Roar by Cora Carmack

I’ve read many books in recent years with themes of magic and kingdoms, princesses and power.  However, something about Roar by Cora Carmack is unique and memorable.  I love the character of Aurora.  At first, she seems docile and easily manipulated, but quickly shows courage and strength.  Aurora is princess of Pavan, and her mother is queen, and they have descended from a long line of Stormlings who are able to control the tumultuous storms that besiege the land through their magic.  

However, Aurora hasn’t inherited this magical ability, and she and her mother have gone to great lengths to keep this hidden from the populous.  Storm season is approaching, and to secure their kingdom, Aurora must marry a powerful prince to help protect them from the storms.  She is soon betrothed to Prince Cassius from Locke, but she quickly suspects that Cassius is not who he seems to be.  

She discovers that a black market exists to sell magic to the ungifted, and that storm hunters who may not have been born with magic have become gifted. Maybe this would solve her problems by providing her with an alternate way of obtaining magic to protect her throne and people.  Aurora must gather her courage and determination to change the path of her life.  

I love the transformation Aurora makes through this novel.  At first, she is easily influenced and confused by her feelings, then as she gains confidence in who she is and what she is capable of, she becomes who she was meant to be.  

New library books!

Our first order of new fiction titles for the library has been cataloged, processed, and is now ready for checkout. I never get tired of the excitement and fun of new books in the library, and this year is no different! My to-be-read pile has grown significantly. I can't wait to read some of these new titles. I thought I would share some of the titles on my TBR list with you.

The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is one of the first on my list. I loved The Fixer and can't wait to read this second title in this series.
Tess Kendrick's sister is a fixer of problems, making them disappear for powerful people in Washington.  Because of her sister's reputation, all the students at Tess's elite private school turn to Tess for help. In The Long Game, Tess is asked by one of the students to help her get elected as class president.  In the meantime, her sister is working a case that involves terrorism and a struggle for power in Washington, a dangerous mix!
The Bronze Key - Book 3 of the Magisterium by Holly Black & Cassandra Clare
I have enjoyed this fantasy series.  The targeted audience for the books are middle school students, so these titles are shorter reads than some fantasy novels.  The Magisterium is a school to train students who are gifted in magic how to control it.  The students, along with the mages, use magic to bring order to our world.  But in The Bronze Key, chaos is spreading and it's up to Call, Tamara and Aaron to try to stop the evil. 

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill 
This is a new title that caught my attention. The description sounds intriguing!  Every year, a baby is left as a sacrifice to the witch of the forest.  But the witch Xan is actually kind, and takes the babies to a new family on the other side of the forest, feeding it starlight as they go.  When one of the babies is accidentally feed moonlight, Xan decides to keep the child because she will be filled with magic and names her Luna. When she turns 13, Luna's magic begins to manifest.  Then a young man decides to free the village by finding and killing the witch. I'm really looking forward to this fairytale read!

There are many many more books on my TBR list, but I'll wait and share more on another day.  Happy reading!

Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

Truthwitch is the kind of epic fantasy that I have come to love, with adventure, excitement, sea ships, sword battles and crafty skilled hand-to-hand combat with strong female characters. The biggest drawback after reading it is having to wait for the next book in the series!  There many layers to this story.  At first, it was a little difficult to follow. The different types of witchery and the background history of empires of the Witchlands can be difficult to comprehend as there wasn’t much explanation provided. Hold on and be prepared to grasp as you go!

However, I love the characters and soon was caught up in their adventure.  Safi is a rare truthwitch and keeps her ability to discern truth from lies hidden because it is highly desired, especially by those in power who would seek to use her ability for their gain. Iseult, her friend, is a threadwitch and can see the life threads of emotion around people.  The two are threadsisters, and their strong friendship and bond is the only constant in their lives.  Hunted by the bloodwitch, Aeduan, that can “smell” their blood scent, they are on the run for their lives.  The twenty year truce that has kept war away is about to expire, and without it, the three empires of the Witchlands seem headed to war.  Prince Merik of Nubrevna is determined to secure trade agreements for his country, which has still not recovered from the last war, and bargains to bring Safi to safety in order to open trade with her uncle and country.  But the challenge of keeping Safi safe is not for the faint of heart. Trouble seems to find her easily.  

I would highly recommend Truthwitch for those students who enjoy fantasy. It was a refreshing and very satisfying read! If only I could get my hands on the next one in the series!

Between Shades of Gray

Here's a Thinglink I created when I read Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys back last year.  I love using Thinglink! I think it could be a great tool for students to create an interactive book report, similar to the example below.  See what you think!

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

I've just finished reading Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys. And oh, my!  This one will stay with me for a while.  You know, there are the books you read, enjoy and then move on. Then there are books that you inhale and breathe the lingering fragrance for long after. Some books just do not end when you close the cover on the last page, but linger long past. Salt to the Sea is one of those for me.  

The heartbreak of war and the casualties that are not limited to the battlefield but include the innocent - the old, the young children, the expecting mothers, the young women - are highlighted in this powerful novel of hope, survival and love.  The novel is told from the different viewpoints of four characters - a young Prussian man with a secret past, a young Lithuanian nurse who has been repatriated to Germany because of her German mother, a young Polish girl, and a soldier assigned duty aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff. Though distantly connected to the author's novel Between Shades of Gray, Salt to the Sea tells a different story of the heartbreak of the largest maritime disaster during World War II - the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff.  

I love the detail and descriptive style of Ruta Sepetys' writing: "War had bled color from everything, leaving nothing but a storm of gray."  The cruelty of humanity, the injustice of war, and the cost to the innocent were primary themes reflected in the struggles of these characters.  An old shoemaker, traveling with the nurse, told the young Prussian, "There's a saying, 'Death hath a thousand doors to let out life; I shall find one.' But the children. That's what I struggle with." He shook his head. "Why the children?'" 

I was fortunate to meet Ruta when she spoke at the Arkansas Association of School Librarians' Conference in 2014 about her research and publication of Between Shades of Gray.   It astounds and amazes me the level of research that she does to publish her historical novels. This novel alone took her three years to research, and there is an appendix at the end of the book describing her research.  

Though sometimes historical fiction is a tough sell to students, this is one worth sharing.  I would love to hear comments about how you or your students like the novel.  Please share below.  

Here's a video of the author sharing about the novel:

AAIM 2016

I've just returned from sharing at AAIM 2016.  If you haven't attended an AAIM Conference, you are missing out. The annual AAIM conference is one of the best professional development opportunities in the state of Arkansas and such a great way to collaborate, learn and build connections.  This year I presented three sessions including Basic Google Forms, Advance Google Forms and 2016 YA Must Reads.  We had some awesome keynote speakers, and the conference committee and chair did a wonderful job.  I'm already looking forward to next year!  

Presenting the YA Lit session

Had a great time with my library peeps!

Welcome!  I'm looking forward to sharing about books, technology, and library happenings in this space.  Please feel free to comment.