Thursday, November 5, 2015

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

Author Elizabeth Wein does it again with Rose Under Fire, her second book focusing on World War II and The Holocaust. Rose Justice is a pilot in the English Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), a group of women who  ferry people and planes to wherever the British Army needs them most, but are not fighter pilots.

Available in ebook format

Nevertheless, they still face great danger and are often shot down by enemy planes. On one such mission Rose's plane is forced to land and she is taken prisoner and sent to the notorious concentration camp, Ravensbruk. The rest of the novel details Rose's awful, soul-wrenching experiences in the camp and her inclusion into a group of prisoners referred to as "the rabbits." The "rabbits" endured horrible medical experiments and were left damaged and deformed. Rose's inclusion into this select group that is now protected by the rest of the prisoners at Ravensbruck offers her solace, and friendship and just might save her life. Although I have read many Holocaust stories and biographies, this book stands out from the others because the author chose a unique character and perspective.
Available in ebook





Code Name Verity, also by Elizabeth Wein, is just as wonderful of a read. Verity, an ATA pilot and undercover Brittish spy, is captured by the enemy,  held and questioned. As a prisoner
Verity learns what she is really made of and what real courage looks like.

Friday, September 11, 2015

Fan of Maze Runner and looking for something new to read?

Try James Dashner's new trilogy: The Mortality Doctrine.
The Eye of Minds starts off the series.

Here's what Amazon has to say about the title:

The Eye of Minds is the first novel in the Mortality Doctrine series set in a world of hyperadvanced technology, cyberterrorists, and gaming beyond your wildest dreams . . . and your worst nightmares.
    Michael is a gamer. And like most gamers, he almost spends more time on the VirtNet than in the actual world. The VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion, and it’s addictive. Thanks to technology, anyone with enough money can experience fantasy worlds, risk their life without the chance of death, or just hang around with Virt-friends. And the more hacking skills you have, the more fun. Why bother following the rules when most of them are dumb, anyway?
    But some rules were made for a reason. Some technology is too dangerous to fool with. And recent reports claim that one gamer is going beyond what any gamer has done before: he’s holding players hostage inside the VirtNet. The effects are horrific—the hostages have all been declared brain-dead. Yet the gamer’s motives are a mystery.
    The government knows that to catch a hacker, you need a hacker. And they’ve been watching Michael. They want him on their team. But the risk is enormous. If he accepts their challenge, Michael will need to go off the VirtNet grid. There are back alleys and corners in the system human eyes have never seen and predators he can’t even fathom—and there’s the possibility that the line between game and reality will be blurred forever. (Amazon.com)


Available in both ebook and audiobook format @https://www.sdcl.org/



One of our students enjoyed the book so much that the first thing he told me when we came back to school was that the second book in the series, The Rule of Thoughts, was recently released. MMHS just purchased- so feel free to jump into the series :-)


Available in both ebook and audiobook format @https://www.sdcl.org/


Monday, March 23, 2015

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

The first book in this compelling dystopian series introduces us to Malencia (Cia) Vale on her graduation day. She has always dreamed of being chosen for The Testing after graduation, the only way to receive a higher education in the United Commonwealth Society. Her dreams come true when she is chosen, but then her father reveals nightmarish stories of his experiences during the testing and sends her off with dire warnings. Fans of Divergent and Hunger Games will enjoy this dystopian read.

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau


Available in both ebook and audiobook format @https://www.sdcl.org/

Independent Study (book 2) and Graduation Day (book 3) are also available at SDCL in both ebook and audiobook format.


The End of Feeling by Cindy Bennett

The End of Feeling by Cindy Bennett

Lovely, satisfying romance. Two teens with troubled home lives find each other and develop a friendship. Will they be able to confide and trust in each other enough to let this friendship develop into something more? Every student that I have recommended this to has loved it so far! Interested? Stop by the library and check out a copy.