Ninja Ratings

Ninja Jenny just added awesome Ninja Ratings to the blog! Shift your eyes a little to the left. See it? Yeah!

Now when you send us a blog review, be sure and tell us how many Ninja Kicks you would like to give the book. Thanks to Hafsah for recommending the Ninja Kicks, which Ninja Jenny had thought about doing in the past, and which we now know is most awesome in the ways of all things Ninja-ey. And if that is not a word, it is now.

New ARCs to earn when you write a book review

Today we received a boxful of ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) of books that haven't even been published yet. Write a book review for Library Ninja and you can choose from one of these (or others we have hidden away) to keep. Just click the Free Books! tab at the top of this page.

Mockingjay is here! And it's awesome...

I just read Mockingjay!  But I ain't gonna tell ya'll nothin'.  Nothin'! Except I will tell you that we've finally received half of our copies of Mockingjay, thanks to two awesome staff members who sincerely felt the plight of all the 87 people on the waiting list!

So if you're waiting for Mockingjay, we'll have it cataloged and out to you today!

The Ninja Reviews. . .Dark Life by Kat Falls

In author Kat Falls' first book, natural disasters have destroyed most of the earth's continents and humans are forced to live packed into what little land remains. Space is hard to come by, buildings are "stacked", and there is virtually no such thing as privacy. The only people who do have any space are those who live the Dark Life on the ocean floor.

As an attempt to preserve humanity, and also for the sake of scientific exploration, the existing government sent a group of scientists, explorers, and farmers deep into the ocean to live. Houses look like giant jellyfish. Families keep schools of fish as farm animals. Heavy tanks filled with oyxgen are no longer needed for underwater exploration; Liquigen, which is a lot like the amniotic fluid in a mother's belly, is sucked down into the lungs and used not only to breathe, but to balance the pressure of being underwater.

Ty has spent his entire life underwater and hopes one day to claim a piece of land that will be just his. His parents helped build the underwater colony and he loves his life on the ocean floor. But problems begin to mount when Ty comes across an abandoned sub in an area that is forbidden to exploration. In an attempt to discovered what happened in the sub, Ty meets Gemma, who lives Topside and is the brother she hasn't seen in years.

As Ty and Gemma work together to find Gemma's missing brother and learn more about the abandaoned sub, life underwater becomes more dangerous as a band of outlaws attacks a family's homestead and supplies such as Liquigen become more and more scarce.

I almost didn't read this book because I don't really like the water very much. However, I really liked the idea that humans are smart enough to survive underwater and as I started reading, I really like Ty as a main character. He is brave and not afraid to do what he thinks is right even if it means he'll get in trouble for it later. I also really liked Gemma because of her spunk and determination. It was a really fast read and full of action. Some of the subplots were easy to figure out, but overall I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone wanting a book full of a little mystery and a lot of action.

Other books I would recommend:

Vote for the Teens' Top Ten of 2010!

Every year, YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) asks Teens to nominate their favorite books from the year before. Once books have been nominated, Teens are then asked to vote on their Top Ten Favorites.

Voting will take place until September 17th, so take a look and narrow down your favorites now. Click here to see the nominees and to vote!

Here are a few of the books that have been nominated:

New books to help you through a new school year!

Teen Review by Delrina. . .North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

Seventeen year old Terra Cooper has been trying to live a life between her demanding father and a port wine stain that she has been hiding. Don't forget her broken up family: a brother across the ocean in the place their father won't even speak of, a brother that won't even call, and a mother that eats to comfort herself. Terra constantly lives in fear but doesn't know what's worse, her father or somebody finding out the truth about her.

Enter Jacob, a supposedly gothic guy that was adopted in China due to a cleft palate. He sees her more clearly than herself right from the second they meet. He teaches her to see for herself the wonders of the world and herself. And finds a few geocahes along the way.

I loved this book. It starts out bitter but then turns sweet. An awesome story about self discovery. I've read this book three times and have not tired from it.

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Thanks to new reviewer, Delrina! There are a lot of North of Beautiful fans out there, so if you can't find the book on our shelves, try one of these:

The Ninja Reviews. . .Bruiser by Neal Shusterman

It would be great if you never felt pain—physical or emotional! Never suffered a broken arm, never caught a stomach virus, never endured a broken heart, or never worried about anything. Or, would it…?

Brewster Rawlings (nicknamed Bruiser) is a Sasquatch-big boy that keeps to himself and was voted “Most Likely to Receive the Death Penalty” by his classmates. He lives with his verbally abusive uncle and daredevil little brother. He is quiet, shy, and has no friends.

In spite of the names their English professor parents have saddled them with, Bronte and Tennyson Sternberger are well-adjusted teens with what appears to be a stable home life. Bronte is a well-liked girl who sees Bruiser for the sweet soul that he is and begins to date him and gradually pull him out of his shell. Tennyson is Bronte’s older-by-five-minutes brother who does not like his sister associating with the town freak. Together these teens discover that not everything is as it appears, that miracles can happen, and that there is nothing stronger than unconditional friendship.

I read, loved, and was haunted by Neil Shusterman’s book, Unwind, and decided that I had to read his latest release. Neil Shusterman has created another story that will make you laugh, make you cry, and definitely make you go, “Hmmmm…”

Review by Angela J.

Try these other books by Neal Shusterman:

The Ninja Reviews... The Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Sixteen-year-old Valerie considers herself weird. An outsider. A loser.  But that's okay because she's got other loser friends and a wonderful loser boyfriend, Nick, to help her get through the chaos of high school.  Valerie believes that she and Nick share a special connection because of the bullying they receive at school and all the family issues they go through at home.  They both hate the bullying and the fighting and, in a moment of anger, Valerie creates the Hate List, a notebook listing all the things she hates.  Nick gets in on it too, and before they know it they have created a huge list of everything from parents fighting to girls with blonde hair to specific people they cannot stand.

After Valerie encounters another bullying instance on one bus ride to school, Nick decides he's going to stand up for her and Valerie tags along to see her enemy take some heat.  But when Nick pulls out a gun in the middle of the school's Commons and shoots the defenseless girl, Valerie is utterly dumbfounded.  He begins to take revenge on the rest of the school, leaving six students and one teacher dead with many others wounded.  Valerie keeps him from taking a seventh student's life when she instead takes a bullet in the leg.  Nick then turns the gun on himself.

The fallout is brutal for Valerie. She had no idea that the Hate List would be used to target victims in her high school.  She had no idea it would become public.  She had no idea that Nick's hate was serious.  Though eventually she is proven to be innocent of involvement in the shooting, much of the community, including her parents, have a difficult time believing that.  With the help of a supportive therapist and a few unlikely friends at high school, Valerie begins the frustrating process of healing, forgiving herself, and finding her way through school.

This beautifully written and powerful novel uses snippets from the local newspaper threaded throughout Valerie's narration.  Valerie's character is sympathetic and beautifully presented.  The reader feels frustrated at what Valerie must go through and experiences the shunning and the fear with her.  Though the topic of this book is serious, I would recommend this title to high school students.  There are brief instances of cursing, kissing, and partying but these things only further the character development.

If you liked Hate List you might also enjoy:

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Willow by Julia Hoban

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Teen Review by Hafsah. . .A Crack In The Line by Michael Lawrence

Alaric and Naia are closer than siblings - even closer than twins. They are two versions of the same person, living in two, alternate dimensions, and when their lives are suddenly and inexplicably brought together by a carved model known as Lexie's Folly, they are forced to rethink everything they know about the universe, their families, and themselves.

Alaric's mother, Alex Underwood, was involved in a terrible train crash when he was fourteen. She had a fifty-fifty chance of dying. She died. Naia's mother, Alex Underwood, was also involved in a train crash when she was fourteen. This Alex also had a fifty-fifty chance of dying. She lived.

Because of this difference, Alaric and Naia's lives are completely different. Naia is carefree and lively, a lot like her mother, while Alaric is sullen and withdrawn, living an almost speechless life with his father in their old, Victorian house in the outskirts of London. His only source of happiness is his Aunt Liney, who comes as a sort of babysitter while his father is away, but Alaric rejects her as well, still bitter over his mother's death.

A Crack in the Line by Michael Lawrence is incomplete on its own - it needs to be read with its sequel - Small Eternities (which also leaves you dangling). But I've heard The Underwood See (I still haven't read it, but I'm dying to) will tie all the loose ends together beautifully. One thing's for sure - these three books form a thought-provoking, intriguing trilogy that you just can't miss!

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This is a great review of a book many of you may have missed when it first came out in 2003. If you've read an older book that you'd like to review, email us! In the meantime, try these titles:

The Named by Marianne Curley

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Everlost by Neal Shusterman

Teen Review by Diana. . .Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Shunned by her friends, Melinda Sordino starts a spiraling path of an outcast. Unable to speak, to defend herself, all she can do is watch as her life takes a 180, as her friends evolve into something she can't comprehend, longing for understanding and tearing up at life itself.

Anderson's quiet and betrayed narrative pulls the reader into a dark humour. In any other novel, the statements are enough to bring forth a laugh, but in this, all you can do is find it funny, humorous, yet unable to laugh in face of the setting. You start to find yourself in the world Melinda has created, a forced life in which she gives a forced laugh. The way she starts to separates herself from reality, by nicknaming those she seems to see as less than human: her English teacher, "Hairwoman," or her social studies teacher, "Mr. Neck." The detached observations she gives as if all she can do is comment on life.

Speak is not an action book or a fantasy. It's not science fiction or even a thriller. But it is a book in which can immerse yourself in the new universe Anderson creates like a fantasy. Find the dark mystery lost within it's pages. And begin to understand the mind of someone playing on the other side of light. Perhaps it's not a perfect novel. But the insight it carries is enough to let it be one of those books . . . the ones where you just quietly shut it closed after you've read the last page, and contemplate the journey you've just shared as a reader.

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Thanks for the review, Diana. Hope to see more from you. If you have already read and enjoyed Speak, you might also like one of these titles:

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher

Winter Girls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Prize Pack Winners

We had a GREAT time at Zombie Fest and had a lot of fun pulling the winners for this year's Prize Packs.  Since we're getting a lot of calls about Prize Packs and who won, we thought we'd post the list for everyone. 

All the winners have been contacted by phone.  If you think you are one of the people below, please contact Teen Services at 817-459-6915 to confirm! 

New Moon Winners - Farris L. and Kendall J.
Hunger Games Winner - Zach D.
Slob Winner - Josh M.
Guy Drama Winner - Quazi N.
Girl Drama Winner - Serena T.
Ripstick Winner - Max J.
Back to School Winner - Allison H.
Soldier Spy Winner - Javen A.
Anime Romance Winner - Sonia G.
Goth Girl Winner - Bria G.
Harry Potter Winner - Lindsey L.
Percy Jackson Winner - Lauren Marie V.
Donuts Winner - Lacey C.
Zombie Winner - Chris T.
Anime Action Winner - Jirda N.
I Love Japan Winner - Tiffany McN.
Writer Winner - Jerick J.
Crafty Winner - Sarah B.
Veggie Lover Winner - Aliya M.
Geeky Winner - Mark D.
Sports Winner - Bethany D.
Romantic Summer Winner - Emilee W.

Thanks to everyone who made this a great summer to read!  We look forward to making more awesome prize packs for you all next year.  If you have suggestions, please feel free to drop us an email at libraryninja@arlingtontx.gov.

Teen Review by Lauren. . .The Necromancer by Michael Scott

The next installment of Michael Scott's great series begins with Scatty and Joan stuck in a prehistoric time (right?), with Saint Germain desperately trying to rescue them, no matter the cost (and he's not the only one looking). Dr. John Dee has been declared an outcast and a wanted man by his Elders, and is preparing to disappear (or he might have a different option in mind). Sophie and Josh are just hoping for a break, and Nicholas and Perenelle are getting ready to fight.

Full of twists and turns, the twins' adventures continue as Josh learns the Magic of Fire, and Sophie is still coming to terms with the Witch's memories. Complex rebellions are unfolding, as well as battle plans, though not always where you would expect. Alliances are changing and truths are uncovered. This book can certainly be described as "unputdownable."

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Am I the only one who hasn't read any of Michael Scott's books? I think so. Thanks, Lauren, for the review!

If you're waiting for the next Michael Scott book, read one of these while you wait:

Septimus Heap: Magyk by Angie Sage

Atherton: The House of Power by Patrick Carman

The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney