Saturday, September 27, 2014

Boom! by Mark Haddon

Boom! is a thrilling, action-packed, zany, science fiction adventure.

It all starts out simply enough: Jimbo's horrid older sister Becky tells him she overheard the teachers at school say he was going to be sent to a "special school" with windows on the bars.  Afraid that it might possibly be true, Jimbo and his best friend Charlie come up with a plan (OK, it was really Charlies idea):  they'll put a walkie-talkie in the staff lounge at school, and they'll be able to overhear what the teachers are saying.

When they don't hear anything about Jimbo being sent away, Jimbo starts to feel less worried.  But what the boys hear next launches an adventure that involves blue-eyed aliens, a trip to Scotland, exploding Brussels sprouts, and giant spiders with monkey-faces who speak in disco slang - and that's just for starters!  Along the way, Jimbo finds out maybe Becky isn't so horrid after all.  She's certainly good at bopping things with a stick.

Boom! was the book  most recently discussed by the Rolling Meadows Library Council of Book Readers.  Everyone in the group loved it, and thought it was both exciting and hilarious.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Nuts to You by Lynne Rae Perkins

When humans say "nuts to you!" it's usually meant in an insulting manner.  But when squirrels say it, it can be a warm welcome, a fond farewell, or an expression of well wishes.

That's just one of the many things I learned about squirrel culture in Nuts to You, by Lynne Rae Perkins.  The story centers around four friends: Chai, Jed, Jip, and TsTs  (TsTs is the most popluar girl name among squirrels).  When Jed is grabbed and carried away by a hawk, the adventure begins.

Jed manages to escape the talons of the hawk through his mastery of the squirrel martial art of Hai Tchree.  From far away back home, TsTs sees Jed drop from the bird's grasp, and convinces Chai to go with her to find Jed.

In the forest, far from their home grove, the friends learn of a danger that threatens the whole squirrel community.  Together, they must return home to warn the other squirrels of the impending doom - which is tricky because squirrels aren't known for their keen attention spans.

Nuts to You is a delightful tale of friendship, community and courage*.  It's also pretty gosh-darn funny.






*And nuts.


Saturday, September 13, 2014

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce


Author William Joyce is a Louisiana native and the events of Hurricane Katrina are the inspiration behind this story.


Morris Lessmore is a man who loves books. One day, the sky darkens and the wind blows and his world is turned upside down. Morris wanders and wanders until eventually he decides to look up rather than down, as had become his habit, and his life changes for the better.


“’Everyone’s story matters,’ said Morris. And all the books agreed.”

Both the book’s message and illustrations are reminiscent of the movie Up. Combined, the elements capture the beauty of a simple, quiet story. The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore has a lonely feel and a fantasy element.


The wonderful illustrations are provided by Joe Bluhm. The pictures start in color and change to black and white when the storm hits and everything Morris knows is scattered. Slowly the images move to color again as Morris rebuilds his life.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore is also the inspiration behind the 2014 Academy Award winning short film of the same name. There is also a popular interactive IPAD app available for download on iTunes. Both the short film and the app are available in Youth Services on our IPADs.

Friday, September 5, 2014

The Tomorrow Code by Brian Falkner

Best friends Tane Williams and Rebecca Richards are contemplating the cosmos one lazy afternoon, when they start to wonder about the possibility of time travel.  Being an accomplished teen scientist, Rebecca speculates that although physical objects can't be transported through time, perhaps data can - the secret, she postulates, lies in "quantum foam."  Sure enough, as they pursue Rebecca's idea, they start to perceive codes in the quantum foam.

What the codes turn out to be are messages from their future selves.  When the first message turns out to be the winning lottery numbers, Tane must enlist the help of his older brother Harley "Fatboy" to collect the prize money.  As the messages continue, the three realize that the future Tane and Rebecca are sending a warning, and that action must be taken to save the human race.

Eager to get more information, the kids head to a research facility in the Bay of Islands.  When they return after their initial visit, they are shocked to discover all of the inhabitants of the island have simply disappeared without a trace.  Meanwhile, a mysterious fog has enveloped the northern tip of New Zealand's North Island.  When the fog moves on, all humans in its wake are destroyed.

It is up to Tane, Rebecca and Fatboy to solve the mystery of the human-eating fog and to take action to save the world.  But can they decode the messages and implement a plan in time?  Find out in this brisk page-turner of an adventure!