2009 Teens' Top Ten Nominations - Graceling by Kristin Cashore

This years list for the 2009 Teens' Top Ten has been released. I will be posting a little bit about one of the books on the list each week. Teen are encouraged to read the books over the next few months and then vote for their favorites this October during Teen Read Week. More information on voting will be posted in October!


This week's book is Graceling by Kristin Cashore.


This review is taken from Amazon.com:

If you had the power to kill with your bare hands, what would you do with it?

Graceling takes readers inside the world of Katsa, a warrior-girl in her late teens with one blue eye and one green eye. This gives her haunting beauty, but also marks her as a Graceling. Gracelings are beings with special talents—swimming, storytelling, dancing. Katsa's Grace is considered more useful: her ability to fight (and kill, if she wanted to) is unequaled in the seven kingdoms. Forced to act as a henchman for a manipulative king, Katsa channels her guilt by forming a secret council of like-minded citizens who carry out secret missions to promote justice over cruelty and abuses of power.

Combining elements of fantasy and romance, Cashore skillfully portrays the confusion, discovery, and angst that smart, strong-willed girls experience as they creep toward adulthood. Katsa wrestles with questions of freedom, truth, and knowing when to rely on a friend for help. This is no small task for an angry girl who had eschewed friendships (with the exception of one cousin that she trusts) for her more ready skills of self-reliance, hunting, and fighting. Katsa also comes to know the real power of her Grace and the nature of Graces in general: they are not always what they appear to be.

Graceling is the first book in a series, and Kristin Cashore’s first work of fiction. It sets up a vivid world with engaging characters that readers will certainly look forward to following beyond the last chapter of this book. (Ages 14 and up) --Heidi Broadhead

Magnetic Poetry Board

Recently seen on the magnetic poetry board:

"Poetry is the language that whispers beneath every happy thought." - Anonymous

Classic Books Online

Has your teacher just assigned a classic novel for you to read, but your local library's copy is missing? Perhaps, everyone else got to the library before you and checked every copy out. Or maybe you just enjoy reading the classics...

In any case, check out this website - Classic Books Online


There are tons of classic books available for free, right on the website! Here are just some of the authors available: Jane Austen, Frank L. Baum, Emily Bronte, Lewis Carroll, Kate Chopin, Daniel Defoe, Shakespeare, Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, and many more!

Just go to the site, choose an author, choose a book, and then click on "open book". It will bring up a java window with the entire book. You can also change the background and text color to make it easier to read. And, after closing the book, you can have it email you a bookmark link so you can start back up right where you left off!

This site is definitely worth checking out!

The Surrender Tree - Book Review by Rhea

The Surrender Tree by Margarita Engle

The setting of this story is during several wars in Cuba. Rosa, a healer, and her companions try to heal all who are injured physically in hopes to unite everyone, all races in the country. They have hope that everyone will put aside differences and unite as Cubans. They battle slavery, concentration camps, foreign armies and their control over them, and various diseases that come from war. This story is unique in that it is written in prose and separated as though it were diary entries.

This story brings alive a part of history that is normally overlooked. You get to see the wars from the natives' point of view. Very good story. Never a dull moment.


Review by Rhea

Something Remains - Book Review by Rhea

Something Remains by Inge Barth-Grozinger

Something Remains follows the life of a Jewish family living in Ellwangen, Germany during the 1930's. It follows their lives, mostly of the son, Erich, during the early part of Hitler's regime. The family goes from being upstanding citizens to scum of the earth due to the Nazis. This book is based on a true story. You experience every triumph and heartbreak of the family. It makes history seem like it is playing before your eyes. Erich experiences his first love, loss of friends, bullying, and hardship in every way possible.

Like I said, this book brings history alive and mroe down-to-earth for our generation. This book grips your emotions. A great way to learn more about the Holocaust even though it isn't verbatum of your life.


Review by Rhea

The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail - Book Review by Emily

The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edmund Lee

The play The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail was a little to dramatized for my own personal interest, but if you like a story of a person who goes against what is expected of him then you'll love The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail. Thoreau seems to be a transcendentalist who disagrees with always doing what's expected of you, and going against others wishes to do what you believe in. In my opinion I found that Thoreau thought to highly of his own opinion, and tried to make others understand his beliefs without any consideration of his family or loved ones. There are some thing in this play I agree with and other I disagree with. It proved to be an interesting read, that you definitely learn more about yourself by reading it.


Review by Emily

The Last Lecture - Book Review by Alaina

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

The Last Lecture written by Randy Pausch, a well-respected professor at Carnegie Mellon, is a quick and easy read. Randy Pausch was diagnosed with terminal cancer and asked to give his 'last lecture'. Many professors give speeches called "The Last Lecture", but for Randy, this would be the last lecture he would ever give. The talk is supposed to be about the legacy the person wants to leave behind and what matters most to them. Randy gave his talk about overcoming obstacles and making childhood dreams come true. After Randy was diagnosed with his terminal cancer, he chose to live life to the fullest instead of living as if there was nothing left to live for. He decided to write this book because his children are so young and he wants them to be able to look back and remember him. He compiled many memories and stories that each contain a moral or lesson to be learned. He always chose to have a positive and optimistic outlook on life in order to make the best of everything in every situation. If you are interested in a book that will lead you to become inspired by such an amazing person, this is a great book choice!


Review by Alaina