Book Reviews: Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip by Jordan Sonneblick

Right before the start of high school, Peter has pitched his last baseball game. The cartilage in his elbow is damaged so badly it requires multiple surgeries and his career as a baseball player is over. Without baseball, Peter isn't sure who he will be. He's always been Peter one of the star pitchers, with his best friend AJ as the other star pitcher.

Now at the start of high school, AJ has an "in" with the popular athletes, and Peter is just a freshman. Until they show up in introduction to photography, where Peter gets kicked out of class, and into the advanced class, thanks to his grandfather who used to be a professional photographer.

With help from Angelika, the cute freshman girl also bumped into the more advanced photography class, and a little help from AJ, Peter starts to rebuild himself. Of course this would be easier if he didn't have so many secrets to keep, like that he'll never play ball again from AJ, and that his grandfather is slowly losing his memory from his parents.

New friends, new hobbies, and new experiences mean that Peter's life is changing a lot. Sometimes he handles it in a good way, and sometimes he messes up royally. Even with the seriousness of sports injuries, and aging grandparents, Curveball is still a funny read. Author Jordan Sonnenblick is a master of mixing everyday life with sad experiences, and still keeping the story light hearted and fun. Peter is an "every kid" who messes up, and comes clean.

If you've read Zen and the Art of Faking It, or any of his other books you will like Curveball. Budding photographers (and sports fans!) will also find a lot to live with Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip.

I'll see you @ the library!
Katie (Who else is ready for the Hunger Games movie? Get ready for the movie by signing up for the Hunger Games party March 22nd!)

The Hunger Games Release Party Tickets Available Tomorrow!

Mark your calendars!  We are throwing a fabulous party for the release of The Hunger Games movie at the library next Thursday, March 22nd at 7PM.  Of course you want to come (who doesn't?!) play Hunger Games jeopardy, decorate some District 12 cookies a la Peeta, grab some trivia, watch the trailers, grab some book trivia, and win some Hunger Games prizes.  But first you have to snag a ticket at the library, because this isn't one you can just show up for.  So!  Tickets will be available at the Info desk beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, March 13th, at noon!  How do you get yours?

1. Tickets are FREE! But there are a limited number, so get your Hunger Games release party ticket early!

2. Tickets are available at the adult Information desk (in the middle of the library).

3. Tickets are REQUIRED for entry to The Hunger Games party on the 22nd. IF the party does not sell out early, you will be able to get one at the door. But... don't count on it, since all our other movie release parties have been full up!

4. You have to come to the library to get your Hunger Games release party ticket - no phone reservations.

5. When you come in, you can sign yourself and one friend up. So, if there are 6 of you planning to come, at least 3 of you will need to come in to sign up.

6. Your parents or guardians can sign you up for The Hunger Games release party if you can't make it to the library.

May the odds be ever in your favor!

Megan (and Blaine, who has been doing tons of planning for this awesome event, and who you will all get to meet at the Hunger Games release party!)

Book Review : The Rivals by Daisy Whitney

When we first met Alex last year, she had woken up in a unfamiliar boy’s room. Throughout her junior year she faced a trial against another student for rape, and in winning, brought justice to herself, as well as the rest of the student body.

In her senior year at Themis Academy, Alex is now the head of the Mockingbirds, the not-so-secret society who works to bring justice on campus since the administration believes that Themis students are incapable of doing anything wrong. Alex desperately wants to live up to the legacy of the Mockingbirds, but at the start of the year they are given a case unlike any they have ever faced before. Someone at Themis has started a prescription drug ring, and students are using the drugs to cheat. With no hope of help from the head of administration, who are too focused on winning a national award for the school, the Mockingbirds, and Alex as their new leader, must find a way to bring justice to Themis.

But what is Alex to do with a case where there is no obvious victim? When the facts start coming in, they begin to drive a wedge between Alex and those she loves – her boyfriend, her friends, and her fellow Mockingbirds. She is put to the test and learns many things about herself that she was unaware of before.

Whitney’s second novel speaks of friendship, loyalty, duty, and where lines must be drawn. Alex grows in her relationships, as well as in her knowledge about herself.

Blaine

Wait, who's Blaine?  She's our new made of awesome intern who will be guest blogging while she's at the WAPL!  She's a masters student at UWM and loves The Hunger Games, Harry Potter and everything YA, so welcome to the teen blog, Blaine!

Book Review: The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder

When 17-year-old Campbell Cooper's cancer doctor tells her the only thing that will save her life is a miracle, she knows that's it.  Cam grew up at Disney - her dad was a career dancer for the Spirit of Aloha show at the Polynesian - and she knows magic isn't real.  Cam's mom Alicia, on the other hand, is not exactly a realist, and takes Dr. Handsome (yup, that's actually his name) at his word.  When Cam comes home early from her morning shift at work, she finds the house entirely packed up.  Alicia's yoga friend Tom told her about a mystical town in Maine rumored to have healing powers and an unusual number of miracles, so that's it - Cam, her little sister Perry, her pet canary Tweety, and Alicia are road tripping to Promise, Maine for the summer to get Cam her miracle.

With a stop in North Carolina to see Cam's BFF Lily and Hoboken to visit Nana, Cam figures it'll be an okay way to spend her last summer, and it's always been easier to just humor Alicia.  It'll also give her a chance to work on her Flamingo List she and Lily made at camp - a list of all the things to do before she dies.  Things like have an awkward moment with her best friend's boyfriend, go cow-tipping, stay out all night, and dabble in some innocent stalking behavior.

The thing about Promise is that it's not that easy to find.  You can only see the road to Promise from the drive through at a certain Dunkin' Donuts, and it's really best to order a whoopie pie and some chocolate milk to make sure you're on the right track.  Which sounds pretty ridiculous to Cam - but turns out to be true.

When Cam, Alicia and Perry (Tweety, unfortunately, was set free in Hoboken by a very sorry Perry) arrive in Promise, even Cam has to wonder if the rumors are true.  Everlasting sunsets, whales leaping in the bay at the same time every night, perfect weather, the astonishing return of Tweety, and Asher.  Gorgeous, too-good-to-be-true Asher, who let her adopt Homer the lobster from the local lobster shack.  Cam might even start to believe she might be getting her miracle - even if it's not the one she was looking for.

This quirky, magical novel about deciding to live, love and be loved, even if you're dying, will make you laugh, break your heart, want to hug your mom, and fall in love.  Cam is funny, brilliant, sarcastic, prickly and terrifying pragmatic, and you'll love her as much as Alicia, Perry, and Asher do.  If you devoured John Green's The Fault in Our Stars or adore the mix of magical realism, adventure and sweet romance in books like Laura Reseau's The Indigo Notebook and The Ruby Notebook, don't miss The Probability of Miracles @the library!

Megan
(finishing Life: An Exploded Diagram by Mal Peet and looking forward to starting the last of the 2012 MCTBA nominees and Katie's recent read, Starcrossed!)

Book Review: Starcrossed by Elizabeth Bunce

Digger is rescued by a boat full of "nob" teens while on the run from the Greenmen, after a job gone bad. Digger has no where to turn after her partner in crime, Tegan, was caught and told her to run. Now she isn't sure where is safe, and she agrees to travel with her "nob" friends to their home.

Caught between wanting to return to the city of Gerse, and wanting to run away she ends up taking a job as a lady's maid for young Lady Merista Nemair. It's not the same as her life picking purses and forging documents, but she always has a warm bed and doesn't have to worry where her next meal will come from.

In a world where magic exists, but is outlawed, and where the kingdom is ruled by religion, Digger is an asset to those who can use her to dig up secrets. While away from city life Digger, posing as Celyn Contrare a jeweler's daughter, becomes an asset. Lord Daul sees Digger for what she is, and threatens to expose her to her new employers, who she actually likes. With the country on the verge of war, not everything is as it seems and Celyn is in position to learn what really happened in the past, and what it means for an uncertain future.

Elizabeth Bunce writes a tight tale of adventure, mystery and magic. Pay attention to all the small details in Starcrossed, or you might find yourself re-reading to figure out what you missed! Digger/ Celyn is a girl with out a home or family, and her survival instincts are similar to Katniss from the Hunger Games or Katsa from Graceling. Readers will love the cast of characters in the castle, from quiet Mir to the smarmy Lord Daul.

I'll see you @ the library!
Katie (Up next is Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. I loved Lips Touch Three Times and I can't to read this one!)

Announcing The Hunger Games Movie Release Party!

Okay, people, it's March, which means spring... and the release of The Hunger Games movie!  Yes!!!  To celebrate, we'll be throwing a bash on Thursday, March 22nd beginning at 7PM with trivia, trailers, music, Peeta Mellark cookie decorating (and, my favorite part, cookie eating!), and, of course, a raffle for fabulous Hunger Games prizes!

 

You'll have to pre-register for this one - your (FREE!) tickets will be available at the Information desk in the library Tuesday, March 13th at noon.  Tickets will be required for entrance to the party, so make sure you get yours early - The Hunger Games movie release party is an exclusive event with limited space.  We'll post more stuff about tickets and prizes later, so stay tuned to the blog for more info as we get closer to March 13th.

 

May the odds be ever in your favor!

 

Megan

Last Chance: Milwuakee Bucks and MCTBA

Did you read to achieve with the Milwaukee Bucks? Did you cast your vote for MCTBA? Don't worry you still have time!

Score cards for the Milwaukee Bucks Read to Achieve program are due on Tuesday February 28th. If you read 750 pages between January 2nd and February 28th, you are eligible for a free ticket to a Bucks game. Stop in the library to see what you need to win!

Did you read any of the 2012 MCTBA titles? There's still time to vote for your favorite! Stop in the library and pick up a ballot in the teen space or e-mail your vote to mctba.votes@gmail.com. Votes received by March 1st will help us pick our winner!

I'll see you @ the library!
Katie (Reading Where Things Come Back)

Book Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Hadley is on her way to London, which should be awesome, right?  Uh, yeah, no.  She's on her way to London to be a bridesmaid in her dad's wedding to Charlotte, who she's never met (on purpose, but still).  Charlotte, who made him decide to stay in London after the semster that was just supposed to be a sabbatical - the one that Hadley and her mom encouraged him to take.  Charlotte, who is the reason her parents are divorced and her dad now lives in another country.  And to start her weekend of horrible, she's just missed her flight.  By four minutes.  So now she's stuck at JFK waiting for the next flight to London, which gets into Heathrow at 9:54 AM.  The wedding starts at noon.  Super.

Hadley's not really in the mood to sit around sulking in the waiting area for the next three hours, so she decides to take a walk.  Which is when she meets Oliver.  Tall with startling green eyes and tousled hair and fabulously British, Oliver goes to Yale but is on his way back to London for the weekend.  The connection is instant.  Unbelievably, they're in seats 18A and 18C, and with the generosity of their elderly seat mate, they end up next to each other.  As the plane hurtles through the darkness over the Atlantic, Hadley finds herself at the beginning of something that could be amazing.

But when Hadley emerges into the daylight of London on the other side of customs and baggage, Oliver is nowhere to be found in the crowds.  And with barely enough time to make it to her dad's dreaded nuptials, all she can do is call a cab.  She doesn't even know Oliver's last name, just that he too was on his way to a church - one in Paddington (a town? a street?  a neighborhood?), with a stone statue in front that Oliver used to climb with his brothers, at 2PM.  To a wedding too, she thought - although now she's not so sure.  It's impossible that they would meet again - isn't it?

In the hubbub of airports, the dark, quiet intimacy of an international flight, and across the busy streets of London, the universe aligns again and again for Hadley and Oliver, leaving you to wonder - what is the statistical probability of love at first sight?  Although the story unfolds in just 24 hours, there are plenty of flashbacks to fill in everything that led Hadley and Oliver to both be in JFK waiting for a flight to London at the same moment. Not just romance, there's tons of awesome family stuff here too - turns out Hadley's dad really loves her, a lot, and Charlotte - well, she's actually kind of awesome.  For fans of books like Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, this fun, sweet romantic romp will make you want to buy a ticket to London hopes of finding a little improbable love of your own!

Megan
(now reading Life: A Diagram Exploded by the oh-so-brilliantly talented Mal Peet)

Wii Open Play This Saturday!

Ready to take a break from homework and shoveling the snowpocalypse?  Head to the library this Saturday, February 25th for an afternoon of open play!  From 2-4 PM, we'll have Mario Kart, Wii Sports and Super Smash Bros. Brawl in the Constitution Room, so grab a friend and head to the library for some fun!

Gamers are welcome to BYO controllers, snacks and soda.

See you tomorrow!

Megan

Famous Pairs Prize Winners

Did you stop in the library from February 13-17? Then you should have entered our Famous Pairs quiz! All nine entrants walked away with a prize, with four lucky winners taking home $10 gift cards to either Best Buy, Hot Topic or Game Stop! And the winners are:

Victoria
Keenan
Angelina
Elijah

Thanks to everyone who entered, and stay tuned for more contests @ the library!
Katie