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.

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.  

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.

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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Guest Blogger:  Michele Mumaw
Michele is a 3rd grade teacher at Linville-Edom Elementary School.

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

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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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.  

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