Alexandria of Africa, by Eric Walters

For Alexandria Hyatt having a fabulous life is easy: she knows what she wants and she knows how to get it. Being glamorous and rich is simply what she was born to be. When Alexandria is arrested for shoplifting, having to drag herself into court to face a judge just seems like a major inconvenience. But Alexandria has been in trouble before–and this time she can’t find a way to scheme out of the consequences. Before she knows it, she’s on a plane headed to Kenya where she has been ordered to work for an international charity. Over 7,000 miles away from home with no hot water, no cell phone reception, no friends or family, Alexandria is confronted with a land as unfamiliar as it is unsettling. Over the course of her month in Africa, Alexandria will face a reality she could never have imagined, and will have to look inside herself to see if she has what it takes to confront it.

Eric Walters is one of Canada’s most prolific authors for middle school students; our library has 24 of his titles in our collection. Generally, the protagonists in Eric Walter’s books are boys. This is probably his first book in which the main character is a young girl.
Eric Walters takes you on a journey through Kenya while reading passages from Alexandria Of Africa. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvHuWYK02qs

Check out a cool book promotion...this librarian has guts!

Click here to hear a librarian rap about books:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgkLPrSjT6Q

How it Happened in Peach Hill, by Marthe Jocelyn

(Gr. 5-9) During the 1920s, 15-year-old Annie travels from town to town with her mother who proclaims to be able to see the future and communicate with the “dear departed”. Annie has been longing for a permanent home for years, especially after their last scrape with the law, but her mother seems to care little for Annie’s wishes. She uses her instead in her scam to make money. In the town of Peach Hill, Annie poses as an idiot so she can eavesdrop on conversations around town and gather information for Madame Caterina's fortune-telling sessions. Annie sees no way out but knows she needs to do something to change where her life is headed. Chapter headings include “old wives' tales” that hint at how the plot will unfold.
AWARDS: CLA 2008 Notables

The Triskelia Trilogy by Carrrie Mac

From the author's website http://www.carriemac.com/

The Droughtlanders, by Carrie Mac - The Triskelia Series Book One
Twin brothers Seth and Eli Maddox are Keylanders brought up within the privileged and protected Eastern Key. Keylanders, the boys are told, must keep within their walls to avoid the filth and disease spread by the Droughtlanders—those who struggle to survive on the parched land between the Keys. But when Eli sees their mother helping one of the wretched Droughtlanders, a chain of terrible events begins to unravel the life they’ve all known and will pit brother against brother in a life-or-death struggle between two worlds. The first book in the Triskelia trilogy, The Droughtlanders is a brilliant blend of futuristic fantasy and gritty social realism, with unforgettable characters and a compulsively readable story. (Grades 8-12)
Awards: • Canadian Library Association Young Adult Canadian Book Award: Shortlist 2007• The Sunburst Award for Canadian Literature of the Fantastic: Shortlist 2007• Young Adult Library Services Association - Best Books for Young Adults: Nominee 2006

Retribution, by Carrie Mac - The Triskelia Series Book Two
The Maddox siblings’ world has been ripped from them yet again.
With thousands of Triskelians dead at the hands of the Keyland Guard, Eli and Sabine flee with the survivors to the safety of Cascadia. Seth, missing for days before rescue from beneath the rubble, is horrified to discover that he is presumed guilty for the ambush. And so he goes into exile. As the devastated Triskelian survivors recuperate at a safe mountain retreat, and grieve their terrible losses, Seth finds his way to the wretched city of Triban. There, he begins amassing an army of orphan boys and children from the street. When the time is right, he and his child soldiers will fight the war that will topple the Keys once and for all—proving to Triskelia and, most importantly, to his siblings that the massacre wasn’t his fault. Meanwhile, Sabine, as the Triskelians’ new leader, must deal with the pressures of organizing an angry, desperate, vengeful people, as well as Eli’s increasing resistance to her plans. Justice or revenge... As the three siblings struggle separately with tragedy and its aftermath, they will each discover their destiny, their own form of retribution. And all three will be left with blood on their hands.
(Grade 8-12) CLA Notable Book 2008

Look for book three in the series, Storm, and check out the Triskelia website at http://www.triskelia.ca/

Mistik Lake, by Martha Brooks

Secrets in her mother’s past affect Odella more than she knows.

In 1981, three teenagers died while joyriding on frozen Mistik Lake in Manitoba; the only survivor was Sally, Odella’s mother. This novel follows Odella’s life from the time she is 9 until her 18th birthday and alternates in the telling between Odella, her great aunt Gloria and later Odella’s boyfriend, Jimmy. When Odella is 15, her mother leaves them and the devastated family struggles to function without her. During the summer when Odella turns 18, she gets a job at the local grocer’s in Mistik Lake so she can be near Jimmy. It is during this time that all of the incidents from the past, and the secrets that were kept, finally come to light. This reads like an adult novel and is sure to be a favourite among high school girls. Grades 9-12. [Mature episodes]

The Juvie Three, by Gordon Korman

When Douglas Healey, a former juvie, persuades authorities to let him try an experimental juvenile detention program, Gecko, Arjay and Terrence get a second chance to turn their lives around. Gecko is in detention because his brother has always bullied him into making poor decisions. Arjay, who has professed his innocence all along, is in adult prison for manslaughter and Terrence is a tough gang member who doesn’t want to be rehabilitated. It is a gamble for Doug Healey and a real struggle for Gecko and Arjay who see their chance being jeopardized by Terrence. When Healey falls and hits his head (in a tussle with his boys), he ends up in a coma and the boys are on their own. How can they keep out of trouble (especially Terrence) and make sure the authorities don’t find out what has happened? Grade 7-10

My Mother is a French Fry and Further Proof of a Fuzzed-up Life, by Colleen Sydor

Eli Smyth…she’s hard to figure out. Does she really have such a bad home life or is she just being a really obnoxious teenager? Check out the girl who can’t bring herself to swear (hence her use of the letter z) but who can be SO cruel to her mother…is that a contradiction or what? Eli is mortified by her mother’s behaviour. Their furniture is often “reclaimed” from garbage cans in the neighbourhood. Eli never knows who her mother will drag home or what she will wear out in public (especially the French fry costume she wears in her new job). How embarrassing!!! Unfortunately, there are deeper issues than anyone realized and these threaten to consume Eli. What started out as a fun, light read turns out to be a really good read for teenage girls. Grade 8 up.

For Speech Day 2010...titles on order

The library collection of monologues and duets was certainly popular this year as students got ready for Speech Day. We have ordered the following titles to augment the collection. Look for them soon.

• 100 Great Monologs: a Versatile Collection of Monologs, Duologs and Triologs for Student Actors
• 101 Monologues for Middle School Actors: Including Duologues and Triologues
• Encore! : More Winning Monologs for Young Actors: 63 More Honest-to-life Monologs for Teenage Boys and Girls
• Famous Fantasy Character Monologs: Starring the Not-so-wicked Witch and More
• Millennium Monologs: 95 Contemporary Characterizations for Young Actors
• Sixty Comedy Duet Scenes for Teens: Real-life Situations for Laughter
• Tell It Like It Is: Fifty Monologs for Talented Teens

News: MLA format for Works Cited pages has changed!

MLA citing of sources:

As of April 2009, several changes will be required when creating Works Cited pages.
These include using italics instead of underlining titles and no longer including the URL when citing internet sources. These changes will be updated in early April on our school library website (REFERENCES AND CITATIONS).

For more information on the changes, ask Ms Ropchan or check the following sources:
Diana Hacker's Documenting Sources: A Hacker Handbooks Supplement
Purdue OWL's MLA 2009 Update

Runestone Saga by Chris Humphreys

Book 1: The Fetch
For grades 9-12. Through the power of his grandfather's set of Norse runestones and the advice of his grandfather's ghostly "fetch," or double, Sky struggles to solve the mystery of the draugr haunting him and discover what his destiny holds for him. His cousin, Kristin, also of the same bloodline, guards him as he travels to the past. In their quest, Sky and Kirstin, end up in Norway only to face some very serious decisions. This tale is, at one time, a horror and fantasy novel with the occult, a runic puzzle, and a feel of hictorical fiction thrown in. This is a good read!


Book 2: Vendetta
Grade 9 up. Having escaped his grandfather Sigurd's (on his mother's side) nefarious plans, Sky March is now on a quest of his own. In book 1 of the saga, Sigurd has possessed Sky's cousin Kristen's body, and Sky is unable to fight back. He decides to travel to Corsica, where his father was born, and learn something Sigurd doesn't know to use to defeat him. Once there, Sky finds himself trapped in a centuries-old blood feud.

If you enjoyed these two titles in the Runestone Saga by Actor/author, Chris Hmpreys, you will enjoy #3: Possession.

Black Powder War by Naomi Novik

In book 3 of the Temeraire series, Will Laurence and his crew journey overland from China to Istanbul to collect three dragon eggs to be delivered to England. Disaster threatens the mission at every turn and culminates in the daring rescue of thousands of Prussian soldiers from the clutches of Napoleon's advancing forces.

Jolted by Arthur Slade

Jolted by Arthur Slade.
Newton's quest to escape being killed by lightning, like the rest of the Starkers, takes him to Jerry Pott's Academy of Higher Learning and Survival. He knows it's the only chance he has. Along the way to his survival OR NON-SURVIVAL, he encounters a new friend, an arch enemy (who happens to be a girl) and a pet pig (secreted away in his room) who seems to be more intelligent than any of them. Does Newton have a hope? This book, which reminds me of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid, is a fun read, especially for grades 7-8.

EBSCOHost database interface has amazing features

Check out EBSCOHost on the ORC and see what great features it
has to help you with your research.