Friday, August 15, 2008

VAMPIRATES: BLOOD CAPTAIN

by Justin Somper (book 3) 5th

Conner and Grace find themselves separated in this third Vampirate book. Conner has returned to The Diablo, angry with his friends at the Pirate Academy. Grace has returned to The Nocturne to help care for Lorcan. Both are following their own journeys but may once again find themselves
together after everything plays out. Lorcan is not getting better and so Grace and the Captain take him to a healer know as Mosh Zu. Grace and Lorcan stay with Mosh Zu at a place called Sanctuary while Lorcan heals. Conner finds himself in another scheme with Captain Wrath. But this scheme goes greatly wrong and Conner is no longer sure he wants to be a pirate. Will Grace follow in Mosh Zu’s footsteps and become a healer? Will Conner leave pirating and if so, what will he do? Read the Blood Captain to find out.

Monday, August 4, 2008

AMONG THE BRAVE

Book 5 of the Shadow Children series
by Margaret Peterson Haddix (5th+)

Trey has always been the least brave of all of his friends and he knows it. He spent the first thirteen years of his life hidden away in a room. But when his friends need his help he realizes that he has to step up and become brave for them. Becoming brave includes impersonating a Population Police officer after it is believed that his friend Lee has been arrested. Everything is falling apart and it is not looking good for anyone who is a third child. Can Trey do it? Can he be brave enough to help his friends and perhaps help find a way for all third children to be safe? Find out when you read Among the Brave, the fifth book in the Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

AMONG THE BARONS

Book 4 of the Shadow Children series
by Margaret Peterson Haddix (5th+)

Luke has been living under the name of Lee Grant at the Hendricks School for Boys and it has been going well. But when Mr. Hendricks, the headmaster, informs him that his brother (Lee’s brother), Smits, will be coming to the school he fears that things are about to change. Why would his brother be coming? Then when Smits does show up, Luke is not sure how to act around him, it is strange. The two of them don’t know if they can trust each other. Smits has also come with a very large bodyguard named Oscar and Luke thinks there is something strange about him. What is going on? Why has Smits shown up at Hendricks all of the sudden? Will Luke’s cover be blown in this new turn of events? Find out when you read Among the Barons by Margaret Peterson Haddix.

AMONG THE BETRAYED

Book 3 of the Shadow Children series
by Margaret Peterson Maddix (5th+)

Nina Idi used to be a student at the Harlow School for Girls, which was connected by a forest to the Hendricks School for Boys. She was one of the girls that used to sneak into the forest at night to meet boys of her kind, third children. But one of the boys, Jason, whom she loved, has betrayed her and now she finds herself in a Population prison. She finds herself in a cell with two brothers, Matthias and Percy and their sister, Alia. She has been given two options--get the siblings to admit to being third children or be put to death. Can she turn around and betray the children as she was betrayed? Or will she choose to be put to death? Is it possible there is another option not yet found? Find out by reading Among the Betrayed, the third book in the Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

AMONG THE IMPOSTERS

Book 2 of the Shadow Children series
by Margaret Peterson Haddix (5th+)

Luke has been taken from his home and has been given the fake I.D. of another young man who was killed in a skiing accident. Now Luke finds himself headed to the Hendricks School for Boys under the name of Lee Grant. It is not a place that he likes. No one seems to care about anyone else unless they are bullying or being cruel to that person. Then Luke finds a door to the outside and his stay changes as well as the people he knows within the school. But who can he trust? Are his friends really his friends? Read Among the Imposters, book 2 of the Shadow Children series, to find out.

AMONG THE HIDDEN

Book 1 of the Shadow Children series
by Margaret Peterson Haddix (5th+)

Luke is a shadow child, a third child. A group known as the Population Police have created and enforce a law against families having more than two children. If a family should have more than two children then those extra children will be killed. Many families have had more than two children and the additional children have had to go into hiding. Luke is one of these children—a third child, a shadow child. He used to be able to go outside in his backyard because it was hidden by forest. But after developers tore down the forest and build houses for barons he finds that he has to stay in the attic. He cannot go outside and cannot even go downstairs for fear of being seen. He hates having to hide and miss out on everything that is going on around him. But one day through a hole in the attic he sees a face in the window of the house next door. A house where he knows there are already two children. Luke works up the courage to sneak over there and finds a new friend in another third child, Jen. Jen hates hiding also and is determined to do something about the law. But when Jen carries out her plan and turns up missing, Luke is really worried about what may have happened to her. What happened to Jen and is Luke now in trouble of being discovered because he made friends with her? Find out when you read Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix.

AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS

by Gennifer Choldenko (5th+)

The year is 1935 and Moose Flanagan’s family just moved to a new house on a nice secluded island. They’ve moved here in order for his sister to attend a specific school that is nearby. His sister is not like other kids and she needs help. But he hates the move and all of the attention he gets because of his new home. What is so special about his home? It’s on Alcatraz. Alcatraz is the famous island that is home to many famous murderers, mob bosses, and convicts such as Roy Gardner, Machine Gun Kelly, and Al Capone. He’s moved here because his father got a job as a prison guard/electrician and in the year 1935 the warden liked having the guards readily available in case of an escape. So guards and their families all lived on Alcatraz. Moose is twelve years old and not only does he have to deal with his sister being different and his family being stressed but he also has to deal with the fact that he now lives on Alcatraz island surrounded by convicts and murderers. Then there is the wardens daughter, Piper, who in herself is sure to get him in trouble. She always has a new scheme to make some money. Like the time she made money from selling Al Capones laundry service to all of the kids at the school. Can Moose make it living on Alcatraz with his somewhat strange sister and stay out of trouble with a friend like Piper? Find out when you read Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko.

*Al Capone Does My Shirts is a fictional story but many of the facts and details about life on Alcatraz are true.

Friday, August 1, 2008

VAMPIRATES: TIDE OF TERROR

by Justin Somper (book 2) 5th+

Someone on the crew of the Diablo has died in battle and it has left the rest of the crew extremely upset. This was an excellent swordsman and a best friend to Conner and Bart. Grace realizes that one day her brother could die if he continues on this journey of pirating. So, she convinces Connor that they should visit the Pirate Academy in hopes of dissuading him from the life of a pirate. But she soon finds that that might not be the case at all. Conner loves the Academy and wants to enroll full time to help him become a better pirate and one day become a captain of his own ship. Meanwhile, something strange has been happening to Grace. She has these dizzy spells and somehow is finding herself back on the Vampirate ship. She is not fully there but is somewhat ghost like when she visits. She always returns to the Academy when she doesn’t want to though. Lorcan and the Vampirate captain need her. There is unrest on the ship and Lorcan is not doing well without her. Can she find a way to get back to the ship for good? Will Conner continue his dream of becoming a pirate Captain? Read Tide of Terror, the second book in the Vampirates series to find out.