Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Girls in Pants

Brashares, Ann. GIRLS IN PANTS : THE THIRD SUMMER OF THE SISTERHOOD

This is the last summer before the Septembers are off to college. And they want to make it a great one. In the Fall, they will be heading off to Brown, NYU, RISD and Williams. They'll be close but not close enough to see each other a lot. So for the summer, Bridget is off to be a counselor at soccer camp. Tibby is working in a movie theatre. Of course, Lena will do anything rather than work in the restaurant. And Carmen has taken the unlikely job of taking care of Lena's Greek grandmother. But they make a plan to have one weekend at the beach at the end of the summer just for the girls. The summer brings change to each of the girls but what this means for each of the girls is very different.

Nicola and the Viscount

Cabot, Meg. NICOLA AND THE VISCOUNT

Ah, don't you just love Victorian romances? Meet Nicola Sparks -- 16 years old and an orphan living in 1810 London. No, she isn't one of those street urchins you've met in other books. Nicola is part of London society and she longs to marry well and live a good life. Right now she has her eye on Sebastian Bartholomew aka The God. He's handsome, rich and everything Nicola could ever want. But there is no way that Sebastian could ever be interested in marrying a near penniless orphan of no title. But then it happens. He proposes!!! Everyone is amazed. Including Nicola. Dreams really do come true. But why is her best friend's brother doubting the sincerity of the proposal? What could Lord Sebastian want from Nicola other than love?

City of Ember

DuPrau, Jeanne. THE CITY OF EMBER

It's assignment day. Lina has dreamed of this day for so long. She's dreamed of wearing the red coat of a messenger. She knows no one gets to choose his/her own job. Everyone is assigned one and must work at it for two years before a transfer can be considered. After all, everything is done for the good of the City of Ember. When the jobs are announced, Lina receives the worst possible news. She's been assigned to the Pipeworks. Working underground in horrible conditions is her fate. Until her friend Doon asks to switch with her. He's been given the job of messenger but he wants to work in the Pipeworks. Lina can't believe her luck. But then she starts wondering why it is so important to Doon to work on the generators. Could what he says be true? Is the City of Ember running out of light? Can Lina and Doon really help save their people?

Pepins and Their Problems

Horvath, Polly. THE PEPINS AND THIER PROBLEMS

Meet the Pepins. They are a delightful family but totally incapable of solving even the smallest of problems. What would you do if you found toads in your shoes? The Pepins haven't a clue and the author must rely on suggestions from the readers to help the family. When they can't find any silverware, they again seek assistance from the readers. Will this family ever be able to solve their own problems? What will happen when the book ends and they can't ask for any more advice?

Legend of Buddy Bush

Moses, Shelia P. LEGEND OF BUDDY BUSH

In 1947 North Carolina, the rules are very different depending on the color of your skin. Twelve-year-old Pattie Mae understands this and longs to move north to Harlem with her brother and sister. She can't wait until she is old enough to leave. She loves her mother and her grandparents but the pull of the north is strong. Uncle Buddy has told her lots about life in Harlem. He spent many years there. So many that he sometimes forgets the rules in the south.

Molly McGinty has a Really Good Day

Paulsen, Gary. MOLLY MCGINTY HAS A REALLY GOOD DAY

Molly McGinty is a very organized young lady. Her notebook is the center of her world. She has everything she needs right inside of it. Her homework assignments of course. Her address book. Pertinent information about her friends - phone numbers, email addresses, birthdays, pets, siblings. She had her lunch tickets in a special compartment. Emergency money. To-do reminders. You name it, she probably had it in her notebook. But now something is terribly wrong. Her notebook is missing! How will she get through the day? And what a day it is going to be. It is Senior Citizens Day at school and Molly's eccentric grandmother is coming to spend the day. Wow, little does Molly know what an unusual day it will be.

The Teacher's Funeral

The Teacher's Funeral

Peck, Richard. THE TEACHER'S FUNERAL : A COMEDY IN THREE PARTS

"If your teacher has to die, August isn't a bad time of the year for it." So begins the story of fifteen-year-old Russell Culver who is looking forward to having the school shut down after the teacher dies. All Russell can think about is quitting school and joining up with a wheat threshing crew to get out of this town. There isn't much here in Indiana for a young boy in 1904. Russell wants to go to the city and see all the wonders that modern technology brings. But there is no such luck. Russell's older sister Tansy is appointed the new teacher and so begins a year of privy fires, missing bells, and elocution lessons for this rag tag class at Hominy Ridge School. If you liked Richard Peck's other novels set during this time, A Year Down Yonder and A Long Way from Chicago, you are sure to enjoy the comical look at rural schools from the last century.