Life is Golden

After much anticipation and publicity, The Golden Compass was released in theatres this weekend, grossing $26.1 million. If you haven't jumped on the bandwagon yet, the IHS Library owns multiple copies of The Golden Compass, Book 1 in the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. Follow Lyra Belacqua as she navigates her way from Oxford, England to the far north, encountering all varieties of animals and people. Planning to see other movies this month? Read the book before the movie:

Beowulf

829.3 SUT

The Kite Runner

FIC HOS

The Golden Compass

FIC PUL

Don't forget the popcorn!

Tough Life?

Tests, college applications, review sessions, extra credit... Do you ever feel overwhelmed by all the school work you have to do just to stay afloat in your classes? Have you ever been tempted to just give it all up, even for one day? In It's Kind of a Funny Story, by Ned Vizzini, 15-year-old Craig Gilner goes from successful and motivated, to overwhelmed and lethargic in a matter of months. He falls into a deep depression, so bad that he begins to have suicidal thoughts and calls the Suicide Hotline for help. He is directed to the emergency room at his local hospital, from which he is admitted to the mental ward. There, Craig spends 5 days with a quirky bunch of patients, all trying to cope in the best way they know how. To join a discussion of this book, come to IHS Book Club on Monday, December 3rd at 3:15 in the library. Safe travels & Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Happy Halloween!

Will you be staying in tomorrow evening? Why not check out a frightening book to get you in the Halloween mood? Perfect example: What Happened to Cass McBride? by Gail Giles. Cass is a beautiful, ambitious, "IT" girl who goes to sleep one night, only to wake up the next day buried underground. Her abductor torments her by communicating via walkie-talkie, which has been buried alongside her. Cass must figure out how to talk her way out of the ground, before the ground she's in becomes her grave.

Twilight

I read Twilight after hearing about it in an article Life After 'Harry Potter'? It is the story of Bella Swan as she moves to Forks, Washington. Bella feels she is not wanted at home. She doesn't really expect too much from her new hometown. It isn't a big city and it is cloudy most of the time. But when she begins school, she is drawn to a handsome boy. Things might be looking up after all. But Edward seems to be repulsed by Bella. What did she do to offend him? She hasn't even talked to him yet. As she gets to know Edward and his family, she comes to understand why Edward reacted to her as he did. And she also comes to understand more than she ever imagined. If you want to read a very different kind of love story, check out the Twilight series by Stephenie Myers.

teen READ week

This week you can celebrate Teen Read Week (Oct. 14 -21) by voting for your favorite books of 2007. Included in the list is Life As We Knew It, by Susan Beth Pfeffer, which happens to be the IHS Book Club October selection. It's a frightening tale about what happens when the moon is struck by a meteor, thereby knocking the moon closer to the Earth. This seemingly uneventful incident changes life in ways that no one could have imagined: homes lose electricity, food becomes scarce, panic is widespread, and that's just the beginning... If you'd like to join a discussion about this book, come to the library on Monday, November 5th at 3:15 PM.

Zusak

I Am the Messenger, by Markus Zusak is a hit among the 12th grade Humanities classes. At least 7 Seniors are reading this book right now. It's a funny book about a guy named Ed who receives playing cards in the mail with clues written on them. In the process of solving the clues, he finds himself in many strange situations. Zusak is also the author of The Book Thief, an excellent Holocaust story narrated by Death, and Getting the Girl. I'm reading this one right now, and so far so good. Cameron, the main character, is falling in love with his brother's ex-girlfriend. I'm planning to finish this book over the long weekend. Do you have something to read over the weekend?

Top 10

Top 10 books, new to the IHS Library, we've read since January 2007: 10. The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold 9. Marley & Me, by John Grogan 8. The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls 7. I Am the Messenger, by Marcus Zusak 6. My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult 5. Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer 4. Uglies Trilogy, by Scott Westerfeld 3. The Book Thief, by Marcus Zusak 2. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini 1. A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini