The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel

Kenneth Oppel is an extremely talented Canadian author.  I was fortunate to hear him speak this past year at Word on the Street Toronto.  His first book was published when he was 13 years old.  Kenneth Oppel is a gifted storyteller.

The Boundless begins with the building of the Canadian railway.  I loved the way Oppel included many real life people and facts about how the railway was built.  The main character is Will.  His father is working to build the railway.  Will feels that everything always happens to everyone else and he never has his own adventures.  When he's invited to hitch a ride and see the last stake nailed in he decides to take a chance.  This is the beginning of Will's adventure.  The Boundless is filled with Sasquatches, circus acts, villains and more.

I began this book as a read aloud to a grade 7 class.  Sadly we ran out of time and never finished the book but I was so impressed with how engaged the class was with the story.  They loved it!  I hope that some of them pick up the book this summer to find out the ending as I did today.

Another popular title at my school is Half-Brother by Kenneth Oppel so I hope to check that one out soon and I see that he has a new book coming out soon titled The Nest.  I have no doubt it will be excellent.

Audrey by Dan Bar-El

Earlier this year I had been browsing for writing contests for the writing club that I was running for the students at school.  I came across a fun writing contest on Dan Bar-El's Audrey blog .  Shortly after my youngest son and I were chatting and I suggested he give it a shot.  The contest was quite fun to write since the requirements were very silly.  You had to pick an animal and have it escape from somewhere using different items.  My son laughed so hard writing his story and fortunately Dan Bar-El must have too because he won!!  He was awarded with an autographed copy of Audrey for himself and one to donate to his school.  He was so excited and proud.  It was a huge boost to his confidence to think that an author had picked his story.

Audrey (Cow) is the story of a cow, obviously, named Audrey.  Audrey has many great friends on the farm.  She very much enjoys her days at Bittersweet Farm.  But there's been talk her days are numbered and that a truck might be coming to take her away.  A plan is hatched and everyone chips in to aid Audrey's escape.  Once she leaves the farm she finds new creatures she's never seen before, some kind and others not so kind.  All the while she's trying to enjoy her new found freedom there's two-leggers always on the prowl for her.

My son (age 9) and I really enjoyed Audrey (Cow) as a read aloud.  The voices came easy.  This book would be a perfect read aloud or a good chapter book for grades 3 or 4.  

Dan Bar-El is a very talented children's author living in British Columbia.  He has some fantastic picture books as well.

How to Start a Fire by Lisa Lutz

How to Start a Fire by Lisa Lutz is the story of three best friends; Anna, Kate and George.  The girls meet in college and their lives are forever entwined.  They are the type of friends that can go six months without talking but pickup the phone and ask for help and their friend is on the next plane to lend a hand.  Each girl is quirky in her own little way and they’ve each got a wild side and a love for adventure that often gets them into trouble.  And the women each have their own vices.  Anna describes them as Kate’s cocktail is TV, men are George’s cocktail and Anna’s own cocktail is a cocktail itself.

Each chapter of How to Start a Fire takes the reader to a different point in time of the women’s lives.  The chapters are titled with the current year and place but at times it can be difficult to follow the timeline and if it was before or after certain events.  Some readers might prefer a more linear storyline but then Lutz wouldn’t have been able to create the same intrigue.  It’s easy to get absorbed into the lives of the three friends and trying to predict and understand why the women behave as they do.

Lisa Lutz is also the author of The Spellman Books; a six book series about Isabel Spellman, a quick witted Private Investigator.  Fans of the Spellman series will certainly enjoy Lutz newest novel.

Miss Emily by Nuala O'Connor

I've always said I will read anything except historical fiction.  I don't like historical fiction.  But then a while back I won a huge Pride and Prejudice gift package and I thought I'd give Longbourn by Jo Baker a try.  Well, it was the strangest thing, I loved it!

Recently I was offered a review copy of Miss Emily by Nuala O'Connor.  My first reaction was, I don't think so, I don't read historical fiction.  But then I saw in the description that it was compared to Longbourn and I really loved Longbourn.  So I gave it a try.  It seems maybe I really do like historical fiction or at least some of it.

Miss Emily is the famous real life poet Emily Dickinson.  The book is a story of Miss Emily and a fictional Irish maid, Ada.  Ada has left Ireland to live with her aunt and uncle in Massachusetts and she finds work with the Dickinson family.  Ada and Miss Emily quickly become fond of each other and they bond over baking gingerbread and Irish soda bread.  Ada finds love and trouble in Massachusetts.  It's a good thing she's got Miss Emily looking out for her

I really enjoyed Miss Emily.  I  was left wanting more.  More of the characters and gingerbread cookies!

Looking for Alaska by John Green

I just finished reading Looking for Alaska by John Green.  I really liked the book but not as much as Fault in Our Stars by John Green.  I've heard from many people that Paper Towns is most people's favourite.  I've got a few other things to read but I will get around to Paper Towns eventually.

For me Looking for Alaska got me talking with those around me about what is appropriate for students to be reading.  It's an issue that I constantly am thinking about in my job as an elementary school library technician.  In the past I have leaned on the conservative side.  A big reason being that I wouldn't want to be challenged for letting a student read a book that is inappropriate.  I spoke with a teacher about Looking for Alaska this morning and she told me look at the curriculum.  Is there anything in the book that we haven't taught?  Good advice.  By grade 7 and 8 students have been taught sex, drugs, alcohol and more - all very common in Looking for Alaska.

I had many discussions with adults and teenagers about this book.  Everyone seemed to think grade 7 was not unreasonable.  I think it comes down to how it is all portrayed.  In Looking for Alaska the sex, drinking and smoking seem common and acceptable.  For that reason I don't feel like it's appropriate.  It makes it seem acceptable behaviour.

The other issue is I can't read everything before I put it on the shelves.  When purchasing most of the Young Adult books I just have to read reviews and age recommendations and trust their opinions.  I think I spend more time pondering the books that I have read myself.

Have you read Looking for Alaska?  How old do you think you should be to read it?

The Daylight Marriage by Heidi Pitlor

It’s a well known fact that married couples should never go to bed angry.  But Hannah and Lovell broke that rule.  He comes home late from work.  Again.  She forgot to pay a bill.  Again.  Hurtful words are flung back and forth and Lovell loses his cool.  Hannah heads off to sleep with their son, Ethan, and Lovell spends a sleepless night working.  After an icy goodbye the next morning they head their separate ways.  But Hannah doesn't feel like going to work just yet so she makes a detour for a walk on the beach.  And then she's gone.  Vanished.  

Lovell now has to step up and take care of their two kids.  The kids, 15 year old Janine and 9 year old Ethan, know that last fight was the worst one yet.  Did Hannah leave Lovell and desert her kids?  Did she have an accident?  Or has someone hurt her?  All eyes are on Lovell has he reflects on their last moments together and tries to cope without Hannah.  He’s doing his best to be a good dad but Janine is not making things easy.  Everyone’s got an opinion on what Lovell should be doing and expectations on how he should be acting.  But just because he’s got his own way of coping, does that make him even more suspicious?  

The Daylight Marriage is a very suspenseful read.  The whereabouts of Hannah remain a mystery right up until the end.  The author, Heidi Pitlor, is a talented storyteller that continuously engages readers.  The Daylight Marriage is Pitlor’s second novel.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Every year I look forward to the Waterloo Region One Book One Community (OBOC) selection announced in April.  This is where a book is selected by a committee that will hopefully appeal to a wide audience.  Generally the book should create a lot of discussion.  Always the author pays a visit to the Region in the fall and there is opportunities to meet with the author.  Check out their website for more information.

This year Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel is the selection for all of Waterloo Region to read in 2015.  A really great selection as I believe it will appeal to wide audience and it can certainly create some conversation.  

Station Eleven begins with the death of famous actor Arthur Leander dying during a performance of King Lear.  The theatre is in Toronto and if you've ever been to Toronto the setting will be familiar.  Arthur's death is shocking.  His ex-wife, son and best friend arrange to fly to Toronto for the funeral.  But suddenly the world is struck by the Georgia Flu and everyone is dying.  Few survive. 

But what does the world look like with only a small percentage of the world still alive?  How do they function?  What was once a prized position, may soon feel meaningless.  What if the most exciting thing just happened and you couldn't tweet about it?  Would it still be exciting?

This was a book that really gets you thinking.  I would encourage everyone to read Station Eleven and try and go out for an event in the fall.