Read Your Way Homewood

HOW TO ROCK BRACES AND GLASSES by MEG HASTON  *OVERDRIVE AUDIO BOOK REVIEW* Review by Miss Kelly (Youth Services) This book should appeal to pre-teens, but although the basic plot is ok, the treatment is a bit off. I mean, these kids are supposed to be in the 7th grade, but the way they talk and the things they talk about seem too old for 7th grade. It seems like the author wrote a novel for 9th graders, and then just changed the age of the characters. Those 2 years make a big difference in terms of maturity, abilities, responsibilities, etc. It just wasn't believable for me.  The growth of the main character was a little bit slow, but it did happen, so, I guess that is good.  The audio book version seemed to skip a lot. I downloaded it twice, thinking there was an error in a few chapters, but it was exactly the same. So i don't know how Kacey got from the table watching Xander's band to being on stage finishing the set, but its ok. Since I have seen 80...

This YA novel follows Josie, a sixteen year old genius who takes classes at both her high school and local college.  Josie has a thing for languages and speaks many of them: English, French, high school, college, friends, boyfriends.  She is fascinated by how the same word can mean so many different things to different people.  I have to admit, I like Josie. Josie’s main problem comes when her older sister, Kate, brings home her fiancé for the first time.  Jose feels that Geoffery is all wrong for her sister and sets out to break them up.  Informed that she doesn’t know the meaning of being in love, she attempts to use the same system she has for navigating the different areas of her life to figure out just what it means to be in love.  Her story is full of false starts and plenty of confusion.  There were times I felt like Josie was being a total brat, but more times when I wanted to punch Kate in the nose.  This is a coming of age ...

Book Five Just finished this one last night.  On to the sixth book! from Amy

This is a stunningly, sometimes painfully, honest graphic novel about what it means to be the child of aging parents.  Sounds fun, huh?  Chast recounts her own trials and tribulations (of which there are many) of being the only child of two stubborn, senile, and generally falling apart parents.  That’s not entirely true.  Her father was senile.  Her mother was falling apart.  Her mother was the stubborn one and her father was stubbornly supportive of her mother.  The storytelling is vivid and real; the illustrations add both humor and depth; and the overall sentiment is of both love and frustration.  If you’re looking for a light and fun graphic novel, pass this by.  But, for anyone in this situation or soon to be in this situation, it’s helpful reading.  Chast writes of the things most of us don’t want to think about, let alone reflect on after the fact.  You might even learn a thing or two.  It is a heartbre...

If you're a fan of Water for Elephants  you'll want to dive into this book, also. A small group of socialites travel to Scotland in the midst of WWII in search of the Loch Ness monster and find out more than they could have ever imagined in the process. A fascinating combination of cryptozoology, mystery,coming of age,  love story and historical fiction. I listened to the audio version and found it difficult to leave the car because the plot took such sudden turns. If you're looking for a fast-paced vacation read this summer this is it! Reviewed by Sarah

Although I do believe that these exercises are beneficial (just like most exercise), I have no trust in this author.  And the recommendation by Dr. Oz didn't help. Reviewed by Amy

Book Four The books definitely get thicker with each new addition. by Amy

Book Three Introduction of Sirius Black from Amy

Book Two (The books are so much better than the movies!) from Amy

(Don't judge me, please!)  Okay, so I got on a Harry Potter kick and am re-reading all the books.  I am not rating any of the books.  I'll let them speak for themselves. Book One from Amy

I was 11, nearly 12, when Princess Diana died.  I remember watching her funeral on TV and thinking that her two sons, walking behind her casket through the streets of London, had to have the hardest job in the world that day.  As anyone might expect, the experience of losing their mother at such an age and in such a horrific way had an intense impact on Prince William and Prince Harry. Known more often for his wild ways, Prince Harry has settled down in the last few years, becoming a top notch Apache helicopter pilot and starting his own charity for AIDS orphans in Lesotho.  Penny Junor is a bit heavy handed in the beginning.  From this reader's standpoint, it seems pretty clear that she was not the biggest fan of the Princess of Wales.  I found the first chapters somewhat difficult to get through.  Sure, the info on the trials and tribulations of the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales was somewhat interesting (although, if you pay a...

Let me preface this review by saying I'm a big fan of YA author Laurie Halse Anderson. I've read each of her books, cover to cover, and have enjoyed every word of each. Needless to say, I love her latest offering, The Impossible Knife of Memory.  At the beginning of the book, we're introduced to Hayley Kincaid and her dad, Andy. They have moved back to Andy's hometown after years on the road so Hayley can finish her senior year of high school.  As the story continues, it becomes clear that Andy is suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, as a result of his time in the Gulf War. Hayley must take care of her father and keep their little family from ripping apart at the seams, all while navigating the travails of high school. Like Anderson's other books, The Impossible Knife of Memory contends with heavy subject matter in a way that is both witty and tender. This book is more than just a sad story about PTSD. We get to see Hayley deal w...

Title: The Grown Ups by Robin Antalek Pages: 384 Summary: The reader is invited into the lives of Suzie, Sam, and Bella that begins when they are all fifteen.  At fifteen, Sam and Suzie share a few months of teenage passion that leads to major changes in both of their lives.  Bella, best friend to Suzie, is in love with Sam and begins a relationship with him that begins at the end of his tryst with Suzie.  Through the course of ten years, the reader is privy to the ups and downs, the hurts and the joys, and the life lessons of all three of these characters.  It is a great read because it shows that even when life doesn't go as plan there is a way to become who you were meant to be and end up where you always supposed to be.