun, engaging reads that also contribute to Green’s repertoire.

Through a YouTube channel, Vlogbrothers, John and his brother, Hank, have been making vlogs (video blogs) since 2008. Quirky and different, these videos offer facts about current events, opinions about current events, news about John’s books, and other assorted facts. With 539,164 subscribers and counting, the fans of these videos call themselves “nerfighters.” And fight they do. Through raising money for organizations across the world, supporting terminally ill nerdfighters, and creating sayings whose meanings are only known to them, nerdfighters and John and Hank Green have made a big impact on the world.

With his incredible writing, expert symbolism, and excellent storytelling, John Green is an author like no other. His next book, The Fault in Our Stars was number one on Amazon for six days after Green he announced that all preorders would be signed by him personally. The amazing thing is that that book won’t be published until early next year. I will be preordering my copy soon, so I’ll be ensured that I will receive the literary world’s next masterpiece. 

(images via and via and via and via)

An Obituary for Borders

                Borders                           

Borders, 40-years-old, will be laid to rest later this year. He was pronounced dead on Monday, July 18th, 2011.

Borders, the second most visited bookstore in the United States, was a fighter to the end. Introducing many new products and ideas, Borders will be missed by many, especially in areas where he was the only major chain bookstore living. Trying to stay current and innovative, Borders made many attempts at new marketing and selling programs. However, in an uncertain business, rattled by a rocky economy and the ever-expanding eBook market, Borders was unable to make it. Still trying to please his millions of customers, Borders will be offering going-out-of-business sales throughout the rest of the summer and fall of 2011.

Beginning as just a single used bookstore in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Borders climbed his way up to success, creating a place, a home, where people of all ages could visit. Always encouraging reading and writing, Borders offered events, parties, and other engaging activities for the people of his community.

Borders is survived by his fellow book stores: Barnes and Noble; Books-A-Million, who will take Borders’s place as the second most visited bookstore in the U.S.; online stores such as, Amazon and Book Depository; and local independent book sellers.

It is unknown the official date of when the memorial service will be held. It is believed that after all liquidation sales are completed, separate services may be held at the locations of Borderses across the map.

In lieu of flowers, the family of Borders has requested that readers keep reading and book lovers remain loving.

Online condolences may be expressed to Borders’s family in the comments section.

 

My sincerest hope is that we remain in the hearts of readers for years to come.

– Mike Edwards, CEO of Borders

Wish You Were Dead: Be Careful What You Blog For

The first in Todd Strasser’s cyber “thrill-ogy”, Wish You Were Dead is a chilling mystery paired with a side of adventure, intrigue, and ever-bountiful plot twists. Recommended to me by my local library, Wish You Were Dead sows questions in your mind about social class, popularity, and the effect your words have on people.

Taking place in a ritzy neighborhood, Soundview, a community that isn’t often faced with crime, Wish You Were Dead follows Madison, a rich, but well-intentioned, high schooler. Madison, who volunteers with her community’s Safe Drives, an organization that offers ride to inebriated teens departing from parties, finds herself in a big mess after one fatal accident. Madison and her Safe Drives partner, Tyler, make the mistake of dropping a girl, Lucy, off without waiting for to enter her house. All Safe Drives volunteers are required to wait until the partygoer enters their house before leaving, but it was late, Madison was tired, and Lucy was being uncooperative. Leaving Lucy, Tyler and Madison returned to their homes to sleep. But when Madison waked up in the morning, she learned that Lucy had went missing, leaving no signs as to where she escaped to. Madison, shocked and guilty, was unsure what to think. Lucy, also another rich girl, used to be Madison’s best friend.  Madison called off the friendship because of Lucy’s extreme competitiveness and the mood swings that came from her bipolar condition.

the sequel to Wish You Were Dead

At first, Lucy is declared by the cops as a “runaway.” But as Lucy’s boyfriend, Adam, also another ex-friend of Madison’s, also goes missing, the cops, the parents, and the students of Soundview begin to worry. Madison, afraid that she will be the next “popular” to go, begins a search to find the kidnapper, who, as people begin to speculate, may be a murderer. Through a series of Facebook stalker messages, slashed tires, and handwritten notes, Madison begins to make some connections to the disappearances. However, for each connection made, a double amount of questions are created.  A culmination of plot twists and exposures causes Madison to view her former friends, her teachers, her best friend, Whitney, Tyler, and herself in a different light.

After the discovery of an anonymous blog, which, in detail, lists the cruel actions made and words spewed by the popular kids at Soundview High, Madison tries to improve her attitude, generosity, and friendliness in an attempt to avoid being the next one taken by the Soundview Kidnapper.

Using 21st technology to make an edge-of-your-seat, read-it-in-one-sitting-and-never-forgot-it thriller, Wish You Were Dead expertly weaves crime, loneliness, popularity, and rejection to create one engaging and horrifyingly creative story.

A companion to Wish You Were Dead, Blood on My Hands, another thriller that incorporates the cyber aspect, is now available.

Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

 (images via and via)

Mockingbird: Hope, Resilience in One Small Package

Mockingbird, by Kathryn Erskine, is the 2010 National Book Award recipient for young people’s literature. Sweet and emotional, Mockingbird is told by Caitlin, a ten-year-old with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism.  Caitlin, an exceptional artist, lives with her family, which now only consists of her and her dad. Her older brother, Devon, used to also be a part of Caitlin’s family. However, after a tragic school shooting, Devon is gone from Caitlin’s life. Forever. 

Devon was always a source of guidance for Caitlin. He offered her assistance, encouraged her creativity, and taught her how to act properly in world that is so strange to her. But now that Devon is dead and gone, Caitlin must fend for herself in a scary, cruel world. Her dad is of little assistance; he is too busy mourning the death of his son, the mediator of their abnormal family. 

paperback edition

 

Visits with the school’s guidance counselor do not help Caitlin understand or cope with her family’s tragedy. She is often teased and stared at in school. People call her “freak,” or try to sympathize with her, or just avoid her altogether. The only thing that helps Caitlin deal with her pain is her artwork. But people even try to change that. They ask her to add color or try different techniques that don’t appeal to Caitlin. For her, art is an escape, not a skill.

It is only after Caitlin meets Michael, a first grader, that she has someone to share her feelings with. Michael’s mom was also killed in the school shooting. Caitlin’s mind, an area of imagination and confusion, is a war zone of thought. While she will never be the same again, Caitlin learns to use situations thrown at her to make wise decisions and establish relationships.

A short, but deep, novel, Mockingbird draws references from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird to create a touching story of a family of two that was once a family of three. The vivid first person narrative is an eye-opening experience of Asperger’s syndrome and how it makes difficult situations even more uneasy. Thoughtful, caring, and hopeful, Mockingbird tells a story of light after darkness. 

Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

Poll #8: eReaders + eBooks

It’s reward time! After Poll #7’s absolutely smashing, record-breaking results, I thought it would be fun to have another poll, because they are a great way to for you, the readers of The Bookshelf, to participate and have your voices heard. I present to you Poll #8!

I imagine everyone has now heard of eReaders and eBooks (if not, please read this post) and the impact they have brought into both the literary and technological worlds. eReaders are devices, oft called “the iPods of books,” from which you can purchase and read eBooks. An eBook is an electronic copy of a regular book. The only difference is that you don’t get the full experience of a regular book with actual pages, designs, and (with some eReaders) color. Amazon.com introduced the first eReader, their famous Kindle, in 2007. The Kindle remains the most popular eReader on the market, surpassing the Barnes and Noble Nook, Sony Reader, and the Kobo eReader (I’m not including the iPod Touch, iPhone, and the iPad, because they’re considered more than eReaders). However, not only is Amazon’s Kindle the bestselling eReader; their eBook sales aren’t too shabby, either. On May 19th of this year, Amazon announced that, only after four years of selling eBooks, their eBooks sales surpassed the sales of their hardcover, “real,” paper books.

This news is monumental, especially with people saying that one day paper books will become obsolete, and that eBooks will take over for good. I, and many others, will be horrified if paper books become obsolete. I cannot envision a world without paper books. Imagine how different things would be: Would libraries lend eBooks instead? And bookstores? Would they all be online? Textbooks? Would every schoolchild be issued an eReader instead of an armload of textbooks? I own a Barnes and Noble Nook, and I use it fairly often (I buy probably fifteen books a year on it). However, nothing is more beautiful to me than “actual” paper books, available in a wide variety of shiny and muted colors, sitting on my bookshelf. Speaking of bookshelves, if paper books become extinct, will people even use the word “bookshelf” anymore? If not, what meaning will my blog’s title have?

the original Kindle

Please, don’t miss understand me; eBooks, in certain circumstances, can be very cool and very innovative. And, despite not being in paper, is the same book in both formats. And I suppose that should be the main concern: the writing, creativity, and thought in the book, not the format it arrives in. So, without further ado, Poll #8’s question:

What are your views on eReaders and eBooks? You can find the poll, along with its answer options above the “about me” section on the right side of the page. Please vote! The last poll was so successful, and I suspect this one will be nothing less! Make your vote and let your voice be heard, because the poll closes on July 31st at midnight!

Do you think eBooks are awesome? Or do you not want paper books to become obsolete? Now is the time to let your opinion out in a peaceful way. VOTE!

– Jacob

PS: You can find just about any book in eBook format these days. Even the Harry Potter series (final movie comes out on Friday!), which J.K. Rowling once insisted not to become eBooks, will be available in eBook format in October, through a website called Pottermore. For more eBook sale stats, please visit this website.

(images via and via)

Countdown: A Vision to the Past

The saying goes, a picture can tell a thousand words. But how many words can a picture tell when it’s supplemented with a story? My guess: millions.

Visionary, imaginative, innovative, and never before created, Countdown, by Deborah Wiles, is a photographic experience. A scrapbook, you may say. Told from the point-of-view of a strong young girl, Franny, Countdown explores the deep heat of the 1960s Cold War from an adolescent’s perspective.

An inside photo

Franny, a middle child, lives outside the Andrews Air Force base in Maryland, a location that could be struck by weapons of mass destruction from Cuba. With the ever-present threat of danger, Franny adapts to a strange new environment, but not without any obstacles. She must continue to live a semi-normal life, while participating in drills at school, spying on a secretive sister, struggling with a delusional relative, and dealing with a rocky friendship. Also bringing out issues of civil and women’s rights, Franny makes many discoveries in herself and the people and areas around her.

An original ad from the '60s

Interspersed with rich black and white photographs, biographies of ‘60s icons, speeches made by politicians, and songs written by rebels, Countdown is a fun and engaging history lesson wrapped around a coming-of-age story. Franny must make sacrifices, take blame, and rely on her trust to prosper in these difficult times. While the photographs and extra pieces of writing do not directly relate to Franny’s story, her challenges and her victories can be seen in other figures of the 1960s. Printed on nice paper, with rich shades of gray, the pictures make for the ultimate reading experience.

A bio found in Countdown

Countdown, a book that should be read by people of all ages, all times, and all races, is a story of finding yourself while faced with circumstances that you have absolutely no control over. Franny, who I found reminiscent of Anne Frank, manages to smile, make the best of situations, and progress smoothly through her life, always seeking wonder and joy.

The first in the Sixties Trilogy, Countdown allows history to come alive and open itself to all generations.

Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

(Cover image via. Inside page pictures were taken by yours truly, Jacob Hopkins)

The Results Are In! (Poll #7)

WE DID IT! Or rather, YOU DID IT! Here, in all its glittery, poorly designed glory are the results to the RECORD-BREAKING Poll #7! (For those of you, do not want to suffer the pain of reading my poorly designed monstrosity, you will find the written results of Poll #7 under the picture page spread.)

If you're wondering why there is a girl shooting a shark with a...harpoon gun (?), it's because it's the only (legal) online Guinness World Record page spread that worked with the information that I had....

Easy-to-read results:

First place: Yes, I may read a few books with thirteen votes! What a wonderful first place – it's not an extreme (like, "Yes, I'll be reading five hundred pages a day!" or on the other side of the spectrum, "No. Books disgust me."); it's a perfect medium.

Second and Third Places: Yes! I'll be reading throughout the summer (with ten votes) and Maybe, it depends on how busy I am (with six votes).

Last Place: With ZERO votes, No! Why would I read during the summer? Thankfully, there were zero votes. I mean, really? Whether you're into books or not, you'll probably be reading something over the summer: newspapers, Facebook status updates, cereal boxes, etc, etc. For those hypothetical people (since no one actually vote for this option), I dare you to count how many  times per day you read something. I imagine you'll be surprise.

Add up all the votes: 13 + 10 + 6... and you get TWENTY-NINE VOTES! A new record for The Bookshelf, with twelve votes more than the previous record (Poll #5 - seventeen votes). I am so proud of you guys (and girls)! You've set a difficult record to beat, but I have feeling that we can do it again next time! Look for Poll #8 arriving around mid July!

Thank you!

– Jacob

Chains: A Great Independence Day Read

Today is July 4th, 2011; the 235th anniversary of the issuing of the Declaration of Independence; Independence Day. The United States of America won its independence from Great Britain after we won the Revolutionary War. The citizens of America’s thirteen colonies were quite divided in which side they took in the War. There were the Patriots, those who wished that America would become its own country; and the Loyalists, those who sided with Britain. Chains, an exemplary historical novel by Laurie Halse Anderson, explores slavery during the Revolutionary War and the decisions that slaves had to make–most importantly, the decision between being a Patriot or a Loyalist.

Chains begins with Isabel and her little sister, Ruth, talking with their deceased owner’s lawyer. Isabel’s owner, a kind older lady, was always generous to Isabel and Ruth. She promised that when she passed away, Isabel and Ruth would be freed slaves. However, when the time finally came, the lawyer could not seem to find such papers claiming this wish of Isabel’s owner; they were “missing.” Of course, is blatantly clear that the lawyer really knew about the paper, but was not going to allow Isabel and Ruth to become free people. Devastated, Isabel and Ruth are shipped to New York to live with their new owners–a cruel, childless, Loyalist couple, the Locktons. Quickly, Isabel learns that the rest of the New York colony is not aware of the couple’s Loyalist status. The majority of the New Yorkers are Patriots, but, as Isabel learns, there are many secrets behind closed doors.

Fierce, irritable, and menacing, the Locktons constantly mock Isabel and Ruth for their skin color, beat them for their incompetence, and scold them for not completing every minute detail for every minute task. While running errands for her owners, Isabel frequently talks to Curzon, a slave for a Patriot soldier. Strong-willed, Curzon tries to convince Isabel that if she reveals the Lockton’s Loyalist secrets to the Patriots, she will be a free slave once the Patriots win the war. However, Isabel is not quite sure if she thinks the Patriots will even the war. Living in New York as a slave, Isabel hears many conversations from warriors on both sides of the war. Much of the conversations that she hears give no definite results to the looming war. 

Another big question that conflicts with Isabel’s life is: Which side should she believe? Essentially, both sides offer Isabel freedom, after the war, if she tattles on the opposing side. But living with an abusive Loyalist couple and seeing the ruckus of the Patriots in the streets, is no help for Isabel, needing answers.

Forge, the sequel to Chains

Ultimately, Isabel, who is a strong, independent, intelligent, young girl, no matter what her skin color is, comes to the conclusion that neither side will live up to its promise. Struggling with that fact, Isabel realizes that she must trust herself, not the Patriots and not the Loyalists. Confident, she lives her life, obeying the Locktons, but secretly living the life of a rebel. Not a Rebel, as in siding with the Americans that want to break free from Britain, but a rebel that lives her own life, standing strong. 

However, when the unthinkable happens, Isabel must make a decision that goes against her newly found beliefs. Despite punishment, Isabel puts someone else’s life first, but possibly too late. Taking the pain and injuries that come with her decision, Isabel is branded as a whole new person, a person that must live for what she believes in. For if she was to forget what she believed in, she would have nothing left at all.

Heart-pounding, heartbreaking, and heart-wrenching, Chains is what Laurie Halse Anderson refers to as a "historical thriller." Fast-paced, and often violent, Chains is nothing short of thrilling. Anderson’s lyrical, sweet prose expertly weaves one of this historical thriller’s main points: the irony of the Americans fighting for independence, when they treat their African-Americans no better than the British treat them. 

The first in a trilogy, The Seeds of America, Chains is followed by Forge, a sequel told from Curzon’s point-of-view. The thrilling finale in trilogy is expected to be released sometime late this year or early next.

Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

 (images via and via)

What's Happening this Month?

Happy July! Summer has been in progress for many days, many hot days, now! I’m sure many of you have visited the pool, or have been to the movies, or, maybe a lucky few of you, have visited some foreign countries. Whatever you have on your long list of planned things for this summer, summer reading should definitely be one of them. Whether you’re going to read because the “newness” of summer has begun to wear off, or if you’re going to read to make summer even more exciting, you can always find a list of great books right here on The Bookshelf! 

Starting off July right, on Monday, Independence Day, there will be a review of a great 4th of July read: Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson! Chains is a phenomenal perspective (written by a phenomenal author, might I add) of a young female slave during the Revolutionary War, the war from which the U.S. won its independence from Great Britain (not so Great now, are ya?). (I have to stop using parenthesis now. I don’t want to look too unprofessional.)

There will also be reviews of the following books: Countdown by Deborah Wiles – everybody should read this fun and smart book immediately; Mockingbird, a touching book about a child with autism, by Kathryn Erskine; and Wish You Were Dead, a mysterious, psychological murder mystery page-turner, by Todd Strasser.   

On to polls! The results of the RECORD-BREAKING Poll #7 will be published on Thursday, the seventh. As promised, it will be like the Guinness Book of World Records, but ten times greater (As long as you can look past poor graphic design… Drat! I’m using another set of parenthesis!) Poll #8 – We’re almost at double digits! – will be arriving in mid-July. The topic? Ereaders and Ebooks. [cue scary music] duh duh duh! You’ll hear my thoughts, my preferences, my likes, my dislikes, my compliments, my complaints, and my statements on Ereaders and Ebooks later this month.

(How do you spell “ereader”? Is it all one word? Two words? Hyphenated? Spelled with a lowercase “e” and an uppercase “R”?)

And July will end on a strong note, with STRONG Characters. Yep, that’s STRONG, in all caps. I will be writing about what it means to be a STRONG character in a book, how their thought processes work, and how they succeed, or at least face and overcome adversity. There will be three, maybe two, examples of STRONG female character and three/two examples of STRONG male characters from young adult novels. 

So. A Quick Summary for July: 4th of July Day book + review, three more definite reviews, polls and poll results, Ereaders (E-readers? e-Readers? e readers? eReaders?) and Ebooks poll/discussion, STRONG (all caps!) Characters, summer reading, and summer heat! 

– Jacob

(image via)