The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

I couldn't resist blogging about a story that takes place in a graveyard on this Halloween day. A stalking killer, a murdered family, ghosts, darkness, a full moon, ghouls, and gravestones all await you if you choose to open to the first page of Nail Gaiman's Newbery Medal winning The Graveyard Book tonight.

Each of these alone would make for a chilling tale but there's another twist here. A toddler has unknowingly escaped the man Jack killer in his home, making his way to an old graveyard during the night. Did you know the ghostly souls buried in a graveyard have 'lives' among the dead? Yes, in fact, the toddler, now the only survivor of his family's murder is taken under the wing of one such ghostly couple long buried in the graveyard. The couple give the toddler a name, Nobody (Bod for short), and tend to his needs as he grows up. Of course, Bod has other friends who visit the graveyard - people who are alive. Bod actually lives in both worlds - of the living and the dead. You can see this novel is of a very different sort than what you may be used to reading. Yet, the man Jack killer is still out there searching for the toddler who escaped his razor-sharp knife that fateful night.

Give it a try. Even on this Halloween. Better yet, listen to the author, Neil Gaiman, read it to you. He has a deep, haunting voice. He's waiting for you - HERE!!!

Kudos to Dave McKean, the illustrator of The Graveyard Book. Can you see the child's face in the gravestone on the cover? How clever of him!
Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Funny, this is a funny story. It's also very easy to read because it's so funny and personalized, much like a diary.

Poignant, this is also a poignant story. You will feel so connected to the personal struggles of Junior that you'll want to reach out and be his friend. It's rich with feelings.

Here's the story. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie is exactly that. Junior, as he is known on the Indian reservation (the rez), is Native American but he is also attending a white high school off of the rez. For that reason he feels that he is just a part-time Indian. This is written as though Junior were speaking to us, like he would write in a diary. It's also complete with his drawings - he loves to draw cartoons!

Imagine being the only Indian at the high school in the reservation's nearby town. Yes, the rez has its own high school but Junior wanted out. He wanted more opportunities. He knew white people have more success in their lives than the struggles he witnessed all around him on the rez. So he left. He alone made the decision to attend Reardan High School.

He was ostracized by his rez friends as well as the white students at Reardan. But he was committed to improving his life through education. He saw that alcoholism was ruining too many families and lives of the Indians on his Spokane Indian reservation.

This is definely a guy book. The humor will be most appreciated by guys. Take time to read the word bubbles with the cartoon illustrations as well. This book's illustrator, Ellen Forney, has done a great job enhancing the character of Junior through the illustrations. We learn much about him by taking a closer look.

Mr. Alexie won The National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2007 for this book. You can read more about him from this National Book Foundation Web page. You'll learn, like I did, that he wrote from his own experiences - Junior may actually be Sherman Alexie.

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm

The Arrival by Shaun Tan

This “new” book looks like it came from my mother’s 50 year old library in her 100 year old Victorian house. It’s not a pretty book by today’s standards; it looks old, faded and brown. When I start leafing through the pages, I see wonderful drawings on every page but there is not any text. The Arrival by Shaun Tan is a graphic novel and tells the story of a man immigrating to a new world and what he experiences in a strange new land while missing his family that he left behind.

I found that I had to be in a silent room and concentrate on each drawing so that I didn’t miss any details of the story. Once I started reading the book by “looking” at the drawings, it was very easy to understand and I especially liked the little animals in the story. I enjoyed my first experience reading this ‘graphic novel’ and I plan to read more.

Reviewed by Mrs. Finney

The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst

I picked this mystery book to read solely on the front cover. The photograph was of a dog lying next to a lady who looked like she was sleeping. Being an animal lover and an avid reader of mystery books, I couldn't resist taking it home to read. I soon found out that the lady wasn't sleeping, she was dead and the dog was the only witness to her death.

The husband is devastated by his wife's death and can't carry on with his own life until he solves the mystery. Was it murder or suicide? He is determined to find out how his wife died and why. He wants to teach his dog how to talk and tries numerous ways to make this happen. He spends time analyzing his courtship, marriage and life with his wife, which has always included her loving dog.

Whenever an animal is one of the main characters in a book, I find that the book is written for animal lovers and that the emotions you feel for people, can also be felt for animals. I felt an overwhelming realm of emotions reading this book and I recommend it to anyone who has ever had a dog and/or loved someone with all of your heart.

Reviewed by Mrs. Finney

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Don't get too comfortable thinking that Katniss and Peeta will have life easy now that the Hunger Games are over. No, no, no. Not when the author is Suzanne Collins. In The Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire, Ms. Collins takes her readers on another emotional roller coaster. Afterall, this year is the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Hunger Games so these games will be a Quarter Quell - a unique, never-before played version of the game. Those in the Capitol who plan the Quarter Quell have a surprise in mind. Remember, Katniss and Peeta defied the Capitol establishment; they are not happy about that.

If you're like me and have been taken in by these stories, you'll want to borrow Catching Fire from your library soon - but read The Hunger Games first. The citizens of Panem are in an uproar but will they be able to stop the madness of the Hunger Games? How can these disparate regions join together in a revolution? Will they be able to? Some of those questions are answered in Catching Fire but much more is uncertain and lives are at stake.

I've tried to learn when the sequel will be published but since Catching Fire was just released, it may be awhile before we can read about Katniss and Peeta again. You may want to keep an eye on Suzanne Collins' website for updates.

See you at the library!

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

Even if you are not into historical fiction, this book is a must read. It takes you back to July 1942 in Paris when all the Jews were rounded up by the French Police and taken to various concentration camps. A 10 year old Jewish girl, Sarah, locks her 4 year old brother in their secret hiding space and promises to come back for him before she is taken away with her parents. It is a journey of a little girl who just wanted a normal life and couldn't understand why she was being taken away by French Policemen that were her parents' friends. Sixty years later, an American journalist is given a writing assignment to investigate the roundup. She discovers various things about Sarah and what she went through. Sarah's Key is an easy read and it just draws you in. It is one of those books, you just can't put down. Surely, even if you are not a reader, you will be captured by Tatiana de Rosnay's compelling way to tell a story.

Reviewed by Mrs. Kiehler

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Here is an author that is worthy of your time. Laurie Halse Anderson is Writer Lady - notice the URL of her website. Speak is her first published work (from 1999) and it won numerous awards. Can you imagine having your first book win national awards? Amazing! As a matter-of-fact, in the 10 years since its publication, all of the other books she's written are award winning at the national and state level. If you haven't delved into one, now is the time. She not only writes for teens but she has written award winning books for young children and tweens. This year she won the Margaret A. Edwards Award for three of her books for teens - “Catalyst”; “Fever 1793”; and “Speak”. Our BHS media center owns each of these so stop by and pick one up.

In Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson reveals the hidden story behind 9th grader Melinda Sordino's reclusiveness. She is an outcast at her high school. She is not motivated to do anything and she's lost her friends. They are all angry with her because she called the police at a summer party that was going out of control. Her friends don't know why she did that and she can't tell them. She's actually not talking to anyone, not even her parents. She has turned inward and struggles with life. Ms. Anderson has written a story that will draw you in and keep you in its clutches as she slowly reveals details, bit by bit, until you feel the frightening pain that Melinda endured. You won't want to put this book down and you may just be able to finish it in a day, or at least a weekend.

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm