Book Club Selection for February

Book club members voted to read If I Stay, by Gayle Forman for our January book. The author creates a cast of captivating characters and pulls readers into a compelling story that will cause them to laugh, cry, and question the boundaries of family and love. While out on a drive with her family, 17-year-old Mia is suddenly separated from her body and forced to watch the aftermath of the accident that kills her parents and gravely injures her and her younger brother. We will discuss this book on Monday, Feruary 7th. Meetings are afterschool at 3:10 on the first Monday of each month in the library classroom.
Reviews were mixed on last months pick You , by Charles Benoit, with a total of 3 stars out of 5.

Book Club Selection for December

Book club members voted to read You, by Charles Benoit for our December book. It is the story of fifteen-year-old Kyle who discovers the shattering ramifications of the decisions he makes, and does not make, about school, the girl he likes, and his future. We will discuss this book on Monday, December 6th. If you didn't make it to the November meeting, you're still welcome to join Book Club. Meetings are afterschool at 3:10 on the first Monday of each month in the library classroom.
Reviews were mixed on last months pick Witch & Wizard by James Patterson, with a total of 3.5 stars out of 5.

Book Club Selection for November

Book club members voted to read Witch & Wizard, by James Patterson for our October book. Hopefully it will appeal to all and we'll have a great discussion on Monday, November 1st. If you didn't make it to the first meeting, you're still welcome to join Book Club. Meetings are afterschool on the first Monday of each month. Book Club meets in the library.

IHS Book Club To Start Again

The school year is well underway -- and Book Club will begin its eight year at the high school! Our first meeting will be on Monday, October 4th in the library. At our first meeting club members will vote on which books they most want to read this year. Meetings are after school on the first Monday of each month. Join us for some great discussions and snacks. Mark your calendars for the best club around town, and bring a friend.
Meeting location: Library
Time: 3:10 PM - 4:00 PM
Dates: 10/4, 11/1, 12/6, 1/3, 2/7, 3/7, 4/4, 5/2
Advisor: Mrs. Raab

School's Out for Summer

While you're enjoying the lazy, hazy days of summer, don't forget about the IHS recommended summer reading!

Enjoy, and see you in September!

Class of 2010

As the 2009-2010 school year winds down, members of the Irondequoit High School Class of 2010 are being recognized for all of their accomplishments -- in the classroom, on the stage, on the field, and within the community. Here in the library we like to celebrate a lesser known, but no less important accomplishment.

Following are the seniors who have checked out the most books over the course of four years, (!!!!) along with their favorite book recommendations.

Kristen
1. My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult
2. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
3. Perfect Chemistry, by Simone Elkeles
4. The Host, by Stephenie Meyer
5. Private (novel series), by Kate Brian

Kaela
1. Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson
2. The Sky is Everywhere, by Jandy Nelson
3. North of Beautiful, by Justina Chen Headley
4. Love You, Hate You, Miss You, by Elizabeth Scott
5. Living Dead Girl, by Elizabeth Scott

Maria
1. Pretty Little Liars (novel series), by Sara Shepard
2. Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
3. The Crucible, by Arthur Miller
4. My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult
5. Twilight (novel series), by Stephenie Meyer

Chelsea
1. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
2. Vampire Academy, by Richelle Mead
3. Evermore, by Alyson Noël
4. My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult
5. Wings, by Aprilynne Pike

Laura
1. Hawksong, by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
2. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
3. Shadow Kiss, by Richelle Mead
4. The DaVinci Code, by Dan Brown
5. Stargazer, by Claudia Gray

Rose
1. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
2. Vampire Academy, by Richelle Mead
3. The Musician's Daughter, by Susanne Emily Dunlap
4. Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, Beth Fantaskey
5. The Morning Gift, by Eva Ibbotson

Taryn

1. Pretty Little Liars (novel series), by Sara Shepard
2. The Last Song, by Nicholas Sparks
3. Dear John, by Nicholas Sparks
4. Breathing Underwater, by Alex Flinn
5. Beastly, by Alex Flinn
6. Evermore, by Alyson Noël
7. The Divide (novel series), by Elizabeth Kay
8. The Inheritance (novel series), by Christopher Paolini
9. Cirque du Freak (novel series), by Darren Shan
10. South Beach, by Aimee Friedman
11. French Kiss, by Aimee Friedman
12. Hollywood Hills, by Aimee Friedman
13. The Last Dog on Earth, by Daniel Ehrenhaft
14. Indian Captive, by Lois Lenski
15. Red Dog, by Bill Wallace

Justin
1. Good Omens: the nice and accurate prophecies of Agnes Nutter, witch, by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
2. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon
3. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman
4. Foundation and Empire, by Isaac Asimov
5. Dune, by Frank Herbert

Robertha
1. Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston
2. The Clique, by Lisi Harrison
3. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
4. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, by E. Lockhart
5. The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

Jake
1. I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov
2. Foundation, by Isaac Asimov
3. Physics of the Impossible: a scientific exploration into the world of phasers, force fields, teleportation and time travel, by Michio Kaku
4. The Drawing of the Three, by Stephen King
5. Stone Cold, by David Baldacci

Kimberly
1. Airborn, by Kenneth Oppel
2. Starclimber, by Kenneth Oppel
3. Night World, by L. J. Smith
4. Dragonsong, by Anne McCaffrey
5. Before Midnight: a retelling of Cinderella, by Cameron Dokey

Brionna

1. Bluford High (novel series), by various authors

2. Push, by Sapphire

3. Twilight (novel series), by Stephenie Meyer

4. The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold

Congratulations to those who achieved this most outstanding recognition! As you move forward in life, continue to find the joy in books... and, as always, happy reading!

The Book We've All Been Waiting For...

As we near the end of school -- less than 20 days of classes left -- Book Club is happy to be capping off another great year with a most anticipated book: Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins. Ever since reading The Hunger Games, members have been anxiously awaiting this end of the year "treat," otherwise known as the second book in The Hunger Games trilogy. And with good measure. The beginning of the trilogy is full of adventure, suspense, and intrigue, and the second book leaves nothing to be desired, except of course, the completion of the story, (which, by the way, is due out on August 24). So enjoy the final days of spring with a tall glass of lemonade, underneath a shady tree, with a great book in hand.

UN-Reality Check

So. Reality Check, by Peter Abrahams, not so much. Receiving 1.5 stars out of 5, book club members did not take to this story at all. I think it's safe to say it has been the least popular title thus far this year. Although nobody was quite able to articulate why they disliked the book so much, it seemed like a lot had to do with the predictability of the plot and the inability to connect with the characters. Oh well -- you win some, you lose some. That's why this month's choice will be such a welcome relief. Everybody is free to choose which book they'd like to read, as long as it was written by one of the 27 authors coming to Rochester for the Teen Book Festival. With lots of books to choose from, hopefully everyone will find one they like and feel encouraged to attend the festival on Saturday, May 15th.

Linger Awhile Longer...

It should come as no surprise, that when given a sappy, far-fetched romance novel, members of Book Club are going to eat it up. And that's exactly what they did with Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater. This human-to-werewolf love story garnered praise, and almost 4 stars. Aside from its similarity to a book that shall remain unnamed, (but starts with a "T") members loved the intense passion between Sam and Grace. Who says humans and werewolves can't fall in love?

Next up? Reality Check, by Peter Abrahams. A fast-paced thriller, with mystery, twists, turns, and a little bit of a love affair thrown in. We've got Cody, a footballer from the wrong side of the tracks, and Clea, a princess in the white castle, trying to navigate a relationship through many obstacles. One of those obstacles, Clea's dad, ultimately ships her off to boarding school to keep the two apart. The mystery begins when Clea goes missing, and Cody takes on the role of detective, trying to piece together clues leading to her whereabouts. Discussion to be held on Monday, April 5, 2010.

Book #5

Finally... Book Club read a book that seemed to make everybody happy! North of Beautiful, by Justina Chen Headley, received 4.3 stars / 5 stars. Highest results, (and this month they weren't skewed by off-the-charts ratings!). Readers seemed to be in agreement that Terra, our main character, was super cool. Her boyfriend Jacob wasn't too bad, either. We hated Dad, and hoped for a divorce. We would like to try geo-caching. We would like to go to China. We loved the map analogies. And we are hopeful that things just keep getting better for Terra, even after the book ends.

As per usual, we're reading a love story for the month of February. Last year we read this book and it was super popular. This year, in keeping with what seems to be the latest trend in YA literature, we're reading a love story between humans and werewolves. Yes, supernatural love that's doomed to fail before it begins. What could be more romantic? So curl up with your honey, grab some chocolate to nibble on, put on soft music... and fall in love with Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater.

Book #4

It's crunch time here at Irondequoit High School: mid-term exams and the completion of first semester barreling down quickly. The library has seen a flurry of activity, and students are working hard to complete their assignments. In the midst of the madness, Book Club met to discuss The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman. Reviews were favorable, with a grand 4.2 stars out of 5, (highest yet this year -- although I suspect the results were skewed by one member's 7 star designation!).

We're changing gears, once again, for the month of January. Time for a little realistic fiction, in the form of North of Beautiful, by Justina Chen Headley. While you're taking a break from studying, read Chen's romantic novel about self-discovery, self-confidence, and beauty. A perfect mid-winter getaway kind of book.

Book #3

Time is flying by, and we're already close to Holiday Recess! Book Club met for the third time this week, not only to finalize plans for a Holiday Party, but also to discuss Wake, by Lisa McMann. Members gave it 3.2 out of 5 stars, and a few even went on to read the sequel. Lots of the discussion revolved around dreams -- only natural, given the story -- and everyone seemed to have a lot of their own unique dream experiences. We talked about keeping dream journals, trying to control your dreams, recurring dreams, and dream sequels. All very interesting! On an aside, author Lisa McMann will be making an appearance here later on during the school year. Not to be missed!

Our book for December 2009 has been chosen, and it's the ever popular The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman. Discussion will be held when we return to school in 2010. Enjoy this macabre, fantastical tale on a snowy evening, curled up with hot cocoa, a blanket, and your wildest imagination.

Book #2

IHS Book Club continues on their quest to read one book per month and November's book was introduced at our most recent meeting. Book #1 in a trilogy, this was the second most voted for book. However, don't be fooled by first impressions, (or by covers!).

Impossible, by Nancy Werlin received only an average 2.1 stars out of 5 by book club members. Despite a promising description and intriguing cover art, most members felt this book fell short of expectations. Those that didn't like the book felt the characters were superficial and under developed, with a hard-to-imagine plot. The members who liked the book appreciated the fantasy realm within which the book took place. Most members agreed it would make a better movie than book. You be the judge: this book is available at the IHS library media center.

We will discuss Wake on Monday, December 7 in room #1068.

IHS Book Club Starts Again

The school year is well underway -- could it really have been Columbus Day already?? -- and Book Club has begun its seventh year at the high school! Things were a little different at our first meeting: the club members voted on which books they most want to read. The titles were all over the place, with a noticeable focus on mystery, fantasy, and realistic fiction. The book chosen for October received the most votes, so hopefully it will appeal to all and we'll have a great discussion on Monday, November 2nd.

If you didn't make it to the first meeting, you're still welcome to join Book Club. Meetings are afterschool on the first Monday of each month. Book Club meets in the library classroom #1068.

School's Out for Summer

Yearbook is signed? Check. Locker is cleaned out? Check. Final exams are done? Check. Vacation plans are made? Check. Summer reading is chosen? Check it out. Enjoy!

Caught Reading in the Library!

Saron, 9th grade

Ready or Not: an all-American girl novel, by Meg Cabot

Amy, 12th grade

Winesburg, Ohio, by Sherwood Anderson

Books Most Likely to be Checked Out

Here's the list of the Top 10 most frequently checked out books @ IHS: 10. The Notebook / N. Sparks 9. This Lullaby / S. Dessen 8. Tithe: a modern faerie tale / H. Black 7. The Lovely Bones / A. Sebold 6. When Dad Killed Mom / J. Lester 5. Big Mouth and Ugly Girl / J. Oates 4. Angels and Demons / D. Brown 3. Sloppy Firsts / M. McCafferty 2. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things / C. Mackler ...and the #1 most frequently checked out book goes to: 1. The First Part Last / A. Johnson

Display of Affection

Students at Irondequoit High School have no trouble expressing themselves, particularly when it comes to the things they love.

Check out the lovely display on the library circulation desk!

Caught Reading!

Casey, 9th grade

Four Past Midnight, by Stephen King

Caught Reading in the Library!

Dylan, 11th grade The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald Liz, 12th grade The Body of Christopher Creed, by Carol Plum-Ucci