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I just finished Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Moss as a required read for my YA Lit class. I had some real issues with this book, and I have to say I was very surprised to find it on a syllabus next to Monster and The Chocolate War . But, like a good librarian, I will focus on the good first: this book had a beginning, a middle, and an end. The cover is kind of charming. And Jeremy's mom is a librarian. That's about it. My first issue was the reading level for this book. Jeremy and Lizzie are SO immature, I cannot imagine a teen reading this book. Actions such as throwing up after eating oatmeal with peaches in it (because, at almost 13, Jeremy lives on a steady diet of peanut butter and candy), breaking and entering, and taking things because she "has" to are behaviors all teens will totally relate to (sarcastic tone is not coming through in the text, but I assure you it is there). The ending is preposterous. I spent the entire book ...

Just a reminder Dreadnought pulls into the station today! Don't forget to get on. Steampunk fans rejoice, huzzah! image from Io9.com

Ah, I enjoyed this one. I really liked Mackie , and Tate was really great (strong, cool, opinionated). I thought the mythology on this one was interesting. I wish we could have explored Gentry a little more and my favorite character was Emma (do we think she is a little more than friends with Janice?) I do not think the book needs a sequel, but I imagine one is coming (everything seems to become a series anymore). This is a great October read for a chilly Fall night when the trees sway making shadows that may just be shadows, but could also be a trio of dead girls coming to steal your garden gloves.

This craft was so awesome, it deserved its own post, but I did not actually get around to it until now (hangs head in shame). However, I hope someone can use it next summer, or maybe for a beach party craft in March. Why not? During the beach party , I created sand tables by taping rolled newspaper all the way around one of our activity tables and then covering it in plastic tablecloths, which I then taped to the table as well. I got that idea from a librarian who used that idea with her Lego crafts. Then, at home, I mixed up about 6 batches of this clay . The clay kept overnight in plastic containers with a wet paper towel tucked in there. In fact, it was so moist, I had to air it out a bit before the craft. We shaped the castles by hand, and I supplied shells, toothpicks and triangles cut from construction paper (for flags) as well as glue sticks. Everyone was told to work tiny, as these bad boys take forever to dry. I gave everyone a paper plate (cake serving size) and wrot...

I love book challenges. They keep me on my toes and sometimes I find books I might not otherwise have read. I am only doing two challenges in 2010. Library school and Life are challenging enough, but I am almost done with the name challenge! Here is the updated list: K- Keep Sweet by Greene (done) R- The Red Tree by Kiernan (done) I- Incarceron by Fisher (done) S- Scorch Trials by Dashner (not until October) T- The Tale of Halcyon Crane by Webb (done) I-Inside Out-Snyder (done) E- Eighty Four Charing Cross Road by Hanff (done) I am just waiting on Mr. Daschner, and then I am finished! My other challenge is the YA through the Decades and that is well underway. With my YA Lit class this quarter, I will be pounding out the list. The only book that was not on the syllabus was Feed by Anderson. I just finished that two weeks ago-I had a heck of a time getting into it, but once I did, I thought it was really good. Titus was not one of my favorite characters, but given the setting, ...

Well, I have just been a reading fool. I got the list for my YA Lit class a little early and started pounding it out. I will review some of the titles soon, but first I want to share my review of Dreadnought , the newest addition to the Clockwork Century Canon. Me, the lady who never wins anything (except attention when I least desire it), won an ARC of the novel on Goodreads ! Yay ! So, without further ado, here is my spoiler-free review: To begin, this novel can be read as a stand alone, if you have not yet had the pleasure of reading Boneshaker or Clementine, have no fear. This story belongs to the main character, and although her story is tied to some of the characters in Boneshaker, this tale belongs to Mrs. Mercy Lynch alone. Mercy is fabulous. She is strong, logical, and more than a little kick-ass. She has received the notice that her husband has died and her father is ailing. The problem of traveling from Virginia to Tacoma, Washington is greatly hampered by the Civil War. Me...