Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay

Fifteen-year-old Canadian Ned Marriner accompanies his famous photographer father, Edward, on a shoot at Aix-en-Provence's Saint-Saveur Cathedral while his physician mother, Meghan, braves the civil war zone in Sudan with Doctors Without Borders. As Ned explores the old cathedral, he meets Kate Wenger, a geeky but attractive American girl who's a walking encyclopedia of history. In the ancient baptistry, the pair are surprised by a mysterious, scarred man wielding a knife who warns them away.

Note from Ms. Secord:

This book is being touted as "one of the best" that this author has penned. Has anyone else read another book by this author and can this book be compared to the rest of the White Pine Reads for this year?

“The wide appeal of Ysabel is more powerful because it is achieved by virtue of the book being well-written, not because the book is written to appeal to a big audience. Ysabel is a novel of history so powerful that the past pervades the present in a manner that one might be tempted to call supernatural, were it not rendered with the sort of conviction that forces one to set aside such considerations.”—trashotron.com

"Blending historical fantasy and psychological thriller with a paranormal-powered coming-of-age tale, Ysabel will not only appeal to adult fantasy readers but also to adolescents who have enjoyed authors that feature compelling teen protagonists—such as J. K. Rowling and Christopher Paolini."—Barnesandnoble.com

The Warrior''s Daughter

The Warrior's Daughter by Holly Bennett

Luaine is the daughter of the renowned warrior Cuchulainn, and honor and war have always been a part of her life. She interacts with kings, queens, and great druids thanks to her father's stature, and receives a thorough education. As a young girl she must flee her home with her mother while her father goes off to fight Queen Maeve's vast army. She loses her parents before she's fully become a woman and is married off to old King Conchobor. It's a loveless marriage, and she is forced into hiding after a spurned poet curses her.

Note from Ms. Secord:

How did you feel about the relationship bewtween Luaine and her father? Are there any parallels between a teen/parent relationship of today and that of many years ago?

The Space Between

The Space Between by Don Aker

Almost 18 and still a virgin, Jace has only one thing on his mind. Luckily, he’ll be spending his birthday at a Mexican resort, where beaches draped with golden girls shpuld increase his chance of success. On the other hand, cvacationing with family threatens to kill that bet. The nhe meets Kate, who might be just the person to help him, and Conner, God’s gift to women, who could share some pointers if her weren’t such a jerk. Making “it” happen is harder than Jace realizes when old and new secrets arise.

Note from Ms. Secord:

Did you find the portrayal of Jace to be an accuarate one and is he like teen boys that you know? Jace is described as being both smart and sexually stupid, both telling the truth and hiding lies. Comments?

The Song of Kkahunsha

The Song of Kahunsha by Anosh Irani

Ten-year-old Chamdi, a bright and sensitive boy raised from infancy in a Bombay orphanage, prays to Jesus that he will try not to be sad and imagines a place called Kahunsha, a city where there is no sadness. When the orphanage is to be torn down and the children placed elsewhere, he first cajoles the director to reveal information about his parentage, then runs away in search of his father.

Note from Ms. Secord:

I found this book to be heartwrenching as I pictured poor little Chamdi, forced to beg in the streets of Bombay where he is shown little kindness. Do you think that he would have been better off if Guddi and her brother Sumdi had never found him, and would he survived if not for them?

Keturah and Lord Death

Keturah and Lord Death
At 16, Keturah is a poor peasant girl who constantly ponders her future. She has always been different from the other girls of the village and has unique but unrealized gifts. She has been raised by warm and loving grandparents, experiencing firsthand what a truly happy marriage is all about. The teen is committed to finding a suitable husband so she, too, can be happy but has not yet been successful. All this changes for her the day she follows the legendary hart deep into the forest and becomes lost.

From Ms. Secord:

Although related in the first person, I found that the story to be almost fairy tale like in it's prose and the part about the lemon meringue pie made me laugh, as I really wonder if the origins of that pie started that long ago. The descriptions of the village, the onset of the Plague lend an interesting slant to the story. Did you find the story symbolic at all? And just who was Lord Death? Do YOU know him?
Muy-hah-hah...

Getting to the "Grist" of it by Heather Waldorf

Grist
By Heather Waldorf

Sixteen-year-old aspiring writer Charlie faces a bleak summer in Springdale, Canada. Her widowed father is increasingly preoccupied with his new girlfriend. Her best friend and crush, Sam, has moved to Australia. She has fallen out of favour with her beloved creative-writing teacher, who challenges her to gather the grist of life experiences as fuel for her writing. So she heads for her grandmother's cottage in remote Lake Ringrose, Ontario, hoping to reconnect with the memory of her mother.

Questions to pondure:

What exactly is meant by the word "Grist" in the title?

What did Charlie's teacher mean when he told her that her work had no meat, no substance?

This book is getting rave reviews from all who have read it. What chord did this book strike with you , if any?

The end of the world as we know it by Lesley Choyce

The End Of The World As We Know It

Asked to write something for English class that expresses who he really is, 16-year-old Carson takes pleasure in blistering the page with hate for everything in his life. Stuck in a private school for kids who have repeatedly flunked out elsewhere, Carson knows he's got nowhere lower to sink to. "Flunk Out Academy" is the last resort for Carson and his classmates, in a small town where its deeply troubled students are decidedly unwelcome.

Comment from Ms. Secord
I have a hard time coming up with another book where the main character had so much anger inside! He advantages in his life that a lot of kids wished they had. Do you think Carson's anger was justifiable?

Doing the Droughtlanders

The Droughtlanders: Book One in Triskelia Series by Carrie Mac
This fantasy novel has an opening which both repels and attracts the reader in a dramatic way, and the excitement and suspense continue until the last page is reached. The story revolves around twin brothers, Seth and Eli, who have grown up as part of the elite Keylander class. Keylanders are warned to stay within their boundaries to avoid the dirt, chaos and sicks of the Droughtland world. Seth has pledged to join the Keyland guards and help rid the world of Droughtlanders completely.

Keylands and Droughlanders, the ultimate struggle for survival and the classic story of good verses evil. Who is right and who is wrong?

Note from Ms. Secord:

It seems that every author I read these days has jumped on the "series bandwagon" and this book is no exception. Does anyone else crave to read a story that starts and ends in the same book?

The Blue Helmet by William Bell

Lee wants to be a Tarantula – a member of the biggest, most powerful gang in his neighbourhood. But when his initiation goes wrong and the police catch him robbing an auto supply store, Lee’s father sends him to live with his aunt in New Toronto.

Excerpt:

Lee Mercer has never had very many choices. When Lee was seven, his mother died of cancer, and his father works long hours on two jobs.

I spent most of my lifetime alone, without much help when my eyes dimmed from the dark rage that took hold of me and scared the hell out of me because I didn't know what it was or where it had come from.

Questions to ponder....

Lee was obviously angry and confused by the death of his mother at such a young age. What else was motivating him to act out and vent his frustration?

Lee Mercer does not start out as a very likable character. He sees the world in black and white. What, in you opinion, was the catalyst for Lee to make a change in his life?

Is there a similarity between the book jacket of this novel and the story line? Does this element have an impact upon how the content of the novel is perceived?

All actions have consequences. What significant life lesson did Lee learn from his friendship with Cutter?

In your opinion, what what the significance of the Blue Helmet in the overall theme of the book and just what was the author trying to relay to the reader?

Note from Ms. Secord:

Reading this book was a blast from the past for me! I grew up in the part of Toronto where this story took place. I often rode my bike around this neighbourhood all the way from 1st to 31st Street. References to Horner Ave., The Sherway Plaza and Mimico bring back such wonderful memories of my carefree days as a child. It was quite a different life than what Lee faced when he was first displaced here.

Let's chat about "Another Kind of Cowboy" by Susan Juby

For Alex Ford, dressage is an oasis. In the stable, he can slip into his riding pants, shed the macho cowboy image, and feel like himself for a change. For Cleo O'Shea, dressage is a fresh start. She's got a new boarding school, absentee parents, and, best of all, no one to remember her past.

Let's hear what you think!

The White Pine Reads @your DSBN library

Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2008

Greetings everyone! The purpose of this blog is to help all of us at high schools in Niagara to connect with each other as we enjoy the ten books that have been nominated for the book of the year by the Ontario Library Association.

There is a great selection of books to choose from this year and here at Laura Secord, the nominated books are just flying off of the shelves. If you listen to the buzz, these books are being very well received and it is going to go down to the wire as to who is going to come out on top this year. I don't envy the hard choices you have to make, the nominees have written some fabulous titles. Instead of just letting your fellow readers at your school know what you think of the book you have finished, I thought that this virtual meeting ground would be a great place to share all of our thoughts and ideas. I will be posting a weekly blog on each nominated book and we will finish up on April 22, 2008. Don't forget that voting day is April 23, so if you are looking for recommendations on what to read next, or just want to tell all of us what you thought of the book of the week, here is the place to be heard. All I ask is that you sign your name to your post and let us know what school you are attending. It will be fun to see where we all are coming from!

I would like to kick things off by posting a synopsis of the first book on the list, Another Kind of Cowboy by Susan Juby. This discussion can be about what you thought of of the book, how you liked the character development, the plot line, or just a general overview of whether you would recommend this book to others.

Have fun with this and I hope that you enjoy posting here!