Hyde Park MS Library Blog

Yes, I’m a little late in posting this book talk. But, that’s no reflection on my opinion of this book. It’s one of my favorites of the year. I’m not alone in my thinking. I can’t keep them on the book fair shelves. It sold out yesterday and I have several students with preorders waiting for the restock shipments to arrive.

“The Boy Who Dared” is based on a true story about Helmuth Hubener, a teen growing up in Nazi Germany during World War II. Like many teens in Germany at the time, he was required to join the Hitler Youth. But Helmuth didn’t believe in the propaganda the Nazis were forcing on German people. He secretly gained access to British news reports and began distributing anti-Nazi flyers in train stations and phone booths. Eventually the Nazis caught up with him and the consequences were devastating. The book includes photographs of the people on whom the book is based and the prison where Helmuth was held before his sentence was carried out.

This book is available for check out at the library as well at the book fair.

Well, it’s the first day of the book fair and, as expected, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Last Straw” is nearly sold out. These books are a pleasant surprise, totally funny, and very popular. In this installment Greg’s father want him to start playing sports and engaging in more “manly endeavors.” Of course Greg does everything he can to get out of his father’s activities. Greg learns that Dad has a plan though- if Greg doesn’t shape up, he’s going to get shipped out. Dad is going to send him to military school. Check out all the fun in “The Last Straw,” available at the book fair.

“The Boy Who Dared” is also very popular, as expected.

Rounding out the top 3 is “Models Don’t Eat Chocolate Cookies.”

You can also find the rest of Scholastic’s spring offerings including “Skeleton Creek,” “SCAT,” “Dead is the New Black,” “Palace of Mirrors,” “Every Soul a Star,” “Ninth Grade Slays,” “The Haunting of Derek Stone,” “IQ: Independence Hall,” and “Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy.”

This book talk is from the CD-ROM that is included in the book “Queste,” fourth title in the best-selling Septimus Heap series.

There’s trouble in the palace, and it’s all because Merrin Meredith has returned bringing the Darke Magyk with him. More trouble arrives in the form of Tertius Fume, a dead extraordinary wizard who is determined to send Septimus on a deadly Queste. But Septimus, Jenna, and Beetle are heading for the mysterious house of Foryx, the place were all times do meet, where they fervently hope they will be able to find Nicko and Snorri, who were trapped back in time in Physik.

Queste, like all the books in the Septimus Heap series, is filled with nonstop action, humor, and fantastical adventure as Septimus continues his journey of Magykal self-discovery.

Has anybody seen this movie? I, unfortunately, missed it when it was showing in town at the CineArts theaters. So, I’m awaiting it’s release on DVD or iTunes.

I found the story to be pretty amazing and infuriating at the same time. The story is told by Bruno, a young boy growing up in Germany in 1942. His father is a Nazi officer, that much he knows. But, he has no idea the horrors his father and the soldiers inflict upon other citizens. Bruno’s father is promoted to lead the concentration camp at Auschwitz. The Nazi’s are very secretive about their work, even with their own families. Bruno’s family is moved from their luxurious home in Berlin to a house less than 50 feet away from the barbed wire fence of the camp. Bruno has no friends in this new place, as they are the only family living outside the camp. He wonders why the people on the other side of the fence are always marching and wearing striped pajamas. One day he goes exploring and meets a boy his own age who lives on the other side of the fence. Because he is ignorant of what Auschwitz is, he has no idea he would be forbidden to befriend this boy. And so he does, a decision which results in devastating consequences.

I followed this book with “The Boy Who Dared.” (Another amazing read.) Maybe I’ll write more about that later. I’m going to see the author, Susan Bartoletti, give a keynote address next week and have her sign our library books that have been written by her.

             The year is 1967 and war is raging in Vietnam. Seventh grader Holling Hoodhood is dealing with his own kind of war- The Wednesday Wars. He is the only student in his class who is not Catholic or Jewish. So, on Wednesday afternoons when his classmates go to religious education, he stays behind with his teacher, Mrs. Baker. He’s absolutely sure Mrs. Baker hates him for inconveniencing her on Wednesday afternoons. To pass the time Mrs. Baker makes Holling read Shakespeare, something he discovers he actually likes. That’s a good thing, because Holling has enough problems to worry about as he struggles with an overbearing father, flower-child sister, a high school student terrorizing him, the turbulence of the times, and trying to take a girl out on his meager allowance.

            The Wednesday Wars is available in the library in book format and Playaway format.

            This book demonstrates how war affects members of society both directly and indirectly. The Vietnam War era was a time of violence not only overseas but also here on the home front, with demonstrations, marches, sit-ins, and assassinations occurring in our own country.

Do you think that 40 years from now novels for young people will depict happenings of 2009? Do you think the historical fiction novels will include the subject of the war in Iraq?

Come in and check out our latest display of books about dogs. The students have gathered fiction choices with dogs as characters and nonfiction selections which teach us about dogs and how to make sure they are well taken care of.

In today’s economy many people are having a difficult time seeing to their beloved pets’ needs. Please remember to contribute to the National Junior Honor Society’s upcoming 60 seconds of giving. The NJHS will be collecting money to help support The Lied Animal Shelter.  The 60 seconds of giving will take place Wednesday, January 28th during PAWS period and contributions can also be made during all three lunches for the rest of the week.

Can you remember the books in which these famous dogs are characters?

1. Buck

2. Hank

3. Harold

4. Winn-Dixie

5. Toto

6. Old Dan & Little Ann

7. Fang

8. Nana

9. Fang, Grip, & Wolf

10. Bodger & Luath

On order are several titles from Mr. Rosenbaum’s second semester reading list. We just received word that the books have been shipped. Yeah!   Check with us in the next week or so. We’ll have those titles ready asap.