Have you ever decided to read a book and it sounds really interesting but you just can't get into it? That's how reading Scars Like Wings started out for me. But, as soon as I took the time to just sit down and read, it got really great!

​See below for a review of this new book by Erin Stewart:

Looking toward next week, don't forget that we have our new library game next week! Cupid will be flying around the library pointing out all of the cutest couples that he's helped bring together. Your job is to find the right couple! 

In other words, cupid's arrow will be pictured in the library (view-able on Instagram and on the website). Evidence of cupid's arrow will remain on the book he chooses. Your job is to use the pictures and the physical evidence of Cupid's arrow to identify which romance novel is featured in the picture.

Wow! It has been more than a few weeks since I last wrote a blog post! All of the games and activities I planned for the end of the fall semester distracted me from this page.

Over winter break I made the commitment to try to read 4 books. After about a week of break I realized that wasn't going to happen, but I did read 2 books: Verify and Crank.

Verify was the dystopian story that I didn't even realize I needed. It takes place in Chicago about 75 years in the future (which, really, is the main flaw in the book...it's too soon!) In this seemingly perfect society, the American government has made owning and using paper illegal and put all books and school materials, etc on tablets and screens to "help the environment." But in reality, the government has used this excuse to gain control of all the information available to the people. They have removed key pieces of history (like ALL of World War II) and information (the definition of "verify" and "revolution") to keep people in line and make them stop questioning the decisions made for them. The fact that this takes place only 75 years in the future (a time when I hope that you are all still alive and remember these things) is the main flaw in the story line, but if you can ignore that glaring detail, this book portrays for us the kind of world we could end up living in if we stop questioning what we are told and don't verify the information with which we are presented.

For those who don't already know, Crank is a novel written in verse (poetry) that tells the story of Kristina (and her alter-ego, Bree) as she struggles with an addiction to meth. This quick read tells the tale of how easy it is to fall down the hole of addiction and how hard it can be to climb back out. Kristina (/Bree) face a rough road of twists and challenges due to her reliance on the drug to feel good, happy, and able to face the world. If you haven't read this yet, I recommend it for anyone once. Then, if you like it, continue the series to see where she ends up!

On September 11, 2001 four airplanes were hijacked on their way to the United States of America. One landed in a field in Pennsylvania, one hit the Pentagon in Washington DC, and two crashed into the Twin Towers [World Trade Center] in New York City. Almost 3000 people lost their lives as a result of this attack on America.

Hope and Other Punchlines is a fictional story about those who didn't. 

Based on a real city in New Jersey, Hope and Other Punchlines takes place in the city which suffered the most deaths in the terrorist attack, outside of New York itself. Abbi, who's middle name is Hope, was photographed in a crown and holding a balloon as her caregiver, holding Abbi, ran away from the falling towers behind them. It was Abbi's first birthday. The image went viral and "Baby Hope" became a symbol for the entire country of hope and joy in times of sorrow.

This is the reality that Abbi has grown up with. She is famous and people are constantly doting on her in public places, thanking her for being Baby Hope and telling her that her picture is handing in their house. Can you imagine how strange that must feel? Abbi is sick of it.

Then, the summer before senior year, Abbi starts to feel the symptoms of 9/11 Syndrome, a very real effect of having been near the towers when they fell. Abbi, convinced she is dying wants to get away and just be a normal girl for one summer before dealing with the illness. So, she gets a job as a camp counselor outside of town. It is here that Abbi meets Noah, a boy who has his own connection to the Baby Hope photo and refuses to let Abbi ignore her past. Noah takes her on a wild goose chase, leading to Abbi meeting all of the remaining people in her viral photo. For some it's joyful; for others its painful. Through it all Abbi remains their rock, as she's done her whole life. 

As high school students in 2019, none of you remember the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. I do. This book brought back all of the emotions I remember feeling on the day of the attack. It reminded me to think about all the people who didn't stop being affected by the attack a few weeks or months later. Living in California and having no family on the east coast, its easy to become disconnected from disasters that happen there. It is important to remain aware and connected to the other people in our country, and to support each other in times of need. This book is an excellent reminder for us.

Plus, I've always wondered how it would feel to go viral. Now I know!

Have you ever read a book so mystifying that you get to the end and you're still not quite sure what just happened? That's what you'll get with The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle.

With each chapter, Cara's life seemed to get eerier and eerier. From the start the reader is made aware of the whole family's predisposition for "accidents" during the month of October. For Cara's whole life, bad things seem to happen to her family during this one month, which they refer to as the accident season. Add this on to the disappearance of a girl nobody but Cara and her friends seem to remember existing, and culminating the story with a long hidden family secret, this book is one wild ride of mystery.

If you like a truly mystifying read, with a hint of danger, romance, and Irish culture, you should give The Accident Season a try!