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Hopkinson, Deborah. THE GREAT TROUBLE : A MYSTERY OF LONDON, THE BLUE DEATH, AND A BOY CALLED EEL
Hopkinson, Deborah. THE GREAT TROUBLE : A MYSTERY OF LONDON, THE BLUE DEATH, AND A BOY CALLED EEL New York : Knopf, 2013 IL 5-8, RL 4.0 ISBN 0375848185 Eel is a young orphan living in 1854 in London. He gets by doing odd jobs but he does a bit of mudlarking to make some money too. He has to keep a low profile because his dangerous step-father is out to kill him and his brother. Life is hard for Eel. But things are going to get harder. People living on Broad Street are starting to get ill. Everyone knows that cholera has found the poor people crammed into the house on Broad Street. One of Eel's odd jobs is to take care of the animals for Dr. John Snow, a very famous doctor. When Eel begs Dr. Snow for help, the doctor is more than anxious to investigate. He has a theory of how cholera spreads and he enlists Eel's help in proving it.
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Today's book 08/31/2014
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Today's book 08/28/2014
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Holm, Jennifer L. EIGHTH GRADE IS MAKING ME SICK
Holm, Jennifer L. EIGHTH GRADE IS MAKING ME SICK New York : Random House, 2012 IL 5-8, RL 5.3 ISBN 0375968512 We all know that 8th grade is a terrible year. Probably the worst year of all the school years. But Ginny is not going to let that happen to her. She has really big plans. She will make 8th grade the best one ever. She is going out for cheerleading. She wants to join the Virtual Vixens. And she may just fall in love. Well, you just know that plans don't always work out. The family need to move because her stepdad has lost his job. Her mother is pregnant. He brother keeps getting into trouble. Told in a series of post-it notes, scrapbook entries, comics and pictures, this is Ginny's journey through 8th grade.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Today's book 08/26/2014
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Hoena, B. A. MATTHEW HENSON : ARCTIC ADVENTURER
Hoena, B. A. MATTHEW HENSON : ARCTIC ADVENTURER New York : Capstone, 2006 IL 5-8, RL 3.9 ISBN 0736846344 Way back about a hundred years ago, no one have ever been to the North Pole. Can you believe that? Well, the only way to get there was to walk so it is not too surprising. A young African America boy by the name of Matthew Henson learned about geography and navigation while serving as a cabin boy. As a young man, he was hired to be the valet of Robert Peary who was an explorer. Within a few years, Matthew would find himself on the way to the North Pole. There were several unsuccessful trips to the Pole before Matthew and Peary actually stepped foot on the Pole. Even though Matthew was there, when they got back to the States, he was rarely mentioned. You see, back in those days, African Americans were not seen as equals. It took years for Matthew to get the recognition he deserved. This is his story.
Friday, August 22, 2014
Today's book 08/22/2014
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Harvey, Jacqueline. ALICE-MIRANDA TAKES THE STAGE
Harvey, Jacqueline. ALICE-MIRANDA TAKES THE STAGE New York : Delacorte, 2013 IL 3-6, RL 5.3 ISBN 0385743335 Alice-Miranda is back for another semester at Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale Academy for Proper Young Ladies. This semester is going to be great. The school is teaming up with the nearby boys' school to put on a play. The girls are all looking forward to this. All the girls except the new one. Sloane has a different idea in mind. Can Alice-Miranda figure out what is going on before things get out of hand?
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Today's book 08/12/2014
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Hale, Shannon. DANGEROUS New York : Bloomsbury, 2014 IL YA ISBN 1599901684 Maisie has always been homeschooled and has not had the opportunity to be around other children. She hears about an opportunity to attend Space Camp and she just has to apply. Of course she probably won't get in. How many one-armed astronauts are there? But she does get in and gets a full scholarship. Some of the kids make fun of her disability but she is really enjoying all that she is learning. When she gets the opportunity to actually go into space, it is a dream come true. Or is it the beginning of a nightmare?
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Today's book 08/10/2014
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Giles, Gail. GIRLS LIKE US New York : Candlewick, 2014 IL YA ISBN 0763662674 Graduating from high school is a major event. It is life changing. For Quincy and Biddy, it is really a major step. Both girls are in the school's special education program. The girls both struggle with learning. Their teacher has arranged for them to move into their own apartment in the home of a older woman who needs some help around the house. Biddy is very excited but Quincy is not so sure about this. The girls don't really know each other and this may be a bad idea. Biddy is very upbeat and takes to the arrangement right away. She loves cleaning the house and puts all she has into making this all work. Quincy doesn't like people much and she is angry at the world. She will do her job at the local bakery but she refuses to think this is a good thing. Is there any way that these girls can bond?
Friday, August 8, 2014
Today's book 08/08/2014
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Gigliotti, Jim. ANIMAL SPORTS New York : Raintree, 2012 IL 3-6, RL 4.1 ISBN 1410942163 Do you play baseball or basketball? Maybe you are in a different sport. Did you ever stop to think about animals who are in sports? There are many sports where animals are the ones who are the stars. Horses are involved in many sports. From racing to steeple chase to long haul races, learn about the sports involved. There is also information about dogs in sports and even elephants!
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Today's book 08/07/2014
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Floca, Brian. LOCOMOTIVE New York : Atheneum Books of Young Readers, 2013 IL 3-6, RL 3.7 ISBN 1416994157 In the beginning of the 19th century, if you wanted to travel across the country, you needed to travel by foot or horse. It would take weeks and sometimes months to travel out west. In 1869, the first transcontinental railroad was opened and it shortened the time it took to travel. You could get on the train and in a few days, be in California. But what were the trains like? What was travel like on these trains? Get on board and find out.
Friday, August 1, 2014
Today's book 08/01/2014
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Farmer, Nancy. THE LORD OF OPIUM
Farmer, Nancy. THE LORD OF OPIUM New York : Antheneum Books for Young Readers, 2013 IL YA ISBN 1442482540 This is a long-awaited sequel to Farmer's 2002 novel, House of the Scorpion. In the first book, we met Matteo Alacran who was created to be an organ donor for the drug lord El Patron. Many powerful drug lords have had clones created to act as spare parts. El Patron had lived over 140 years by using these clones. But Matt was different. El Patron had not had his brain destroyed and had given him an education. But Matt escaped Opium and survived the purge of El Patron's empire. Now Matt has been declared a person and is the new El Patron. He is in charge of the entire drug empire and all that goes with it. But Matt has other ideas of what he wants his country to be. He wants to stop raising opium and start raising crops. He believes that the country can be self sustaining and not rely on the drug trade. There are many obstacles in his way.
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