Tuck Everlasting
By: Natalie Babbitt
Pages: 139

The Tucks have a secret in their family that only they knew, until 10-year-old Winnie Foster accidentally stumble upon it. One morning in the first week of August, Winnie became fed up with her rich family and decided to run away into the woods. There, she found Jesse Tuck drinking from a mysterious spring coming from out of the tree. So the Tucks had no choice but to bring her home to explain their secret to her and why she mustn’t at all cost tell anyone of this. Apparently, the Tuck family has the gift (or the curse) of living forever. They were granted eternal life after drinking from this mysterious spring. Unfortunately, Winnie wasn’t the only one getting the inside scoop of this story. A strange man in a yellow suit was listening to every single word to what the Tucks had to say; and he intended on marketing the spring water for a fortune. What's more is that in the end, it all came down to Winnie and her decision of drinking the spring water or not.

This book was truly amazing! Even though it is considered a children book, there were issues in the story which can be discussed beyond the boundary of children; such as the meaning of living for all eternity. Sure, lots of people don’t want to die, but have they thought about the consequences which come from living forever? – this story explains it all. It was also a beautifully written book with rich imagery and poetic language (tons of metaphors and similes were used). And since I just recently stopped reading the Clique series, this book was a nice change compared to all the trendy fashion and girls with attitudes. What’s more is that the movie for this book is just as good, and possibly even better. It definitely did the story justice. Okay, maybe it’s time to stop raving about how good Tuck Everlasting is and just end it with a rating which sums up everything I had said.
Rating:9.5/ 10 (I would have given it a 10 if it was a *bit* more descriptive with the story extended, but seeing that it was a book intended for kids, that probably explains why the small amount of pages – only 100 something)

s.t.e.p.h.i.e.
volunteer hours: 3 (total – 40 ½)

TRAP Reviews

hi, everyone!

Andrea has asked for your selections for the teen webpage. She wants these in preparation for its' startup.

Here is what I submitted:
My choice is Star Girl by Jerry Spinnelli.

Janey’s Girl chosen by Jessica.

Lesia’s Dream chosen by Fiona.

Dial L For Loser chosen by Stephie.

Twilight by Jenn. I know you did not like the sequel.

Catherine

True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet
By Lola Douglas
268 Pages
5/5

The cover of the book is what caught my attention at Chapters. It was so sparkly! Well, at least the star was. I think I got a little overexcited about the book at the time, but.. that's okay. This one seemed really similar to Secrets of My Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita, but there were also many differences. They were both mainly about popular, young Hollywood celebrities going undercover and going to high school. One of the differences is that this book is written in diary/journal format. The other book was a first person narrative, .. but I still loved both of them!

Morgan Carter is a recovering drug addict, and her mom is sending her out of the spotlight for a while. Morgan hates the idea, but what can she do? She's given a completely different identity - her new name is Claudia Miller. When she meets some new friends, she horrified by how everybody believes tabloids and has so many opinions about celebrities. But she can't blow her cover and tell them the truth that she knows about, right? Yeah. She gets into trouble when she's making up all these lies and excuses to everyone, especially a guy named Eli. Eli obviously likes her, and she's lying to him so much. Claudia can't believe it, but she keeps doing it. She can't even remember all the lies she's told, but she has to go with it. It's not like she would go up to Eli and tell her that her dad didn't actually strangle her dog and break the dog's neck. .. She told him that.

Will Morgan, err.. Claudia, like high school more than Hollywood? Will she ditch Hollywood for high school? Or will she return to the spotlight?

I loved this book. The beginning was very similar to Secrets of My Hollywood Life, but as the book went on, they were had more and more differences. This book was enjoyable, and it was worth buying! (Even if it's only to look at the sparkles every once in a while..)

*Jessica
*Would have been 99 hours
*Can be published in a teen newsletter

Title: Lesia's Dream

Author: Laura Langston

# of pages: 255

Plot Summary:

Lesia Magus is a fifteen-year-old Ukrainian girl living in Shuparka, her village in the Province in Galicia in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Her family of peasants working for the landowner struggle to make ends meet. Europe is on the verge of World War I, and so they fear that what little land they possess will be taken away. Lesia and her brother, Ivan, believe that their only hope is to save enough money to immigrate to Canada. She dreams of wealth, including nearly-free land, and security.

Everyone in her family works hard to earn enough money to emigrate. Eventually, though, upon their arrival in Canada, they discover that racism looms and they have not entirely escaped from World War I.

Opinion:

Lesia's Dream was a touching tale that brought me to realize the difficulties some of the early Canadian immigrants faced. It was also interesting to read a story, which could have easily been a biography of a real family, that was related to the material I studied in my History courses in elementary school: when the Canadian government encouraged Eastern European farmers to settle in the West. Laura Langston's work was unique in that I have never read a book that followed the life of an immigrant family so closely. The way Lesia told it as if she were describing her past to her grandchildren in a letter was very emotional.

Lesia's Dream is highly recommended for those who enjoy reading historical fiction. Many of the events in the novel are factually accurate, and only the plot itself was from imagination based on those facts.

Target audience: Preteens and teenagers

Genre: Historical fiction

Rating: 4/5

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

Title: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Author: J. K. Rowling

# of pages: 672

Plot Summary:

In the sixth book in the Harry Potter series, Harry is now a sixth-year student at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and begins his year with extremely high security wherever he travels. The magical world is tainted with fear of the famous sniper Voldemort and his ruthless followers (Death Eaters), and the situation only worsens when one of his classmates and a teacher are suspected members of this group. This suspicion becomes reality in the end, when the teacher effortlessly murders the Headmaster, the only wizard Voldemort fears.

Opinion:

Many former fans of the Harry Potter series are wondering about J. K. Rowlings current creativity, as her sixth novel in the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, seems rather dull compared to previous instalments to the series. Before, every single event was explained in detail, and Harry and his friends were constantly in their action-filled adventures. Instead, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince includes few ventures, and the climax, when a devoted ally was murdered, is identical to that of the previous novel, in which another was killed. I'm sure that those who purchased a copy of the sixth novel only did so in anticipation for more exciting adventures such as those from Ms. Rowling before.

Although Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was unexciting compared to other Harry Potter books, it was still satisfactory for an ordinary novel, with strong connections to the others and fairly thrilling events. Its uniqueness was admirable, because I cannot relate any aspect of its magical world with others. It is difficult to do so, but Hogwarts is similar to the Black Palace in Kate Constable's The Waterless Sea, only more lenient.

Of course, since the Harry Potter books are already bestsellers, I see few reasons to encourage others to read them. Nonetheless, this novel is recommended for those who enjoy fantasy, mystery, and possibly romance. Adventure-lovers may be disappointed with the lack of escapades, but there are still enough mysteries to suit enthusiasts. I must warn you, though the first, fourth, and fifth instalments were much more exhilarating than this one. Reading previous Harry Potter books before this one will be useful, because of allusions.

Target audience: All ages

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4/5

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

Sweet 16
By Kate Brian
259 Pages
9.6/10

Teagan Philips, an utterly rich and fashionable teen (also very spoled) , is finally turning sixteen! Her Sweet Sixteen party is supposed to turn out as the party of the century, with an awesome DJ, pretty-but-not-too-pretty servers in Chanel shades, piercing stations, and so much more! Her boyfriend seems to be the sweetest guy on the planet, by the way. Everything starts out perfectly (uh. except for the fact that it was raining.) and everybody's enjoying the party, while Teagan discovers some popularity-killing faults to her party. Everything starts going wrong, her Vera Wang dress is ruined, she fires a waitress, and trips on her way down the steps in the basement. Nobody notices that she's gone.. nobody but one person. Person? Sure.. but it seemed very little like a person. Anyhow, she comes to the rescue, bringing her to see things that have happened in her past and will happen in her future. The 'ghost' tells Teagan she is dead, and they are invisible while tey re enact all these horrible situations.

In the end, Teagan isn't as caught up with money and other things like she usually is. She notices how great her dad is, and how she seemed to have upset him. Teagan's mother died when Teagan was six, and her father has a new fiance whom she hates. Afterwards, she learns to love her soon to be stepmother.

This book was not realistic, yet in some ways it was. The situations were obviously fiction, but they were pretty belivable, like it could happen to anyone at any given time in their life. I loved this book, and it kept me reading till the very end. There weren't any boring parts. Okay, well, if there were, there weren't a lot of them.

*Jessica
*Would have been 96 hours
*Can be published in a teen newsletter

Janey's Girl
By Gayle Friesen
333 Pages
5/5

I loved this book!! I think everyone should read it. It's just so.. touchy.. feely.. ok ew. But the point is, it's a VERY good book.

Claire (Clarissa) is fourteen, and has been living with her mom forever. Her mom is always working, and Claire was so relieved when she decided to take a little vacation. .. To her grandmother's place. Claire's grandfather died, so her grandmother lived by herself. But it's a small town where everyone knows eachother. Claire's mother's name is Jane, or Janey, and everyone knows Claire (although she doesn't know any of them) as "Janey's Girl".

She meets a guy named Jack, and the first impressions weren't good. But as she got to know him, he was actually a really nice guy.

Claire always asks about her father; what he's like, what he does, where he is, but Jane never lets conversations about him go on. Claire feels that she should have the right to know about her father, but Jane only tells her the main points: they were best friends, and she got pregnant when she was eighteen while he was only in high school, and he chose not to take any part in it since he didn't feel he was ready. Claire was hurt by this, especially when Jane said that he didn't want her. But who would have thought that he was living right where her grandmother was?

Claire learns that families are far from perfect, and that people make their decisions. Jane seems to be too protective of Claire, and Claire doesn't like it. Claire wants to make her own decisions, but Jane seems to be picking out her daughter's interests by herself.

Okay, maybe from that, this book didn't seem really good. But I can't say much more since it would give away too much. There are some unexpected things that happen, ... JUST READ THE BOOK!!

*Jessica
*Would have been 93 hours
*Can be published in a letter (even thought it won't be)

I know that i haven't posted in FOREVER, but that doesn't mean i haven't been reading!! So here is one of the latest....

NEW MOON
Stephenie Meyer
563 pages

In this sequel to the novel TWILIGHT, Bella Swan is crushed when Edward tells her he doesn't love her anymore. Convinced that life with him has brought her too much peril, he is forced to break it off, and makes sure that his memory will be erased - it will be as though he never existed. But his attempt is feeble, because not only does Bella remember Edward perfectly, she also seems quite unable to function without him. Her only source of strength is in Jacob Black, and the two of them become quite close friends. Jake is determined for it to go further, but Bella is in no state for romance, because she is, and always will be, broken from her time with Edward. As hard as she tries, she can't seem get over him, and resorts to reckless activities, because it is these times when she can hear his voice most clearly.

But her time with Jake is short lived, because after a surprise illness one night, he is always away, and impossible to talk to. When she finds out his 'secret', she is once again in the midst of danger. The threat of Victoria returning to hunt her also lingers, and adds to her paranoia.

This novel includes surprise appearances from various vampires, and many close encounters with death for Bella (but if you read the first book, you know there's nothing really new, there). The ending is also quite unexpected, although i won't ruin that, as it is the most suspensful part in the entire book.

Okay, so i know that everyone has different opinons, but for me, this one was a disappointment after the first installment. Anyone who has read the first book knows that it is very long (think the length of one of the newer Harry Potter books), but i finished it in three days at most. It was very suspensful and entertaining, and it was just one of those books that you dont want to put down. But with this one (roughly the same length), it took me over a month to complete. Bella spends too much of her time being mopey, and not doing much of anything. And when she is doing something, it is quite emotionless - i can see why her friends were so frustrated with her (which is a good thing, i guess). 3/4 of the way in, it finally starts to get interesting, and this is when i fell into the rhythm that i felt when reading TWILIGHT. The only thing that peeves me is how there was no real need for this novel. No loose strings from the first are tied (except for one - but nothing major), and both books end pretty much the same. With the exception of the last few chapters, this book was seriously dull, and rather bothersome to read at all. While the first book was the perfect blend of action and romance (it wasn't a soppy love story), this one was very soppy, and Bella's character really got on my nerves after a while. I dont know if i would suggest this book as a winner, because for me, it has nothing on the original, and didnt really do much for me. I guess its just wasn't my cup of blood....er....tea.

Rating 6.98712/10
*Newsletter Friendly

**!jenn

Rebel Angels
By Libba Bray
548 Pages
4/5

This is the sequal to A Great and Terrible Beauty.. but it wasn't as good. BUT, it's still good. =). I think Libba Bray has an extremely amazing imagination. When I read her books, I'm always like, "How did she think of these things?!?!" Kinda like how J.K. Rowling thinks of all these believable magic things. Pretty cool.

Gemma Doyle is at Spence Academy, and it's nearly Christmas. Her beloved friend, Pippa, died a short while ago. Her remaining best friends, Ann and Felicity, are never going to forget her. Expecially during Christmastime. Gemma still has all these visions.. and now, they're all of three girls dressed in white. What could it possibly mean? How can they help her?

Kartik is back, and he needs Gemma's help to do something. They have to find the Temple. It's somewhere within the realms, but nobody knows where. He says that you can't trust anybody, no matter who they are.

Gemma finds out about a girl, Nell Hawkins, who is in hospital and knows about the realms and the Temple. Gemma tries to get help from her, but the way she talks, the way she always refers to nursery rhymes, is pretty confusing. Gemma catches on, and understands what Nell is trying to tell her. Turns out, Gemma's amulet from her mother is going to be a big help.

After long concentration, Felicity, and Ann join Gemma, past the door of light and into the realms. Unexpectedly, Pippa is there. Even more beautiful than before. Pippa tries to help them, but Gemma remembers Kartik's words about not trusting anybody. But, Pippa was a great friend, and she'd been in the realms for much longer.. so why can't she help?

Gemma has to defeat Circe, or Circe's character in order to get the Temple. When a new teacher comes, the three girls have a huge suspicion that she is Circe.. and it seems very possible. But.. what if she isn't?

I enjoyed this book, but not as much as the first one. But the last book in the trilogy is coming out in "the Autumn of 2007", and I will definitely read it. It doesn't say what the title is, though.

*Jessica
*Would have been 90 hours
*Can be published in a newsletter

The Year of Secret Assignments
By Jaclyn Moriarty
340 Pages
5/5

I loved this book! It wasn't in formal writing kinda style; it was composed of letters, diary entries, notebooks, and notices on the board, at school. It was unlike any other book I have read, since there were many things happening at once but it wasn't confusing. The book was quick-paced, and it was really funny.

Emily, Lydia, and Cassie are best friends in the tenth grade. When their English teacher introduces a new Ashbury-Brookfield pen-pal program, not many people like the idea. Brookfield and Ashbury are rival school, but apparently, "the Joy of the Envelope" will create new friendships and and bring the schools together. When they send their first letters to Charlie, Sebastian, and Matthew, interesting things start to happen. They assign secret missions, "Date With A Girls"s, and things go beyond letter-writing and recieving.

Some pen-pals are getting along fine, while some others are not. at first, Cassie's pen-pal sends continuous threats to Cassie, but Cassie keeps writing. And just when he starts to act more normal.. and when she gets to know who he is, well, Cassie is heartbroken.

Jaclyn Moriarty also wrote Feeling Sorry For Celia, which I read a few weeks ago, but it wasn't as good as The Year of Secret Assignments. This book was a lot more creative, and much better organized. I actually didn't like Feeling Sorry for Celia as much, but I liked her style of writing. That's why I decided to read The Year of Secret Assignments.

*Jessica
*would have been 87 hours
*Can be published in a newsletter

Dial L for Loser (6th book of the Clique series)
By: Lisi Harrison
Pages: 272 pages

An unfortunate incident from the 5th book left the Pretty Committee expelled from Octavian Country Day School…but no worries, the girls are living it all up. The mall is the new school, fashion is the new subject, food court is the new cafeteria, sales clerk are the new teachers, and visa cards are the new student i.d.s. They even got a chance to meet the cast of the upcoming movie: Dial L for Loser at Dylan’s mom talk show. Something unexpected happened there and the girls landed an audition for one of the leading roles in the movie. However, the catch is that out of the 3 girls going only one will be it. Dylan and Kristen were not allowed to go, so they were left in Westchester. With Massie, Alicia, and Claire off to Las Vegas for the auditions, they can flirt with their crushes as much as they want. Back in the main scene, not within anyone’s guesses, Claire got the role and was suddenly the center of attention. Everybody loved her, including the director, the crew and cast, not to mention Abby and Conner – the hot actor and actress opposite of her in the movie. Massie and Alicia were devastated when the director picked Claire over them, and they were even more shocked when she stopped hanging out with them to be with Abby and Conner. Filled with jealousy and hurt, Massie finally felt like a loser – and that should never happen to her. So along with Alicia, they plan to ruin Claire’s fun time in Hollywood with their evil schemes. They most definitely can’t let her steal the spotlight.

The plot is more interesting than the previous books, not to mention different. But there is still a sense of “unreal-ness” to it all. It seems as if the author can’t really figure what to do with the girls after she got them expelled in the 5th book. So she plopped them in Hollywood for this book just for a change. Still, I’m glad that this book didn’t take place in the Westchester school again. And hey, the newest book of the series just came out this month – It’s Not Easy Being Mean, can’t wait to read that one!
Rating: 7.5/10

s.t.e.p.h.i.e.
volunteer hours: 3 (total 37 ½)

New materials still arriving

We have received a backlog of new materials over the last few weeks at Angus.
I am sure it is the same at the other branches. There is some great stuff.
we have had too many graphics arrive that I actually placed them directly on the shelf.
I am off for a few days but when I was at work, this week, the place looked like a bomb hit the shelves. I like things to look inviting for you when you come not picked over.
If you are at Angus or the other branches and looking for new stuff, the books with the word "teen" are all new. We are using a new label designation.

Catherine

Hi, Everyone:

I received a few emails from people saying that they are having problems accessing the Trap.

I think I finally realized the problem. They need a google account, instead of hotmail.

Sorry, if there has been any inconvenience.

Catherine

The Pretty Committee Strikes Back (5th book of the “Clique” series)
By: Lisi Harrison
Pages:272

This time, the girls of Octavian Country Day School is going away on a 3 day- 2 night trip into the wilderness for a geography trip. It was meant to be an wonderful learning experience, but with the Briarwood Boys going as well, this trip turned into an opportunity for something different. To keep her social status as high as ever, Massie told everyone that she was experienced with kissing (when really she didn’t even had her first kiss yet) and convinced other girls to join M.U.C.K – Massie’s Underground Clinic for Kissing. With having no clue what she is doing, Massie ask Claire to help her (this way, she might even have the courage to kiss her crush – Derrington). Claire on the other hand is bent on getting her first kiss from Cam even though he’s totally ignoring her for kissing Josh from earlier on (who just so happens to be Alicia’s crush). So Alicia is using this trip as chance to find out who Josh likes and remind her that ‘no one can compete with the oh so mighty Alicia’. Dylan, the other member of the clique has her own problems as well. Even though she is finally slim, she has other troubles to worry about; her mother (the famous host of a t.v series) has tagged along on the trip and is caught kissing her geography teacher! Lastly, there’s Kristen, who couldn’t even afford to go on the trip. She is left sulking in Westchester with nothing to do. Everything goes quite smoothly for “The Pretty Committee” until an expected event happened, which might possibly leave them…expelled!!!

This 5th book wasn’t too bad or too good. To some (a.k.a my friend), they might even think this book was “so cute!!!”, “totally loved it!!!”, and deem it their most favourite book of the entire series. But this is not the case with me. I found the plot too overloaded with the girls’ worries of “kissing”. AAAHHH, all they think about is getting their first kiss, sure it’s a big deal, but the author shouldn’t go too overboard with this idea. I thought the girls seem *a little bit too* desperate to land their kisses. Cut back that for a little and the story wouldn’t be that bad.
Rating: 7/10

s.t.e.p.h.i.e.
volunteer hours: 3 hours (total – 34 ½ )

Title: Away Laughing on a Fast Camel

Author: Louise Rennison

# of pages: 276

Plot Summary:

Georgia is a heartbroken British teenager with her boyfriend, Robbie, recently living in New Zealand. She lives in despair without his company, while her friends (the “Ace Gang”) are often occupied with their own boyfriends.

Fortunately, they still try to comfort her, with all her troubles, and continue to guide her after she has met a charming half-Italian boy named Masimo. Although many other girls are also setting their eyes on him, including the loathed Lindsay, Georgia is determined to gain his respect one day.

Opinion:

Aside from the nonsense spellings and words included in Louise Rennison’s fifth novel, Away Laughing on a Fast Camel is quite enjoyable. On my first attempt at reading it, I regarded this odd style of writing rubbish, but after some experience, the words become more understandable, such as referring to parents as “Mutti” and “Vati”. Georgia Nicolson, the lead character, along with her friends, also shows some humour and realistic experiences admirable by teenage girls in modern society.

The good sense of humour found in many scenes in this novel makes it amiable to readers, as well as some of the interesting situations (e.g. fake eyelashes stuck together, making Georgia blind at that time).

However, I found it annoying that the author doesn’t end the book with a climax, but rather continues the plot to the next novel in the series, Then He Ate my Boy Entrancers, where the climax is found. Cliffhangers such as this are very disturbing at times, as though these two books were actually volumes of one. Otherwise, Away Laughing on a Fast Camel was somewhat satisfying. Perhaps these two novels should be combined into one, to avoid this problem, or add some interesting and exciting events to Away Laughing on a Fast Camel’s conclusion, so that both novels have their own thrills.

I personally recommend this book to all teenage girls who like having some fun and a laugh with friends, and also romance, since this trait is precisely identical to Georgia’s. After all, strange words and consistent mentioning of snogging aren’t “mature” topics, according to most adults.

Overall, Away Laughing on a Fast Camel is a satisfactory book, but I have many suggestions for improvements within the novel. I cannot specifically relate it to novels other than Louise Rennison’s, but I’m sure that many other adult novels have similar romance. Only the fantastic humour makes her novels such a great success.

Main themes and subjects:

• Romance
• Humour (including some mild toilet humour)
• Dealing with crazy family members
  

Target audience: Teenage girls

Genre: Chick lit

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

I'd tell you I love you, but then I'd have to kill you
By Ally Carter
284 Pages
4.5/5

This was a great book, but I read it right after I finished Forever in Blue.. so I wasn't that absorbed. My mind kept bouncing back and forth between the two books.

Cammie Morgan attends Gallagher Academy: an all-girls school for exceptional young women. It is "a fairly typical all-girls school -- that is, it would be if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest chemical welfare in science, and students recieved extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class." The Gallagher academy is a school for spies, despite the fact that others thnk it's simply a school for geniuses. Cammie Morgans beautiful, often-mistaken-for-Cammie's-sister mother in the head of the school.

Cammie Morgan, along with all her other sophomore classmates, is fluent in fourteen languages. When they dine, they are expected to speak the language that is shown on a screen. A new - and very handsome - teacher has a very different way of teaching, compared to other teachers. He's making sure they can all be all-natural spies, and trains them to follow people, look to through their garbage to see how people live (ick), and most definitely, become a spy.

While on the mission, Cammie meets an ordinary boy and falls for him. He likes her too. But although she can greet him in fourteen different languages, she cannot bring herself to tell him the truth about her. Her family, her indentity, anything. She leaves her mission with the boy thinking that she is home-schooled for religious reasons, and has a cat named Suzie. Later on, when they meet again he leaves thinking that her mother home-schools her, her dad works (he's not actually alive), her birthday is November 19th (random day) and that she still has a cat named Suzie (he even buys little cat toys for Suzie.. but Cammie can't tell him she doesn't really have a cat, right?).

But can such a normal boy ever be with such an extraordinarily smart girl? He can never know about her true identity, yet as time passes, they get closer and closer.

"Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, and track him through town without his ever being the wiser - but can she have a relationship with a regular boy?"

I actually think that this book isn't as wild as it may seem, which is good. At first, I thought it would be weird to read about.. spies. But I recommend this book to everyone.

*Jessica
*Would have been 84 hours
*Can be published in a newsletter

Forever in BLue: the Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood
By Ann Brashares
384 Pages
5/5 (I would give it more if i could!)

Oh, my, gosh. I loved this book. It was surely the best one in the series, but it's the last one =(. I think this is the best series-ender ever! Believe it or not, when I was done reading the last few words of the book, I could not bring myself to closing it. Weird, eh? I was just simply unwilling to close the book. It was so... touching. I absolutely loved it.

Tibby, Lena, Bridget, and Carmen are back after their first year of university. Since they were apart during the school year, they passed the Pants around even though it wasn't summer. They decided to just carry on from and continue with the same pattern.

Lena can't forget Kostos. Every second, she finds herself thinking about him. Longing to see him again. She keeps reminding herself to forget about Kostos, but she seems to forget to forget. Which isn't helping all that much. Then, she meets an extremely talented artist in her class; Leo. Just as Lena starts to get to know him, she forgets about Kostos. But what if the moment she forgets about him is the moment she sees him again?

Tibby, still missing her beloved friend Bailey whom she met three summers ago, is in love with Brian. But after a pregnancy scare, she decides to end things with him. She thinks it's for the better, for both of them, but they both seem unhappy without eachother.

Carmen never thought she would be on stage, acting. But.. she is. Shakepearean plays don't seem like her thing, but everyone believes in her. Well, maybe everyone except her new, gorgeous, talented, popular friend; Julia. When Carmen gets a main role, Julia can't believe it. Hadn't Carmen always wanted to work backstage? Behind the scenes? Why did she get all the attention?

Bridget is out to dig; in Turkey. Her handsome archeology professor is so into her! Not to mention she likes him too.. but it's impossible nothing can ever happen. First of all, Bridget has her own boyfriend; Eric. And Peter, the professor, was ultimately unavailable. How? You'll see.

I was so sad when I finsihed the book! there were so many loose ends, and the ending isn't extremly predictable. But.. I loved this book. I finished it a few days ago and I'm still not over it. I mean, I got over Shopaholic and Baby overnight! And I'm still not over this book! AHH!

*Jessica
*Would have been 81 hours
*Can be published in a newsletter

Title: The Miracle Worker

Author: William Gibson

# of pages: 120

Plot Summary:

The play begins when Helen Keller is a an infant with a severe illness. Her parents are worried whether or not she will survive, but the doctor tells them that she is lucky that she will live after the disease. However, although Helen recovers from the illness, she becomes blind and deaf.

Her parents, Kate and Captain Arthur Keller, are horrified when they discover their child's impairment. They try their best to find someone who can cure Helen, until they hear of the Perkins Institute for the Blind. They write to the institute, and a new teacher, named Annie Sullivan, arrives to teach Helen to "see".

Annie discovers that Helen has been spoilt by her parents, having whatever she wants because they prefer to follow Helen's orders than to go through the hassle of teaching the deafblind child a lesson. Annie refuses to follow suit, and she takes measures to discipline Helen. In the end, she succeeds once Helen realizes that objects have their own names, the "miracle" that Annie created.

Opinion:

The Miracle Worker was a touching portrayal of the memorable story of Helen Keller. Annie Sullivan was constantly met by apprehension from the Kellers when she tried to teach Helen, despite her best intentions for Helen's future. They only realized the effectiveness of Annie's teaching methods after Helen learned some manners and that objects have their own names.

However, I believe that Helen Keller's story has been told so often, that reading The Miracle Worker simply bored me. There were no surprises; I was already familiar with the plot since a novel study back in Grade 2, and was constantly reminded of it since then. The play merely served as a more in-depth perspective on the well-known tale, with its dialogue and specific descriptions of the characters' actions.

Admirers of Helen Keller's accomplishments may be interested in reading this script for a play. Otherwise, I would not recommend it to others.

Main themes and subjects:

• Deafness and blindness
• Perseverance
  
• Rebellion
• Miracles

Target audience: Older children to adults

Genre: Biographical play

Rating: 2/5

Book review by Fiona T.
* 42 hours so far

Shopaholic and Baby!
By Sophie Kinsella
359 Pages
5/5

This is the fifth Shopaholic novel that came out a few weeks ago! I think I sat in my room for 5 hours non-stop reading this book from start to finish. I would say that this is the best one so far, but.. that's how I always think. I always think the latest one I've read is the best. Overall, it was pretty satisfying. I think Shopaholic and Sister and Shopaholic and Baby both have more intense plots than the first three in the series.

So, Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) is back, and she's pregnant! Becky and Luke have been married for over a year, and went on an around-the-world honeymoon in the previous book. She now has a job as a personal shopper in one of the newest, biggest stores called The Look (one of the most disastrous failures in shopping history) while she and her husband are looking for a new house. Luke's company, Brandon Communications, is going to turn them into squillionaires, if they keep up their astounding success!

Meanwhile, Becky has bank accounts all over the world (fifteen, to be exact) but hey, who knows when a bank account in Bangledesh will come in handy? If only she hadn't fifteen accounts and fifteen overdrafts...

Oh, the baby has his/her own account too. And.. the baby isn't even born. Huh. Well, at least Becky is being.. uh.. she's ahead of the game =).

Becky can't help digging her ears into someone else's conversation, about.. a celebrity obstetrician! Oh my gosh! She gets the number and.. uh.. books an appointment.. without Luke knowing.. but later, things turn out fine. Well, as fine as it gets when Venetia Carter, Becky's expensive dream obstetrician, turns out to be Luke's stunning, swishy-red-haired ex-girlfriend. Venetia seems to be going after Luke, but Luke keeps denying it. Becky thinks that Luke's having an affair with Venetia.... but, that does not stop her from buying Baby Dior suits for her upcoming baby! Or maybe even two...


I loved this book, and I think anybody and everybody who wants to read it should read it. Not that it's actually for boys, though (DUHH..).
BUT, this book links back to previous books a lot more than the other ones in the series, and that's where some of the humour some from. It really helps to read the first four in the series before this one. (Again, DUHH..)

*Jessica
*Would have been 78 hours
*Can be published in a newsletter

Title: The King in the Window
Author: Adam Gopnik
# of pages: 410

Plot Summary:

Oliver Parker is a twelve-year-old American boy living in Paris, France. As a French tradition, his family celebrates Epiphany with a cake with a key embedded inside. The person whose slice contains the key receives a gold paper crown and becomes "king" - little does his parents' only child know that he becomes more than an Epiphany king.

After being crowned king, Oliver experiences several strange incidents. He later finds out that he has become the King in the Window - ruler of glass and water. As if the sudden notice wasn't already a shock to him, he is told of the centuries-old war between the windows and mirrors. As King, he is responsible for leading the fight against the evil Master of Mirrors who steals the souls of people.

Although Oliver's lack of knowledge regarding his situation leads to unpleasant results in favour of the Master of Mirrors, he begins to understand true thinking, and outwits the Master of Mirrors in the final battle.

Opinion:

Because some of the concepts in The King in the Window were very original, I often had to reread certain passages to comprehend the situation at hand. The characters often use wordplay, and a major part of Oliver's quest was to solve several riddles in order to discover the secret to defeating the mirrors.

Otherwise, though, the plot was very creative. I never thought about wraiths living in windows, or evil soul-stealers lurking in mirrors, before reading Gopnik's novel. I especially admired the concept of the "Way", a world that is the complete opposite of ours. The way the different colours of lies was mentioned was quite interesting, and the analysis of irony and metaphors.

I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy novels. Those who seek imaginative stories would be satisfied with Gopnik's work.

Main themes and subjects:

• Epiphany
• Medieval France
• Wordplay
  
• Parallel worlds

Target audience: Preteens and teenagers

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4/5

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

TRAP Blog will be closing June 15th for summer blog

Andrea and I were talking and have decided that this blog will finish June 15th.
We will then go to the summer blog format where no volunteer hours will be credited.
If you need to finish volunteer hours for high school credit, please have it done by that date.
All volunteer hours for those eligible will be credited.

Summer blog is different. There are trivia contests. It is more interactive.

If you want more information, I will be posting as we get closer to summer.

Catherine

Title: Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures
Author: Vincent Lam
# of pages: 350

Plot Summary:

Fitzgerald, Ming, Chen, and Sri are four medical students whose ambitions are to become doctors. Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures is a collection of stories that follow their paths from premed school, to their thrilling experiences on the job.

It begins with Fitzgerald's and Ming's molecular biology examination. We discover that they are very close friends, and would be romantic partners had Ming's parents allowed her to go beyond acquainting herself with a non-Chinese. They are firmly separated once Ming aces the exam and progresses to medical school while Fitzgerald does not make the cut-off.

She meets Chen and Sri there, and eventually, she marries Chen. She delivers a baby, Chen faces a long lineup of hospital patients, Sri must deal with an insane man, and Fitzgerald treats patients overseas as a flight doctor.

Opinion:

For the most part, I enjoyed reading Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures. Vincent Lam described a view of the life of a doctor in a matter-of-fact way, and it was interesting to see some of the difficulties they endured, from premed to the actual job.

The Scotiabank Giller Prize winner also lived up to its glory, with its exquisite language (in most cases).

However, the adult content disturbed me greatly. I am accustomed to seeing profanity, but I felt that it was excessively used in this novel, to the point where I wondered if the author didn't realize how shallow the phrases were. The extensive description of what Zoltan the paramedic saw during one of his missions nauseated me. I enjoyed reading some of the stories, but I also regretted reading others.

I would perhaps recommend this collection to some adults, so long as they can stand reading some of the content better than I did. I would certainly suggest that children and the sensitive refrain from reading some of the stories, since I assume that the parts I was uncomfortable with would be the same for some others.

Main themes and subjects:

• Medical school
• Healthcare
  
• Romance
• Family values

Target audience: Adults
Genre: Realistic fiction
Rating: 3/5

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