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ZERO DAY by Jan Gangsei

3/14/2016

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 For fans of Quantico, How to Get Away With Murder, Scorpion, or CSI Cyber, Zero Day will grab the reader from the Prologue when Addie Webster is kidnapped from the Virginia Governor's Mansion.  The Governor's daughter, Addie's eight-year disappearance haunts her parents, her sister and her best friend, Darrow.

When the novel resumes,  now-President Mark Webster has moved into the White House, along with his UVA classmate, Cheryl Fergusson, as his chief-of-staff.  Cheryl's son, Darrow, has been guilt-ridden since the day that Addie vanished, and he still carries that Connect Four red checker in his pocket in hopes that he might someday resume their last game.  For Addie's mother, Liz, throwing herself into her work as a computer program developer was a way to deal with her unspeakable loss, while Addie's sister, Ellie, confronted her pain with drugs and alcohol.

Miraculously,  a teen-age Addie reappears in a Flying J. Travel Plaza bathroom.  With her return, the novel delves into a world of an anti-government cell called Judgement Day, a cyberterrorism group called Cerebus, and a "Father" who is controlling them all.  No place or person is truly safe, and even the FBI, CIA and Secret Service can be controlled and manipulated when these evil saboteurs threaten a Republican fundraiser, the Metro, and teenagers at a prom.  

In Zero Day, Jan Gangsei manages to create a political thriller that is entirely too close to home.  Each chapter brings a new surprise and twist in Addie's story, and even as the novel ends I wonder who the reader can trust.  I hope this story is the first in a series of books, but no one will regret being drawn into the action that drives the narrative from the very first page.  You have been warned.

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ALL RISE FOR THE HONORABLE PERRY T. COOK by Leslie Connor

3/14/2016

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I can't imagine growing up in a prison, but Perry Cook has lived at Blue River Co-Ed Correctional Facility since he was born.  When the local district attorney, Tom VanLeer,  discovers that Perry only leaves the jail to head to middle school, Perry finds himself headed to a foster home. Even though the placement means that he will live with his only real friend and defender, Zoey, Perry spends most days longing to return to Blue River.  Thanks to Mrs. Buckmueller and the Bucking Blue Bookmobile, Perry and Zoey  discover a way to enter the prison beyond Saturday visiting days, and they also manage to send messages to the residents, disguised in their favorite books and magazines.

Perry's mother, Jessica,  has been a resident of Cell Block C since his birth, and Warden Daugherty has made sure that despite her incarceration he and his mom have never been separated.  Certainly Perry has had an unorthodox upbringing; however, he finds that each new "rez" has a story worth telling. Mr. Rojas love his daughters, and he only ran that gambling ring in order to "send his little girls to college (46)."  Halsey wants to play a game of one-on-one with Perry one day on the other side,  and Eggy-Mon serves up trays at mealtimes with a side of poetry.   In the course of the novel, the reader also discovers, along with Perry, that Jessica Cook's story and subsequent imprisonment is not what it appears to be.  Her mistake at that intersection  is fraught with family dysfunction and teenage love, and Perry is determined to fill in the missing details in order to insure that his mom will win her parole.

Perry's story motivates the reader to advocate for right, even when justice demands struggle.   He must face his mother's fallibility, share a best friend's daily heartaches, and battle a bully who relentlessly reveals Perry's flaws.  Throughout the journey, Perry never allows his meal card that won't swipe or Brian's taunts and teasing to deflate his optimism and faith in the world around him.

Connor's novel also serves to put a human face on the men and women serving sentences within the confines of the criminal justice system.  While she never makes excuses for their law-breaking, she does maintain their dignity and humanity.  Some might see the novel as an impossible picture of the judiciary, and  others will say that the fictional world of Blue River is not even remotely close to reality.  Yet, Perry is a character who inspires hope for the innocent and forgiveness for those who have faltered.  

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ELVIS AND THE UNDERDOGS                 by Jenny Lee

3/14/2016

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Guest Blogger:  Michele Mumaw
Michele is a 3rd grade teacher at Linville-Edom Elementary School.  She is also co-president of the Shenandoah Valley Reading Council and a frequent presenter at the VSRA Conference.

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This book became a read aloud in my classroom due to a discussion with the librarian and was a Virginia Readers’ Choice Book for 2015.  Benji struggles with health issues (passing out, allergies, asthma), but struggles even more with fitting in and making friendships at school.  After another “episode” and another stay at the hospital, Benji must either wear a specialized helmet or have a service dog as support.  

After careful consideration, Benji gets a service dog, a large Newfoundland which is the incorrect dog.  He is really the President’s dog who is quite trained and intelligent.  “Elvis” challenges Benji to make friends and be a part of the school community despite his differences.  Enjoy a hilarious story filled with much humor, love, friendship, and real life issues.  It will make you laugh and cry as you see we all have life issues to deal with daily.
A quote found and loved….  
Taisy told this to Benji….
“Breathe and believe.  I know it sounds simple, but it works.  You have to believe you can do anything and that everything will work out how it’s supposed to.  Just believe.  Breath and believe.  Breathe and believe.” (291)

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IF YOU PLANT A SEED by Kadir Nelson

3/14/2016

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Guest Blogger:  Michele Mumaw
Michele is a 3rd grade teacher at Linville-Edom Elementary School.
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Kadir Nelson, an artist and writer, has written and illustrated If You Plant a Seed.  It  is about showing kindness and compassion to others through a playful tale involving animals where they disagree and agree.  Using this book with all ages is appropriate as it encourages a conversation about our behaviors and interactions with others when communicating with selfishness or kindness. How can we make our lives grow and produce fruit?  How can we make our positive actions influence others?

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A NEST FOR CELESTE by Henry Cole

3/14/2016

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Guest Blogger:  Dewie Arey
Dewie is a reading teacher at John Wayland Elementary School.

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I am currently reading A Nest for Celeste​. We are getting ready to read this as our one book one school literature. This is a story from the perspective of a small field mouse. I have not finished the book yet, but it is very intriguing. It is about a mouse who goes through many emotions, bullying, danger, even the trials that come with homelessness. She finds herself in a boot of a young artist, Joseph, who happens to be the apprentice of Audubon.
The book has historical fiction elements in that it explains to the reader how Audubon sacrificed the life of his models to pose them for drawings, to be shared with the world. I am at the part in the book where Young Joseph, his apprentice, struggles with this and wonders if drawing a lifeless bird really shows their true “living beauty.” I can see how some of the details about surrendering the life of the animals could be somewhat difficult for the reader/listener of the book. However, this is where one could discuss how in that time period, they didn’t have the cameras that we do today to capture beauty and details of the birds. Today it is not necessary to surrender the life of the animal to draw it. We may even introduce James Audubon and the Audubon Society, to our students, before reading the book to help bring out the historical details.
            Although there is this historical piece, the book is more about the mouse’s struggles with friendships, relationships, choosing good over bad, and finding the true meaning of home. This is done through the relationships between animals and Celeste’s, the mouse, relationship with Joseph, the young apprentice.
The pencil drawing illustrations are incredible, not to mention the rich vocabulary and figurative language used throughout the novel. I can see this read aloud being read with the pictures being placed under the document camera for students to view. The illustrations are as rich as the vocabulary is vivid.
  I am anxious to read the rest of the book. I might caution one sharing this with kindergarten and first grade. I am having several teachers read the book to determine if we should use it in those grades.

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ALL THE WRONG QUESTIONS:  "WHO COULD THAT BE AT THIS HOUR?"        by Lemony Snicket

3/14/2016

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Guest Blogger:  Emilie Siciliano
I teach 9-12 English at Dayton Learning Center, the alternative school for RCPS.

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If you enjoyed Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events and wished the series hadn’t ended with just 13 books, then you are in luck. Lemony Snicket has released 4 more novels that act as a kind of stand-alone prequel to the Baudelaire’s tale. Before the orphans, before Olaf, there was Lemony, a thirteen year old boy learning how to, and how not to, become an investigator.
The series begins with book one “Who Could That Be at This Hour?” Lemony is apprenticing for the V.F.D. to protect a statue from a nefarious villain named Hangfire. As usual, the adults in his world, including his guardian, are clueless and are often guilty of taking a bad situation and making it worse. Lemony teams up with a host of intelligent and independent children to help uncover the truth in an ever increasing tangle of lies and deception.
One of my favorite things about this series is that, unlike most books, you are often left with more questions than answers. Sometimes, it feels as if you are experiencing the plot through a thickening fog. While this may frustrate some readers initially, it often lets you become your own detective and make discoveries of your own along the way. The narrative is fast paced with plenty of twists and deceit to keep any reader engaged.
Even if you haven’t read the original series, All The Wrong Questions is a great, short series to introduce you to the intriguing world of Lemony Snicket.

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THEFT OF SWORDS                                      by Michael J. Sullivan

3/14/2016

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Guest Blogger:  Michael Villacrusis
I teach English, Creative Writing, and Debate, and coach the forensics and Scholastic Bowl teams at Turner Ashby High School. 

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Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan is the first volume in The Riyria Revelations, a terrific fantasy series that, in the best tradition of the genre, follows likeable characters as they find themselves unwittingly caught in the midst of world-changing events.
Theft of Swords actually consists of two books, The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha, that originally came out separately a few years ago. That’s when I first came across them. I’ve always enjoyed fantasy epics, everything from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, to Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time, to Guy Gavriel Kay’s The Fionavar Tapestry. Sullivan’s works ranks right up there with those four.
The protagonists are Royce Melborn and Hadrian Blackwater, two thieves who take on jobs for people willing to pay their price. Sullivan plunges the reader right into the middle of the action and does a deft job of letting the characters and their world unfold bit by bit. Even as the stakes rise and the world grows larger, the focus always stays on Royce and Hadrian, and it’s these two characters, their individual secrets, and their continually evolving relationship that kept me wanting to read more. Sullivan includes some wonderful bits of humor that arise naturally from this pair.
Unlike some contemporary sword-and-sorcery writers, Sullivan doesn’t plunge us into a dark and nihilistic world. That’s not what I want from this genre. Royce and Hadrian live in a world that’s not perfect by any means, and where death and danger are present, but where hope can still triumph. When I finished the series I felt satisfied and sad that my journey in this world had ended.

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THE ROAD by Cormac McCarthy

3/14/2016

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Guest Blogger:  Rebecca Arbaugh
I'm a high school English teacher at Turner Ashby High School. I love to read and spend time outdoors.

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I recently finished The Road by Cormac McCarthy. This haunting tale takes place in a dark, dangerous post-apocalyptic world. As readers we travel with a father and his young son along their journey south, toward the sea.
The pair, on the verge of starvation, push their way through a bleak, burned, ash-covered landscape amid violent, bloodthirsty bandits and gangs. They carry with them few meager possessions and only a two-shot revolver for protection. McCathy's  The Road reveals the darkest elements of human existence and includes horrific imagery that may never escape my mind's eye. Though not a tale for the faint of heart, The Road is brilliantly written and a powerful story about courage, love, and sacrifice.  

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UNDER THE EGG                                       by Laura Fox Fitzgerald

3/14/2016

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Guest Blogger:  Cheryl Reynolds
Cheryl is a 6th grade English teacher at Montevideo Middle School.

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Every year the Virginia State Reading Association sponsors the Virginia Readers' Choice Award for grades K-12. Students need to read at least four titles from the list in order to vote for his/her favorite in the spring.
One of the nominees for this year's middle school book of the year is, Under the Egg by Laura Fox Fitzgerald. This is Ms. Fitzgerald's debut novel for middle school readers.
In this book, Theodora aka Theo is faced with trying to save her home in Greenwich Village with the $463.00 her grandfather has left her after his death. She lives with her mentally troubled mother who struggles with day-to-day living. As Theo's grandfather is dying, he says to her, "There's a letter.. and "a treasure" hidden "under the egg." With the help of her new found friend, Bodhi, they set out to discover the truth about an egg painting found hanging above the fire place in Theo's home. Why was the egg painting painted over something else? Did Theo's grandfather steal the original painting and paint over it with an egg to hide a secret? These are just some of the many questions that need answers in order for Theo to understand her grandfather even more than she had and discover even more about herself. 

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EVERYTHING I NEVER TOLD YOU         by Celeste Ng

3/14/2016

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Guest Blogger:  Jennifer Moyers
​I'm an English teacher at Broadway High School . . . and an avid reader, of course!

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Celeste Ng's Everything I Never Told You begins with the death of a teenager and works backward. Normally, this tragedy would be the climax of the novel. Instead, Ng immediately communicates--in blunt fashion--the fact of Lydia Lee's disappearance and drowning. Then, she weaves a story of Lydia and her family that took over my life.

For me, this was a one-sitting book, broken only by my need to sleep (for a few hours) and to eat (while juggling the book). I yearned, I cried, I ached along with the characters. Ng presents Lydia's parents, Marilyn and James, and her brother Nath as so human, so flawed, and so empathetic. I fell in love with each of them, yearning to help each character see past his or her blindspots, to prevent the tragedy that I already knew was approaching.

The novel is one of small moments. It feels so real because it reminds me of the way that life's tiniest misunderstandings can compound until they become part of one's identity. Though the story takes place in the 1970s, it feels contemporary in its treatment of an array of current topics, including racism and interracial marriages (James is Chinese American, and Marilyn is a blonde Southerner), academic pressures, faithfulness, feminism, single-parent families. Somehow, though, each of these issues is an organic part of the story, and at no point did I feel as if Ng had an agenda other than providing an honest account of this family's life and of this young girl's death. The novel moves seamlessly from character to character, diving into lives and consciousnesses and new understandings, providing glimpses into each character's understanding of the world. The book is one that ends too soon (I wanted so badly for the stories to continue!), and it's a quick read, which would appeal to teenage readers.

Though Everything I Never Told You is not a young adult novel, teenagers would find it relevant. Its characters are engaging--even (especially!) when they're making mistakes--and Lydia and Nath, in particular, are navigating their way through adolescence by facing the issues that all teenagers must confront. The book is both universal and incredibly particular, presenting specific lives in relatable ways (and its placement on the ALA Alex Award list, for books published for adults that may hold interest for teenagers, supports a recommendation for teenage readers).

Despite the tragedy at its center, Everything I Never Told You has triumphs, as well. It's a book of despair and of hope. It's the bright spots in the lives of these characters who I came to know that kept me engaged, wanting desperately for everything to work out in the end. Celeste Ng's Everything I Never Told You is, simply, beautiful.

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    Kimber Tate, 
    Coordinator of English, Reading, and Libraries

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