Check out the video created at Animoto advertising our upcoming book fair at DR Hill. The book fair will be held in the media center Feb. 23rd-27th!
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Five Stars
Ever met a true hippy? One that's only thirteen-years-old? Capricorn Anderson lives in a commune, has been raised by his hippy grandmother all of his life, is a vegetarian, wears tie-dyed clothing, has long hair, has never even seen a television, much less watch one, and has been homeschooled his entire life. Can you imagine what happens when his grandmother is sent to a physical rehab center to rehabilitate from a serious injury and Cap is forced to live with a foster family and face the "real" world? The middle school he has to now attend has a time-honored tradition - elect the school loser as class president in order to torture him throughout the year with outrageous requests and unreasonable demands. Cap should have been the perfect target.
Cap's classmates fail to realize he is not the average kid. Despite his goofiness and non-stop blunders, you can't help but like Cap. Before long, he becomes the most popular kid in school! Though the ending of this story is a little rushed, I couldn't help but laugh throughout. This novel is one of my favorites.
If you like Alabama Moon by Watt Key, give this title a try.
Miriam has always been an outsider. Having an eclectic artistic mother and hippy environmentalist, professor father, along with her "creative," artistic upbringing, always set Miriam apart from the others in her small town. It used to be bearable when Miriam had her best friend, her sister Deborah, for support. Everything changes for the worse when Deborah starts high school and begins caring about her appearance. Suddenly, Deborah is popular, has tons of boyfriends to choose from, and even she now considers Miriam a freak.
When the hottest guy in high school, Artie, temporarily moves in with Miriam's family, Miriam has a hard time hiding the fact that she has a huge crush on him. When the popular crowd at school finds out, they begin to tease and torture Miriam more than ever - making her life unbearable. Miriam realizes she cannot go to her mother or her sister - she needs to take matters into her own hands, despite the consequences.
Freak portrays the cruel actions and words of school bullies and the lasting impact that haunts their victims in a painfully accurate light. Not only is Miriam treated horribly by her peers, she is greatly misunderstood by her own family. Though the ending offers some satisfaction when Miriam stands up for herself, the author does not pretend that all of Miriam's problems have suddenly vanished. Though Miriam has learned to stand up herself, life will still be very difficult.
If you enjoy reading this book, try Drowning Anna by Sue Mayfield.
Four Stars: Suspenseful
Thirteen-year-old Ali knew her mother was different from her friend's. She seemed to be afraid of many things, was way too protective of her, and always seemed stressed and tense. Ali didn't realize then that her mother had a closely guarded secret - one that had haunted her since childhood.
Ali thought her summer at the lake babysitting her niece would be the perfect getaway. That was until the strange little girl showed up. The little girl named Sissy - who had secrets of her own. Soon Ali learns of the horrible secret her mother has been carrying all of these years. Someone wants revenge for what Ali's mother has done. Will Ali be the one paying the price?
This scary ghost story will have you hooked until the last page!
