Title: Shadowmancer
Author: G. P. Taylor
# of pages: 275

Plot Summary:

In a small village by the German Ocean lives a vicar named Obadiah Demurral, a man with cruel ambitions to control everything and everyone. All he needs to accomplish this are the two Keruvim, and with these weapons, even God and His angels must bow down before him. To make the task easier, Demurral was given the ability to control the dead, as a shadowmancer, by the Dark Lord Pyratheon. However, possessions and power are not so easily obtained, as Demurral soon realizes the truth about who will really hold the Keruvim's power - and it isn't him.

Meanwhile, Thomas and Kate are soon dragged into this catastrophe, after their new friend, Raphah, was sent from his homeland to retrieve the Keruvim that belonged to his people. The three must face danger beyond words, in their quest filled with ruthlessness and deceit.

Opinion:

Shadowmancer was somewhat enjoyed because of the creativity involved. There are few characters with wickedness matching Demurral and Pyratheon, or the innocence of Raphah. However, certain aspects relate to Harry Potter's world, such as Pyratheon's desire for the death of others and Voldemort's.

Nevertheless, I found some flaw in the story's plotline: Demurral and the other antagonists never suffered in any way. They received their magical powers effortlessly, defeated every obstacle in their path, and had unlimited armies. Although a terrific story always needs evil characters, I believe the antagonists grasped their possessions as though they were given to them generously, which they didn't deserve.

The conclusion brings some distraction, because Pyratheon and the others simply vanish when they realized they had not won the war between evil and good, even after the golden Keruvim was in his hands. Disappearing out of sight seems controversial when Pyratheon is very determined to hold power, and would sacrifice anything for it except for himself.

Shadowmancer may appeal to fantasy and mystery enthusiasts, because of the magic and deception. Unfortunately, this book ranks low in other genres, and in my opinion, there isn't enough magic; it seems as though only Raphah and God are the only characters whom possess such powers on the protagonists' side. There is no appearance of non-fiction, romance, etc. The characters only care about their quests to oppose or support Pyratheon's wrongdoings, and little else. I suggest adding elements of these genres to the story so that it can appeal to a wider audience.

Overall, Shadowmancer is mediocre, with some flaws that need repair.

Main Themes and Subjects:

• Religion
• Fantasy
• Power

Target audience: Preteens and teenagers

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 3/5

Book review by Fiona T.
* 33 hours so far
* Can be published in the newsletter

The Girls They Left Behind
Bernice Thurman Hunter
191 pages
8.5/10

I'm not usually into historical fiction stuff, but this one was really good. The cover was really cool, So many that's why I decided to take a look at it. It didn't take long to read, but there was a lot of content. The entire book was full of many emotions.

It's about a girl named Beryl (or Nathalie), whose male relatives have all gone to fight in the war (world war II) . She is left at home, and it is almost her 18th birthday. She will have to celebrate it with only a few people. Watching everybody go was not easy. When would they come back? What if they didn't come back? There were so many questions. Nathalie writes letters to her cousin, Carmen (a boy..) who seems to have fallen in love with a woman.

Okay I know that was very boring but I don't want to give stuff away. Read it, cuz it's really good! I really liked the ending, too. It really wrapped up the story (well obviously not entirely).. and I just liked how the ending was written. Apparently, the last parts of the book was written by Bernice Thurman Hunter's daughter, because Bernice passed away before she could finish writing the book.

*would have been 72
*Can be published in a teen newsletter

--Jessica--

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: The Real Deal: School
Deborah Reber
two hundred.. something pages..(forgot)
9/10

This is the first Chicken Soup book I've ever read, and I know I'll keep reading them. They're all combinations of poems and real-life stories from teens, little interesting facts, quizzes, and advice. Even though it wasn't one big story, I read the whole thing, since it was interesting. I liked this one more than the FRIENDS one, but they're both good.

*66

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: The Real Deal: Friends
Deborah Reber
243 pages
8.5/10

I like how these books are put together!! The little weird facts about different things, and the quizzes, keep me interested so I don't know when's the right time to put the book down. At first, I thought that they would probably be really easy to put down anywhere in the middle, but NO. I was wrong.
I recomment these two books, because they are written for teens, and mostly by teens. Some of the stories about loss and love so unbelievable; so make you feel really happy, and some make you want to cry..

*would have been 69
**Can be published in a teen newsletter

--Jessica--

Fame, Glory, and other things on my to do list
By Janette Rallison
186 pages
4/5

I didn't expect this book to be so good. Ok, I didn't expect it to be good at all. Probably because of the cover. Well, now I know that i shouldn't judge books by their covers (even though thats like, the first impression kinda thing). The cover was a cartoon, and I found the title weird. I wan't even planning on reading it, until one of my friends told me to. She wasn't recommending it or anything; she couldnt decide between two books, and I didn't know what to read, so she told me to read the first chapter to see if it was good. I ended up reading the whole thing. So.. it was good. The title didn't have that much significance... only a little.

The main character's name is Jessica (I've forgotten the Last name), and the beginning of the book talks about how she doesn't like her name - because it's too common. Her dream is to become an actress, which is not all that easy.
She works part-time at Wal-Mart, and owns a Honda Civic; which frequently fails her by not starting. One day, after work, she decides to go home- but can't get her car to start. She gets really mad, and notices some guy watchng her. She thinks he wants her stuff, so she offers him her wallet. Her purse. Anything. Well, oops, he wasn't trying to steal anything. Turns out, Jessica had gone onto the wrong car, which belonged to the guy. Gosh, he could have said something, rather than freak her out! He is new to the place, and lives with his mom- and will be going to high school wth Jessica. His name is Jordan. She likes him. Oh yeah, they have exactly the same car. Somehow. Their keys are the same. She is taken aback when she find out who Jordan's father is, but then again, she should have known. Not that he's anything bad. He's a famous actor - Christopher Hunter. She promises to keep it a secret. She really, really does. But when she accidently blurts it out to her favourite teacher, her drama teacher, the whole school ends up knowing, and it kills Jordans wish to be a normal student like everyone else. Jordon's parents are divorced, but he really wants them back together. They obviously want to get back together too, Jordan can tell. But neither are willing too.

This book was grr-eat!! Read it!!

*would have been 63
**can be published in a newsletter

-Jessica-

OMG I haven't posted for so long.. too busy nowadays.. how sad.. lemme try and catch up on reviewing, ...

Secrets of My Hollywood Life
By Jen Calonita
242 pages
5/5

I finished this book in a whiffy. Sooo good. Girly too, so I don't recommend it to guys (just look at the title..). I actually read this during the Chrsitmas break, in the middle of reading Inkheart. It was weird. I was near the middle of Inkheart, and I was like 'Hey, I want to read that book' and I just picked ths book up and read it in like 2 hours, and then went back to reading Inkheart. OMG I have to review Inkheart sometime...

Kaitlin Burke is a Hollywood actress - part of a very popular TV show, Family Affair. While other girls would do anything to be just like her, she would do anything to be just like them. She wants to know what it's like to go to school every day with a bunch of people, eat in a cafeteria with her friends, go to school dances, all that stuff. But when you're known by just about everyone, and are featured in magazines all over the country, you can't exactly go to school like a normal teen - which is what Kaitlin longs to be.
Her mother is always pressuring her - telling her what to say, what to wear, how to talk, just... she controls Kaitlin's life, and Kaitlin gets annoyed sometimes. Her mom stresses her out. It's not like being stressed out with homework, which is what Kaitlin wants to experience. Also, there's Sky MacKenzie - her rival co-star on Family Affiar. Whatever the magazines say about them being best friends, not true. They can't stand eachother. Everyone thinks that Kaitlin is jealous of Sky, but she is not.
Kaitlin thinks of a plan; she will enroll in high school with her high-schooler best friend, in a diguise. But her real life isn't gone. She has to live both at the same time. There ends up being way too much pressure on her, but she can't just give in and tell eveyone who she really is. Until someone..someone, spits the dirt on what she's really doing...

This book is sooooo good. READ IT. =)

Would have been uhh.. I forget how many hours.. lemme check..


ok i checked;; would have been 60, if it was just the reviews. but egh, doesnt matter. im not actually using them anyways.
**Can be publiched in a newsletter

Just a quick reminder for those of you collecting volunteer hours - if you want your forms signed, call the teen services department to set up a time to see Catherine. Do not show up and ask other staff - they will not sign your forms for you and you'll just have to come back again.
Than # at the teen department is 905 513-7977 x7133, or email teens@markham.library.on.ca.
Thanks, Andrea.

The Clique
By: Lisi Harrison
220 pages

Massie Block is the most popular girl in her uber-rich school. She's the kind of girl everyone envys for her beauty, money, and just overall coolness. When Claire, a plain girl moves into her house, its obviouse she's not clique material. But Claire refuses to give up and no matter how much massie and her friends taunt her, She STILL wants to be accepted into their clique. With a lot of scheming, claire may actaully be able to win over the girls and hang out with them. Will a small town girl be able to fit in with these prada wearing barbies? Guess you'll have to read and see.

To me, Clair's character was just really ridiculouse. In the story, no matter how much massie tormented and trashed her, she still wanted to be a member of her clique. I dont get how a girl like clair be so superficial and want to hang out with the cool kids and just forget about the normal world. The fact that she was so desperate made me feel that she was a desperate wannabe loser with no friends. In my opinion she should have just gone on and try to make other friends that she probably would have been way more comfortable around. Besides that, it was a pretty good story, and kept me reading till the end.

scale of 1-10: 6.5
I cant give a great recommendation for this book but dont get the wrong idea and think its bad cuz its not. Think im going to read the next book in this series too :).

hours:3
Total:15

-emily xi

Title: Stargirl
Author: Jerry Spinelli
# of pages: 186

Plot Summary:

Leo Borlock enjoys collecting porcupine neckties, and has mysteriously received an anonymous birthday present of another addition to his collection. On his first day back at Mica Area High School, in Mica, Arizona, everyone is talking about a new student who has arrived at the school. Stargirl is an unusual girl who acts as an individual, oblivious to the conformity of her classmates to what is "cool"; she was previously home-schooled.

Soon, the others admire her compassion for others and her uniqueness, and she becomes a popular figure as more and more people begin to follow her intriguing acts. However, this sudden increase in popularity also means that when she is blamed for supporting both teams in the basketball tournament, everyone gives her the silent treatment.

In the end, despite her efforts to be recognized by other students at MAHS, she remains ignored. She leads most of the dance at the Ocotillo Ball, and that is the last time she is seen in Mica.

Opinion:

Stargirl is a book that inspires the reader to simply be ourselves, and not always conform to what society labels as "cool". Underneath the teenager who desperately tries to be accepted by others, there is the individual who has different ways of thinking. Stargirl wore whatever clothes she wanted, and she did not mind the way she completely stood out from the others.

I believe that it also promotes awareness of the challenges teenagers face, to be well-liked. Those who act differently are often cast away. Conformity and popularity are important matters, which are factors in peer pressure.

Stargirl's story was deeply touching. She was popular as people realized that they could be open-minded, yet was soon despised because she was blamed for the sudden end to the boys' basketball season. The way she would treat others with kindness, yet how she had very few friends, was emotional.

Main themes and subjects:

• Popularity and fitting in
• Romance
• It is easier to blend in with the crowd than to stand out
• Those who do stand out are often persecuted

Target audience: Pre-teens and teenagers

Genre: Realistic fiction

Rating: 4/5

Book review by Fiona T.
* 30 hours so far
* Can be published in the Teen Newsletter

Two recent reads

A Miracle for Maggie by Stephen Eaton Hume
The Rifle by Gary Paulsen

A miracle for Maggie was not an outstanding book but it was historical fiction. This is the story of a young girl who was one of the first to be helped by the discovery of insulin.
Canadian book, story was a bit slow moving.

The Rifle - now I must preface my remarks by saying that I don't like guns. Paulsen prefaces the book and story by saying that one should not read this book with an opinion about guns but rather about the story. Paulsen also says that at the time the main character made the rifle, this was needed for his basic existence.
I loved the story. Paulsen weaves the tale of the rifle, from its' creation to all the collectors who had the rifle.
The story was excellent. 9/10 by the way, it was very brief.

Catherine

Chat Virtual book club meeting

Andrea and I were having a discussion, this morning. We were wondering if we did an online bookclub through chat, (Instant messaging) would anyone be interested in participating? Our idea is that we want to provide a service that would be useful to you or more connected to you.

We have to work out the bugs at our end, firewalls, etc. This would not happen quickly, as a result.

Just share your thoughts. Thanks.

Catherine

Title: The Black Book [Diary of a Teenage Stud] Vol. II Stop, Don't Stop
Author: Jonah Black
Pages: 229
Audience: Teenages (in general, because well..guys & girls will probably enjoy it)
Genre: uhh? I really don't know..

Plot Summary: Second book in the The Black Book [Diary of a Teenage Stud] series. You follow the life and read the thoughts of Jonah Black. We left off last with Jonah screwing up a dive (like you know, into a pool?) and almost killing himself. This book starts off with him in the hospital, realizing that he almost died. And that many girls have came to visit him. Including Northgirl999. He's also getting over Sophie and starting to majorly crush on one of his best friends- Posie. But Posie's with his other best friend Thorne..(love trianglee!) Of course, drama occurs, and Jonah discovers some things about his best friend, things happen between him and Posie and well, you'll just have to read it won't you? Jonah's mini stories are still told throughout the book and his thoughts are made pretty clear too.

Opinion: Okay, so I liked this book. It was just plain amusing to read what the main character, Jonah, is going through. I mean, he's crushing on his best friend..who happens to be his other best friend's girlfriend. He's suppose to be in the 12th grade, but he's being forced to redo the 11th grade (to make it worse, his younger sister who's suppose to be in the 11th grade is in the 12th grade). He's trying to get over Sophie, the girl Jonah is in love with..who's back in Conneticut (I think that's where it is..can't really remember at the moment). On top of that, he has to deal with new secrets and everyday life. The way everything is worded in this book is awesome..it really gives a teenager's perspective. His own feelings (whether he admits it or not in the book) is clearly shown. It's just like reading a guy's diary (except with very detailed scene descriptions..I mean, who would actually write quote by quote what happened that day in real life?) A fun read..and quick to go through. Just a warning, the issue of sex is brought up in this book, so yea, beware? lol.

Main Themes: kinda hard to explain really..I guess Love, Deciption, Teenage Confusion (is that even a theme?)

Rated: 8/10

Total Hours: 6

Hi Everyone - just wanted to give you some bits of news from the Teen Department.
First, the teen webpage is in development and almost ready to go! Some of the features on the site will include the book of the week and TRAP recommends list - these will include recommendations and reviews you post to the blog. I'll give you more details about this once the site is developed a bit more.
Second - we're recruiting new volunteers for the Reading Buddies Programme - the programme runs on Tuesdays between February 6 and March 27. Volunteers work one-on-one with children to practice reading. If you are interested in applying, please email me at acecch@markham.library.on.ca and I'll send you an application - you must be in grade 10 or older to volunteer.
Last, we're starting a new project for summer and we're looking for a group of creative, enthusiastic teens who like working with kids and want to get involved in running children's craft programmes. The group will meet once a month beginning in March to plan a series of drop-in craft programmes for children. These teen volunteers will not only get to help plan the classes, but they will actually run the programme! It's a great opporutnity to be creative, get some great experience (that'll look great on your resume or university/college applications) and have some fun! If you are interested in applying, again, drop me a line at acecch@markham.libary.on.ca - again, grade 10+ please.
Andrea.

LAMB: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
Christopher Moore
444 Pages

This gospel gives you all of the details on Joshua's (Jesus is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Yeshua, which is Joshua) life, from the beginning to the end. It isn't a real account of what happenned back in JC's time, but is a humourous way to think about what could have happenned.

The first time Biff (his real name was Levi, but everybody called him Biff) saw Joshua, he was bringing a lizard back to life over and over by putting it in his mouth, while his younger brother would proceed to kill it. And while this may sound harsh, you've gotta think...Josh was only six years old, and he didn't know how he was supposed to deal with the whole "Messiah" thing yet. And when Biff said that he wanted to join in, it was only natural that the two boys become best friends for life. And you can tell that they were close, because the first time Biff sees Josh's mother, he is convinced that she will be his betrothed after good 'ol Joseph passes on. Not many would take to people having an obsession with their mothers, so you can imagine how close these guys were. And when they both develop crushes on Maggie (Mary Magdelane), they don't become wierdly obsessive, but instead, one friend steps out of the way of the other. They went and did everything together, and even worked towards the same trade of stonecutting.

But when Josh was still crazily unsure how we was supposed to bring the word of his father to the world, him and Biff set off on a journey to meet with the three wise men who were there on the day of his birth to seek guidance. And after their journey, which stretches over years and years, they find themselves back home, where Jesus finally begins his ministry. And while you may think that this is where the book would go downhill (i mean, if you want to read about Jesus preaching the good word, all you have to do is flip open to a page in the New Testament), then you are strongly mistaken. Becuase even when things are going relatively normal, there are always comments and the reasoning behind the miracle, which will make you laugh.

This book is one of my favourites ever read. Joshua and Biff make a great team and are sure to keep you laughing the whole way through. There is a bit more sexual content than i would have expected for an expansion of the Bible, but then again, they were teenagers, so it must have crossed their minds.

LAMB is here to recieve the biggest 10/10 that i have ever given a book. It was great from start to finish, and i definately recommend picking up a copy.

* * J e n n :-)

Total Community Service Hours: 30
Published In Newsletter?: Yes, please

******One thing that Christopher Moore was sincere in mentioning was that this book isn't an actual account of Jesus' life, and shouldn't be taken to be. He also wanted to make clear that his intentions were not to insult anyone's faith, or try to sway their views on what happenned in the time of Jesus.*********

Title: Bad Girls
Pages: 308
Author: Alex mcaualay

When I first picked up this book, it struck me as being kinda like mean girls ( u can kinda see how i made that conncetion). But i was completely wrong. Bad girls is barely about cliques, boyfriends, or the high school life. Instead it analyzes the psyche of teenage girls. The story begans when Anna, a troubled teen gets sent away to a reform camp by her weak and tired parents who just cant handle their crazy daughter anymore. Camp Archstone is located on a deserted island in the middle of the carribean where each girl is worse than the next. From theft to practically killing their own parents, Anna's small partying and getting high seems like childplay. I guess you could say camp archstone was like juvie, but not as bad. But to the girls( and any normal human being) it was torture. The girls were told what to do, how to do it, and if they didnt listen there were punishments.

Anna's adventure begins when the group go for an out of camp grounds hike in the mast carribean forest. Halfway up their trail, a wild shooting occurs and kills the leader of the group and strikes panic into everygirls heart. Their first reflex was of course, to run. But who can run like mad in a massive forest and not get lost? noone. And thats how it happened...how Anna and a small group of girls were stranded on an island where there was no food, no shelter, and no water. Facing death, sickness, starvation and even the encounter of two crazed durg dealers the girls come close to the face of death. Only the strongest girl will make it out alive. As you read through, their group of 7 ends up with only 1. This story, i have to say is really something. The author writes with really great descriptions that make me picture perfectly how the scene would be. There are some parts that make me want to puke, but i guess that just shows how good a writer mcaulay is. This is a great book, and i definately reccomend it...unless you love and ONLY love those lovey dovey types. But hey, give this a try anyways

5/5
hours:3
Total:12
emily xi

Harry Potter - release - 07/07/07

I have heard rumours that the release date is July 7, 2007. Don't know if it is true.

Catherine

Title: Shopaholic & Sister
Author: Sophie Kinsella
# of pages: 388

Plot Summary:

Becky Bloomwood and her husband Luke have already had ten months of their honeymoon, and both have changed so much since their wedding. After a day of yoga in Sri Lanka, they both choose to return to normal life in England. But once they return to England, Becky discovers that Suze, her former best friend, has now found a new best friend who happens to have a dull personality. Luke is also perturbed by Becky's extravagant purchases made during the honeymoon. She tries to find a job, but the shop that plans to hire her won't open in three months.

Becky's only consolation is that she has a long-lost half-sister, named Jessica. Through her attempts to befriend Jessica, who lives in northern England, she only deepens their disagreements with each other; each of them have completely different preferences.

In the end, from the kindness of the English villagers, Becky finally discovers a similarity she shares with Jessica, and she manages to solve each of her worries.

Opinion:

I admire Sophie Kinsella's ability to weave a story that seems so realistic, yet contains so many surprising incidences that add to the excitement of the reader. Becky is content during the beginning, when her honeymoon is still in effect, but her mood suddenly plummets when she discovers that she no longer has any friends in England.

I couldn't help feeling particularly emotional as I read Shopaholic & Sister. Becky was so lonely and in such a desperate situation, when she tried to heal the wounds of her relationship with Jessica, and when they finally became friends, everything just seemed to be all right.

Once again, the first-person narrative put the reader directly into Becky's shoes, and this made the story so much more entertaining and addictive. In addition to the unique storyline, Sophie Kinsella's work is extraordinary. Shopaholic & Sister is highly recommended for women and teenagers who haven't read Sophie Kinsella's books.

Main themes and subjects:

• There is no such thing as too much shopping
• If you save money on something, you can still use that money to buy a treat for yourself
• Treat others the way you want to be treated

Subjects:

• Shopping
• Financial management
• Romance

Target audience: Young women, including teenagers

Genre: Chick lit

Rating: 5/5

Book review by Fiona T.
* 27 hours so far
* Can be published in the Teen Newsletter

Happy New Year, everyone! =)

Title: Shopaholic Takes Manhattan
Author: Sophie Kinsella
# of pages: 388

Plot Summary:

Becky Bloomwood has a successful career as a financial expert on the television show Morning Coffee, which also means having more money to spend on clothes, accessories, perhaps some furniture... She has already paid off debts from earlier in the year, but she is already accumulating more debts.

In the meantime, she has already carefully planned a romantic getaway with her entrepreneurial boyfriend, Luke Brandon. But, as always, Luke is having difficulties finding time to spend with her, and the trip is ruined further by Becky's trouble with her luggage (she secretly sent her clothes by express post to the hotel, but the clothes arrived late).

Soon, Luke invites her to move to New York with him. She seizes the opportunity to go to a city with so many shops filled with fabulous goods. However, after she has abandoned her position on Morning Coffee for more glamorous opportunities in the States, a disappointing article appears in The Daily World that ruins her television career and Luke's most recent deal; will they manage to recover from it?

Opinion:

This was actually the first Shopaholic book I read, and I actually had no trouble understanding what was happening in the prequel and first novel, Confessions of a Shopaholic.

I can easily understand why Sophie Kinsella's writing has been widely admired by many chick lit fans, and how the Shopaholic books have become such a success. The moment I began reading it, I became completely engrossed in Becky's intriguing story. There are lines that are completely hilarious, some that are heartbreaking, and some that are deeply emotional. The first-person narrative just captivates the reader and puts them directly in Becky's shoes.

What made me even more interested was how there must be millions of ways that Becky could be different from me. From her quirky behaviour and somewhat peculiarly naive tendency to hide the truth, it was a unique experience imagining myself in her position.

Shopaholic takes Manhattan is definitely recommended for all teenage girls and women, but such a fantastic read is hard to miss.

Main themes:

• There's no such thing as too much shopping
• Your friends are always there to support you
• Some may abuse your trust and use it to cause harm behind your back

Subjects:

• Shopping
• Financial insecurity
• Romance

Target audience: Young women, including teenagers

Genre: Chick lit

Rating: 5/5

Book review by Fiona T.
* 24 hours so far
* Can be published in the Teen Newsletter