A sample text widget
Etiam pulvinar consectetur dolor sed malesuada. Ut convallis
euismod dolor nec pretium. Nunc ut tristique massa.
Nam sodales mi vitae dolor ullamcorper et vulputate enim accumsan.
Morbi orci magna, tincidunt vitae molestie nec, molestie at mi. Nulla nulla lorem,
suscipit in posuere in, interdum non magna.
|
This post written by Clint Wake
by Lisa McMann
[cover name=wake]
Janie Hannagan has a special power, or maybe a curse: whenever someone nearby falls asleep and starts to dream, Janie is sucked into the dream. She gets tag along while somebody flies around, shows up to work naked, or falls and falls and falls. Sounds fun, right? Janie is in high school, so she gets pulled in every time somebody falls asleep in class. She works at a nursing home, so she gets pulled in every time a resident dozes off.
She learns a lot about other people this way. She knows who who has a secret crush on her best friend, for example. She knows that somebody who lives on Waverly Road is really messed up. She knows that Cable, the class slacker, has dreams about her. Then she finds herself in one of Cable’s a really messed up nightmares, and she decides to stop watching and try to fix things.
You should know a few things about this novel before you start. First, a lot of it takes place in the dreams of teenagers. You know what that means. Second, there is a lot of swearing. Third, some people are put off by the writing style. You might want to preview it at Google Books.
[starratingmulti id=”1″]
Where to Find It
[librarylist]
[librarydate]
This post written by Clint Bad Monkeys
by Matt Ruff
[cover name=badmonkeys]
Jane Charlotte is arrested for murder, but when she tells the police that she is actually a member of a secret organization dedicated to fighting crime, they put her in the psychological ward. Jane claims to be part of a division nicknamed the Bad Monkeys, who are supposed to track down and kill really evil people who have managed to escape justice. Apparently, this secret organization has access to all kinds of nifty stuff, like the NC gun, which kills its victim through natural causes. If you believe Jane (and the police don’t), this secret group hides tiny security cameras in pictures of eyes on posters, dollar bills, etc., and their operatives communicate through the Daily Jumble (that puzzle in the newspaper where you have to unscramble words).
Bad Monkeys is the story Jane tells a psychologist who is trying to find out if she is crazy or just lying. It is part thriller, part science fiction, and part satire. You don’t know if Jane is crazy, if she’s telling the truth, or if she’s crazy and telling the truth until the very end.
If you want, you can read the first chapter online at the author’s website.
[starratingmulti id=”1″]
Where to Find It
[librarylist]
[librarydate]
This post written by Clint A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
by Ishmael Beah
[cover name=alongwaygone]
Ishmael Beah grew up in Sierra Leone during its civil war. He and some of his friends have their own rap and dance group, and one day, they all go to another town to take part in a talent show. While they are out, their home town is attacked and destroyed. Ishmael is twelve years old at this point. He and his friends think about going back to find their families, but instead they end up on the run and try to make their way to some safe part of the country. Ishmael is eventually separated and forced to join the army. They brainwash him, give him drugs and an assault rifle, and let him and other children loose on the rebel army and anyone else in the way. Eventually he is released and take care of by UNICEF, but he has seen and done a lot of really bad stuff, and he doesn’t know how to be a normal person anymore. One volunteer finally reaches him through his love of rap music, and he finally begins to recover.
This book has a lot of violence, but it is more about the author’s recovery. It is also written to draw attention to the tragedy of child soldiers – Sierra Leone is not the only country where children have been used this way.
There has been some controversy about this book. Some reporters say that Beah’s dates are wrong, that certain events probably didn’t happen, and that it is unlikely that any one person could have experienced everything that happens in this book. I don’t know the whole story, but you can read about all of this on Wikipedia. Even if this book isn’t the literal truth of what happened to Ishmael Beah, it’s still a moving description of the kinds of awful things that children face in many civil wars.
You can read some of it online at Google Books.
You can watch Ishmael Beah on the Daily Show.
[starratingmulti id=”1″]
Where to Find It
[librarylist]
[librarydate]
This post written by Clint Sharp Teeth
by Toby Barlow
[cover name=sharpteeth]
Anthony Silvo has just gotten a job as a dogcatcher in East L.A. He doesn’t really want to send the dogs to the pound, but he needs the money. Then he meets a mysterious woman who gets him caught in the middle of a big supernatural mess.
Werewolves are alive and well in East L.A. Well, not exactly werewolves. More weredogs, who can shift back and forth between human and dog whenever they want. There are a number of things going on in the story. Lark, the leader of one pack, is betrayed by one of his followers. He decides to hide out in an animal shelter and is eventually adopted. When his owners are out, he organizes a new pack, but he slowly realizes that he likes the quiet life. Meanwhile, Anthony’s mysterious girlfriend is killing off certain weredogs. A couple of people from Lark’s pack end up playing in a bridge (not poker!) tournament that may have a connection to the L.A. drug trade. Finally, a detective named Peabody (probably a reference to Mister Peabody) is investigating a series of murders that relate to the weredog packs.
This is a werewolf story, so you can expect a fair amount of violence. The author also sneaks in a lot of dog-related humor, as you can see from the bridge-playing dogs and Peabody. The unusual thing is that this story is told in verse, sort of. Why? I’m not sure, but a couple of recent authors have tried it, so I guess it must be trendy. The book looks like a giant poem, but once you start reading, it’s basically a novel with very short lines.
If you want to give the book a try, you can browse it for free at the publisher’s website.
[starratingmulti id=”1″]
Where to Find It
[librarylist]
[librarydate]
This post written by Clint Street Pharm
by Allison van Diepen
[cover name=streetpharm]
Ty Johnson is trying to go to school and hold the family business together. The catch is that the family business is dealing drugs. When things get rough, Ty has to decide who he is and how he wants to live his life.
You can read some of it online at Google Books.
[starratingmulti id=”1″]
Where to Find It
[librarylist]
[librarydate]
This post written by Clint From Pieces to Weight: Once Upon a Time in Southside Queens
by 50 Cent and Kris Ex
[cover name=frompiecestoweight]
This is one of 50 Cent’s autobiographies. He grew up in a rough part of Queens and started selling drugs before he was a teenager, but his life changed dramatically after he met Jam Master Jay.
You can read some of it online at Google Books.
[starratingmulti id=”1″]
Where to Find It
[librarylist]
[librarydate]
|
More Recommendations
Reading About Comics
Science & Math Reading
|
Tags: 
Category: 
Write a comment