What will Sunday morning feel like now?

Every Saturday morning,I get the Sunday New York Times. Not the whole paper, just the special sections that are actually printed during the week, and are part of the large bundle affectionately known as The Times. The first thing I do when I get the Sunday Times sections on Saturday is peruse the Travel Section, read the Book Review ( I know, shocking), then I look at the cover of the magazine section. This has been my routine for the past few DECADES. I read the last page of the magazine, which is always a great story, then I turn to the front and read the following two columns, On Language, then The Ethicist. I browse the articles and then dig into the Sunday puzzle. It is a ritual. Well, this past Saturday, lo and behold, the writers of both The Ethicist AND On Language announced that this was to be their last columns. I am totally out of sorts. What will I do? I am a creature of habit, I love these columns. And why oh why, both ending on the same day! Poor planning New York Times,,, Poor planning. Maybe it was deliberate. Get the shock over with all at once and be done with it. I guess I will just have to adapt. I do like the column The Medium, so I guess I am not set totally adrift.

Talking about a REVOLUTION

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly is a book of historical fiction, taking place in the current era, in Brooklyn Heights NY and during the French Revolution in Paris. The author has intertwined two wonderful stories and created a fantastic read, a page turner, a romance, a mystery and an adventure. I learned a lot about the French Revolution, and it was certainly a fascinating time.Coincidentally, National Geographic ran a cover story about the catacombs of Paris, which is where most of the drama of this book takes place. Check out the interactive maps of the city underground. I recommend this book for all readers.

Book Club Contest

Everyone and anyone living who can type on a computer, join the book club's contest! Whether or not you are in book club, you can still enter this contest! Get an entry form from Mrs. Roberts, and your only job is this; WRITE AS MANY REVIEWS AS YOU CAN IN THE OPAC! From fiction to non-fiction, or historical to sci-fi, write reviews and rate the books of your choice. Winners will recieve either an AUTOGRAPHED copy of Elixer by Hilary Duff or an ADVANCE READER'S COPY of Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. There are only 5 COPIES available of each book. I repeat, 5 COPIES ONLY!! So be sure to hurry up and write those reviews! Winners will be picked on March 1st, 2011. Books have been provided courtesy of Simon and Schuster. So hurry up Mister or Miss, don't delay, start today!

Wheatley Authors

Do these published authors look familiar to you? If you have been at Wheatly for at least a year, they should. Former students, professionally known as A and A Andrews have self published a book, The Will of the Chosen.(The A's stand for Andre and Andrew) It is a fantasy with a message to YA readers. The book was written over the past two years, ( that means they were 11th graders when they started) and according to the authors, it has been a wonderful journey. There is a website and a you tube video featuring music by another former Wheatley student(Sharif). We are fortunate enough to have multiple copies in the IMC for your reading pleasure. The book is also available for purchase on Amazon and I DOWNLOADED MY COPY to my Kindle. The authors will be here for the midterm experience to discuss how they self published their first book, so reading the book before they get here will greatly enhance your experience. I am off to bed now, Kindle in hand, to start reading!

Zombies vs. Unicorns

Zombies vs. Unicorns was an awesome compilation of many different talented authors. The stories alternate between zombies and unicorns. I liked that the "battle" between the two was not literal and just a battle of words. It was interesting to make the decision between the two, being swayed to either side by the stories. Some of my favorites included one about a unicorn who kills people and a zombie who just wants a friend. Contributors include Libba Bray (author of Going Bovine), Meg Cabot and Cassandra Clare. The symbolism between zombies and unicorns may be seen as good vs. evil. Zombies stand for death, destruction, sickness. Unicorns stand for pure innocence, healing and love. The stories stepped away from these stereotypes and many times the unicorn stories were darker and more about the evil side of life than the zombie stories. The zombie stories tended to be lighter and funnier. The book went deeper than just the "zombie vs. unicorn" battle and into teenage issues, like family, friendship and fitting in. The book had something for everyone and in the end you get to decide: Zombies or Unicorns?

Printz Awards- My favorite

The Michael L. Printz Award is an award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. It is named for a Topeka, Kansas school librarian who was a long-time active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association. The award is sponsored by Booklist, a publication of the American Library Association. This link Mock Printz 2011 will take you to a list of the MOCK PRINTZ AWARDS created by the venerable BANK STREET SCHOOL. I always make sure to read all of the actual winners and the runners up. Some years are truely thrilling, some a puzzle, but the books generally have quite a lot to offer YA readers. How many on this list have you read? What books do you think are missing?