NERDS by Michael Buckley

       

Flint Heart, by Katherine and John Patterson

Lexile Level: 1030

When a warrior wants to be leader of the tribe, he goes to the shaman to have a special necklace made.  The shaman warns him that the stone charm would harden his heart and he would lose the respect of the tribe.  Craving the power and the riches that comes with being Chief, the warrior kills many in his tribe, including the current Chief.  When the evil warrior finally dies, the magic charm is buried deep with him.  ....Until it is found by a kindly man and his son Charles.  The man immediately begins to take on a hardened heart and makes all around him miserable.  Charles and his sister seek out the fairies to find help.  Charles and Unity now find themselves on a mission to save ALL creatures from the Flint Heart. 

You will enjoy this new fairy tale.  The illustrations are beautiful and help give the characters charm.  I enjoyed this tale and will be reading it again soon!

Steel Trapp, by Ridley Pearson

LEXILE: 660
                      
The Challange, book #1
In this riveting thriller, 14-year-old Steven "Steel" Trapp sets off with his mom and their dog, Cairo, on a 2-day Amtrak journey to compete in the National Science Competition in Washington, DC. Steel is both blessed and cursed with a remarkable photographic memory--just one look and whatever he sees is imprinted for keeps. Trying to be a good Samaritan on the train, he instead becomes embroiled in an ingenious, international plot of kidnapping and bribery that may have links to terrorists. Federal agents track Steel and his new-found science geek accomplice, Kaileigh Augustine, as they attempt to put together the pieces of a complex puzzle. Using Steel's science contest invention--and with the help of Cairo--Steel and Kaileigh lead readers on an action-packed chase adventure as they attempt to prevent the unimaginable, before it's too late. http://www.amazon.com/Steel-Trapp-Challenge-Ridley-Pearson/dp/1423106407

The Academy, book #2
When you have a mind that won't forget any detail or pattern you have ever seen, you stick out among "regular" students.  Steel's parents are sending him to a special boarding school that only allows students who are invited.  So, Steel was surprised to see his friend Kaileigh.  Sure, she was smart, probably smarter than he was.  How did she get invited?  Why did his father help?  As the questions about Steel's new school pile up, he becomes more and more obsessed in finding out what IS going on.  He begins to count the opening of doors, watching for upperclassman after classes, and hiding in an old church organ.  Enjoy this mystery that is quick paced and filled with excitment. 

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Matched, byAlly Conde

                                                 

This is one of the most intriguing young adult books I have read in a while.  Cassia lives in a post-apocalyptic world where the Society tells its members what job they will have, where they will live, and when they will die.  They believe their statistics give their members the best chance to live "full and healthy" lives.  Cassia has turned 17 and goes to the Capitol to be matched with her statically preferred match.  To her and everyone's surprise she is matched with someone she knows, Xander.  He has been her best friend for a long time.  The Society gives her a data card with all of her information about her match.  When she puts it in she is surprised yet again.  There is another match...someone else she knows.  Cassia secretly tries to figure out what is going on in her "perfect" life.  She comes to realize it may not be as Utopian world she thought she did.  This book is an adventure as much as a reflection of what it means to live with or without choices.  It left me pondering about the life we choose and what is best for us as a "society". 

Book 2- Crossed,

Casia is preparing to go against the Society to find Ky.  She is working in the outer Providences and is trying to figure out how to get to where Ky is stationed.  In Crossed, every other chapter gives us Ky's perspective as well.  Ky is stationed on the outer border pretending to be a villager and watching other Aberrations die in fire storms.  He is smart and lucky and is managing to tempt fate by staying alive.  He thinks of Casia all the time, but doesn't realize how far she will go to find him.  Casia sees her chance to get to him when she pretends to be an Aberration being sent to the border.  She is risking everything to be with Ky.  Will they find each other?  Will they stay safe from the Society?  This is an exciting, bridge to a great trilogy.  

Tentacles, by Roland Smith

I started reading Tentacles because it was recommended in Storm Runners- which I LOVED (see post).  As I got about 5 pages in, I realized that this is a sequel to Cryptid Hunters.  I was too intrigued to wait to get the first book, so I dove in....and it didn't matter that I didn't read book 1.  I instantly liked our hero Marty, a 13 year old boy who is quick on his feet and truly funny.  Marty, his cousin Grace, and his best friend Luther go to stay on his uncle's sea vessel in search of a Giant Squid.  Not only has no one ever seen this great predator, but they also live in an impossible location to get to.  Marty, Grace, and Luther are all on a much bigger adventure than they thought.  Come on this incredible ride...if you can hold your stomach contents in!

Out of my mind, Sharon Draper

Can you imagine being trapped in your own head.  You have feelings, thoughts, experiences and you can't share them with anyone.  Melody deals with that every day of her life.  She has Cerebral Palsy and cannot walk, eat, dress herself, or talk....and never will.  When people look at her (when they bother to look), they think she is stupid.  How can she know anything- since she is drooling, moaning, and flailing about.  They can't see that she capable of feelings as complex as our own.  Sharon Draper writes a beautiful tale that is so moving that it will change the way you interact with people in wheelchairs.  Melody shows us that there is more inside them than they can get out.  I promise this book will change your life. 


NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:
People often ask me, "What was your inspiration for Out of my Mind?" I reply, "All great stories emerge from deep truths that rest within us." But the real truth of a story often can be found in places that not even the author has dared to explore. I suppose the character of Melody came from my experiences in raising a child with developmental difficulties. But Melody is not my daughter. Melody is pure fiction--a unique little girl who has come into being from a mixture of love and understanding. Out of my Mind is the story of a ten-year-old-girl who cannot walk or talk. She has spirit, determination, intelligence and wit, and no one knows it. But from buildings that are not wheelchair--accessible to classmates who make fun of her she finds a strength within herself she never knew existed.

I was fiercely adamant that nobody feel sorry for Melody. I wanted her to be accepted as a character and as a person, not as a representative for people with disabilities. Melody is a tribute to all the parents of disabled kids who struggle, to all those children who are misunderstood, to all those caregivers who help every step of the way. It's also written for people who look away, who pretend they don't see, or who don't know what to say when they encounter someone who faces life with obvious differences. Just smile and say hello!

--Sharon M. Draper    http://www.amazon.com/Out-My-Mind-Sharon-Draper/dp/141697170X 

Storm Runners, by Roland Smith

                 

lexile leve: 700

   I found myself on quite a rollercoaster of a ride when I read Roland Smith's Storm Runners.  Chase Masters and his father have an unusual life.  After weathering some tough storms in their lives, Chase's dad moves him away from everything that was familiar.  John Masters now runs after storms, the big ones, to help people clean up after them.  Yet, Fate step in when John Masters miscalculates hurricane Emily.  Follow Chase to see how he rides out the storm. 

The Surge, book 2 is an excellent sequel!  I was on the edge the whole time.   Chase is still battling a hurricane beating the coast of Florida, but now he is also fighting with escaped circus animals.  Not your average problem; especially when you are only a teenager!  Chase's father is still braving a hurricane to try to get to his son, before something awful happens to them.  Come join the adventure!

 Read a chapter here!  http://booktalk.scholastic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Stormrunner-chapter.pdf