Trapped in an Elevator

On Thursday I talked to the the 9A class about the idea of writing a narrative with an "elevator" setting. We discussed the idea that the main complication could be that it gets stuck between floors. Then we thought about a variety of characters that could be stuck in the elevator.

1. What if a murderer were one of the characters? Better yet, what if a man and girl were trapped together and she notices he has blood on his hands. The girl gets very nervous and her imagination takes over. Later, the man gets off the elevator and picks up two big cans of red paint - he's a painter! Great twist don't you think?

2. We also thought about the possibility of a boyfriend and girlfriend getting trapped and what could happen with them or the idea that a girl and boy who don't know each other end up on the elevator. The girl has had a secret crush on the boy for some time, but in the end she discovers he isn't that nice and she is no longer interested in him.

3. We also imagined the possibility of a famous person being on the elevator. The other person could be a crazed fan, somebody who doesn't know the famous person, or somebody who doesn't like the famous person. This was similar to the roleplay we did with the characters on an airplane earlier this year.

I mentioned that one of my favourite tv shows of all time is Friends and that there is an episode where Chandler (my favourite character) gets stuck in a bank with a famous model. Chandler is so funny! He feels so awkward and nervous. You have to see this! Click here to go to YouTube and watch the video: Chandler and the Famous Model on YouTube

Can anybody think of other good examples of unusual characters who were forced to spend time together by circumstances?

Even More Books - this time from me!

Well, everyone is in the spirit of giving today so I'm donating three of my favourite hardcovers!

Collins' Hunger Games is incredible and a lot of students are begging for book two. It's here! I bought this one in the Chicago airport in December and it is absolutely stunning. I hope you enjoy it. Hunger Games took #3 in the 2009 Teens' Top Ten List and you can bet Catching Fire will be in the top ten for 2010.

Wake is another amazing book. I reviewed it last year and I still feel some of the content is a bit mature, but it is just too good to keep from the shelves of the SRR. Enjoy everyone! You can read my review HERE. By the way, it's #7 on the Teen's Top Ten for 2009.

With the popularity of Harry Potter and the fact that the new movie will be out in the near future - there will be a demand for HP books again I'm sure. I have fond memories of pre-ordering this book and rushing off to the bookstore to get it and then reading it as I walked out of the shop. Deathly Hollows is beyond awesome. It took #2 on the 2008 Teen's Top Ten list. Yeah, I know, that's stupid. You shouldn't even utter the names Rowling and Meyer in the same breath.

Enjoy girls.

Books Donated by Mary

The following books have been donated by our generous book angel Mary from the USA:

1	Abbott, Firegirl	Firegirl
2	Ahern, Cecelia	Rosie Dunn
3	Anderson, Laurie Halse	Twisted
4	Anderson, Laurie Halse	Speak
5	Anderson, Laurie	Wintergirls
6	Anderson, Laurie	Prom
7	Asher, Jay	Thirteen Reasons Why
8	Beddor, Frank	The Looking Glass Wars
9	Brashares, Ann	Girls in Pants
10	Brashares, Ann	The Last Summer of You & Me
11	Bray, Libba	A Great and Terrible Beauty
12	Bray, LIbba	Beauty Queens
13	Brooks, Kevin	The Road of The Dead
14	Cabot, Meg	Princess Diaries
15	Cabot, Meg	Princess In The Spotlight
16	Cabot, Meg	Princess In The Spotlight
17	Cabot, Meg	Princess In Love
18	Cabot, Meg	Princess in Waiting
19	Cabot, Meg	Princess in Waiting
20	Cabot, Meg	Princess in Pink
21	Cabot, Meg	Queen of Babble Gets Hitched
22	Cabot, Meg	She Went all the way
23	Cabot, Meg	Nicola and the Viscount
24	Cabot, Meg	The Mediator: Shadowland
25	Cabot, Meg	The Mediator: Ninth Key
26	Cabot, Meg	Haunted (Mediator #5)
27	Cabot, Meg	Twilight (Mediator #6)
28	Canfield, Jack	Chicken soup for the Teenage Soul on Love and Friendship
29	Carter, Ally	Heist Society
30	Carter, Ally	Cross My Heart
31	Carter, Ally	Cross My Heart
32	Carter, Ally	Hope to Spy
33	Cast, P.C.	Marked
34	Cast, P.C.	Betrayed
35	Cast, P. C.	Betrayed
36	Cast, P.C.	Chosen
37	Cast, P.C.	Hunted (House of Night)
38	Cast, P.C.	Untamed
39	Cast, P. C.	Tempted
40	Cast, P.C.	Tempted
41	Clare, Cassandra	City of Bones
42	Clare, Cassandra	City of Bones
43	Clare, Cassandra	City of Ashes
44	Clare, Cassandra	City of Ashes
45	Clare, Cassandra	City of Glass
46	Clare, Cassandra	City of Fallen Angels
47	Clare, Cassandra	Clockwork Angel
48	Davis, Heather	Never Cry werewolf
49	Deary, Terry	The Handbook of Pirates
50	Dessen, Sarah	This Lullaby
51	Dessen, Sarah	The Truth About Forever
52	Dessen, Sarah	This Lullaby
53	Dessen, Sarah	Just Listen
54	Dessen, Sarah	Just LIsten
55	Dessen, Sarah	Someone Like You
56	Dessen, Sarah	Lock and Key
57	Dessen, Sarah	Dreamland
58	Dessen, Sarah	Along for the Ride
59	DiCamillo, Kate	The Magician's Elephant
60	Downham, Jenny	Before I die
61	DuPrau, Jeanne	The City of Ember
62	DuPrau, Jeanne	The People of Sparks
63	DuPrau, Jeanne	The Prophet of Yonwood
64	DuPrau, Jeanne	The Diamond of Darkhold
65	Fisher, Catherine	Incarceron
66	Fitzgerald, Becca	Crescendo
67	Flinn, Alex	Beastly
68	Forman, Gayle	If I Stay
69	Fredericks, Mariah	The true meaning of cleavage
70	Gaiman, Neil	The Graveyardbook
71	Garcia, Kami	Beautiful Darkness
72	Grant, Michael	Hunger (Uncorrected Proof)
73	Grant, Michael	Lies
74	Grant, Michael	Gone
75	Green, John	Looking for Alaska
76	Green, John	Looking for Alaska
77	Green, John	Looking for Alaska
78	Green, John	An Abundance of Katherine
79	Hale, Shannon	River Secrets
80	Hale, Shannon	Emma Burning
81	Hale, Shannon	The Goose Girl
82	Headley, Justina Chen	North of Beautiful
83	Jones, Frewin	The Faerie Path
84	Jones, Frewin	The Lost Queen
85	Kinsella, Sophie	Twenties Girl
86	Kinsella, Sophie	The Undomestic Goddess
87	Kenyon, Sherrilyn	Night Pleasures
88	Lasky, Kathryn	Daughters of the Sea: Hannah
89	Lasky, Kathryn	Blood Secret
90	Lauren, Kate	Fallen
91	Lauren, Kate	Fallen
92	Lauren, Kate	Torment
93	Lowry, Lois	The Giver
94	Lowry, Lois	Gathering Blue
95	Marr, Melissa	Wicked Lovely
96	Marr, Melissa	Ink Exchange
97	Marr, Melissa	Love is Hell
98	McMann, Lisa	Fade
99	McMann, Lisa	Fade
100	McMann, Lisa	Fade
101	Meyer, Stephanie	Twilight
102	Meyer, Stephenie	New Moon
103	Meyer, Stephenie	New Moon
104	Meyer, Stephenie	New Moon
105	Meyer, Stephanie	New Moon
106	Meyer, Stephanie	Eclipse
107	Meyer, Stephenie	Breaking Dawn
108	Meyer, Stephenie	Breaking Dawn
109	Meyer, Stephanie	Breaking Dawn
110	Meyer, Stephenie	Eclipse
111	Meyer, Stephenie	Eclipse
112	Nix, Garth	Sabriel
113	Noel, Alyson	Evermore
114	Paolini, Christopher	Eldest
115	Paolini, Christopher	Brisingr
116	Patterson, James	Saving the World & other Extreme Sports
117	Patterson, James	School's Out Forever
118	Patterson, James	Max
119	Patterson, James	The Final Warning
120	Patterson, James	Angel
121	Pfeffer, Susan	Life as We Knew it
122	Picoult, Jodi	My Sister's Keeper
123	Picoult, Jodi	My Sister's Keeper
124	Picoult, Jodi	The Pact
125	Picoult, Jodi	Plain Truth
126	Picoult, Jodi	Salem Falls
127	Plum, Carol	Whatever Happened to Lani Garver
128	Prose, Francine	After
129	Riordan, Rick	The Lightning Thief
130	Riordan, Rick	The Lightning Thief
131	Riordan, Rick	The Sea of Monsters
132	Riordan, Rick	The Sea of Monsters
133	Riordan, Rick	The Titan's Curse
134	Riordan, Rick	The Titan's Curse
135	Riordan, Rick	The Battle of the Labyrinth
136	Riordan, Rick	The Battle of the Labyrinth
137	Riordan, Rick	The Last Olympian
138	Riordan, Rick	The Last Olympian
139	Riordan, Rick	The Red Pyramid
140	Rowling, J.K.	Harry Potter: And the Sorcerer's Stone
141	Rowling, J.K.	Harry Potter: And the Sorcerer's Stone
142	Rowling, J.K.	Harry Potter: And the Sorcerer's Stone
143	Rowling, J.K.	Harry Potter: And the Sorcerer's Stone
144	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
145	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
146	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
147	Rowling, J.K.	The Chamber of Secrets
148	Rowling, J.K.	The Chamber of Secrets
149	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
150	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
151	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
152	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
153	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
154	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
155	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
156	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
157	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
158	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
159	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
160	Rowling, J. K.	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
161	Shreve, Susan	Blister
162	Shriver, Lionel	We Need to Talk about Kevin
163	Snicket, Lemony	The Eratz Elevator
164	Snicket, Lemony	The Grim Grotto
165	Snicket, Lemony	The Penultimate Peril
166	Snicket, Lemony	The End
167	Snyder, Maria	Storm Glass
168	Snyder, Maria	Sea Glass
169	Snyder, Maria V.	Sea Glass
170	Snyder, Maria V.	Spy Glass
171	Snyder, Maria	Spy Glass
172	Snyder, Maria	Poison Study
173	Snyder, Maria V.	Magic Study
174	Snyder, Maria	Magic Study
175	Snyder, Maria	Fire Study
176	Snyder, Maria	Inside Out
177	Sparks, Nicholas	The Lucky One
178	Sparks, Nicholas	The Lucky One
179	Sparks, Nicholas	A Bend in the Road
180	Sparks, Nicholas	The Guardian
181	Sparks, Nicholas	Message in the bottle
182	Sparks, Nicholas	At First Sight
183	Stiefvater, Mattie	Shiver
184	Stine, R. L.	Dangerous Girls
185	Wells, Rosemary	When No One Was Looking
186	Westerfield, Scott	Specials
187	Westerfield, Scott	Uglies
188	Westerfield, Scott	Pretties
189	Whitman, Emily	Radiant Darkness
190	Stine, R. L.	Monster Blood	Goosebumps
191	Stine, R. L.	A Shocker on Shock Street	Goosebumps
192	Stine, R. L.	Say Cheese and Die - Again	Goosebumps
193	Stine, R. L.	Ghost Camp	Goosebumps
194	Stine, R. L.	The Cuckoo Clock of Doom	Goosebumps
195	Stine, R. L.	Returne of the Mummy	Goosebumps
196	Stine, R.L.	Bad Hare Day	Goosebumps
197	Stine, R.L.	Calling All Creeps	Goosebumps
198	Stine, R.L.	Egg Monsters From Mars	Goosebumps
199	Stine, R.L.	The Curse of Camp Cold Lake	Goosebumps
200	Stine, R. L.	The Girl Who Cried Monster	Goosebumps
201	Stine, R. L.	The Haunted School	Goosebumps
202	Stine, R. L.	Monster Blood IV	Goosebumps
203	Stine, R. L.	Mostly Ghostly	Goosebumps
204	Clamp	Angelic Layer	Manga
205	Clamp	Angelic Layer	Manga
206	Clamp	Magic Knight Rayearth	Manga
207	Clamp	Magic Knight Rayearth	Manga
208	Clamp	Magic Knight Rayearth	Manga
209	Clamp	Magic Knight Rayearth II	Manga
210	Clamp	Magic Knight Rayearth II	Manga
211	Clamp	Magic Knight Rayearth II	Manga
212	Fujishima, Kosuke	Oh My Goddess: Ninja Master	Manga
213	Fujishima, Kosuke	Oh My Goddess: 1-555-Goddess	Manga
214	Fujishima, Kosuke	Oh My Goddess: Love Potion #9	Manga
215	Fujishima, Kosuke	Oh My Goddess: Miss Keiichi	Manga
216	Fujishima, Kosuke	Oh My Goddess: The Queen of Vengeance	Manga
217	Hamazaki, Tatsuya	Hack: Legend of the Twilight	Manga
218	Hamazaki, Tatsuya	Hack: Legend of the Twilight	Manga
219	Hirano, Toshiki	Shaolin Sisters	Manga
220	Hirano, Toshiki	Shaolin Sisters	Manga
221	Katsura, Asuka	Petite Cossette	Manga
222	Katsura, Asuka	Petite Cossette	Manga
223	Patterson, James	Maximum Ride	Manga
224	Riordan, Rick	The Lightning Thief	Manga
225	Ueda, Hajime	FLCL	Manga
226	Ueda, Hajime	FLCL	Manga
227	Manga Enroute:	Sent May 2011	Manga
228	Anzai, Nobuyuki	Flame of Recca	Manga
229	Be-PaPas	Revolutionary Girl: Utena	Manga
230	Clamp	Shirahime-Syo	Manga
231	DeFilippis & Weir	Luna: Amazing Agent	Manga
232	Hajime, Ueda	Q.Ko-Chan The Earth Invader Girl	Manga
233	Hatori, Bisco	Ouran High School: Host Club	Manga
234	Hidaka, Banri	Tears of A Lamb	Manga
235	Ice Kunion	2005 Ice Kunion Sampler	Manga
236	iida, Haruko	Crescent Moon	Manga
237	Koge-Donbo	Kamichama: Karin Chu	Manga
238	Mizushiro, Setona	X-Day	Manga
239	Nanase, Aoi	Angel Dust	Manga
240	Okamoto, Keiko	Corrector Yui: Corrector Initialize	Manga
241	Okuda, Hitchi	No Need for Tenchi (Mother Planet)	Manga
242	Sadamoto, Yoshiyuki	Neon Genesis Evangelion	Manga
243	Saiga, Reiji	Real Bout High School	Manga
244	Saito, Chiho	Utena: Revolutionary Girl	Manga
245	Sugisaki, Yukiru	D. N. Angel	Manga
246	Sugisaki, Yukiru	D. N. Angel	Manga
247	Sugisaki, Yukiru	D. N. Angel	Manga
248	Sugisaki, Yukiru	D. N. Angel	Manga
249	Sugisaki, Yukiru	D. N. Angel	Manga
250	Tomino, Yoshiyuki	Brain Powered	Manga
251	Tomizawa, Hitoshi	Aliennine Emulators	Manga
252	Tokyopop	The rising Stars of Manga	Manga
253	Tokyopop	Power Rangers Ninja Storm	Manga
254	Ueyama, Michiro	Zoids (Chaotic Century)	Manga
255	Yeo-Jin, Jan	Saint Marie	Manga
256	Cooney, Caroline	Twins	Point Horror
257	Ellis, Carol	Camp Fear	Point Horror
258	Ellis, Carol	Silent Witness	Point Horror
259	Ellis, Carol	The Stepdaughter	Point Horror
260	Ellis, Carol	The Window	Point Horror
261	Hoh, Diane	The Train	Point Horror
262	Hoh, Diane	Nightmare Hall: Dark Moon	Point Horror
263	Hoh, Diane	Prom Date	Point Horror
264	Hoh, Diane	The Invitation	Point Horror
265	Hoh, Diane	The Train	Point Horror
266	Hoh, Diane	The Night Walker	Point Horror
267	Hoh, Diane	Last Breath	Point Horror
268	Kilworth, Garry	The Rain Ghost	Point Horror
269	Littke, Lael	Prom Dress	Point Horror
270	Littke, Lael	The Watcher	Point Horror
271	Lowry, Lois	The Giver	Point Horror
272	Nixon, Joan Lowery	A Deadly Game of Magic	Point Horror
273	Smith, Sinclair	The Boy Next Door	Point Horror
274	Smith, Sinclair	The Waitress	Point Horror
275	Stamper, J. B.	Tales for the Midnight Hour	Point Horror
276	Stine. R. L.	The Baby Sitter III	Point Horror
277	Stine, R. L.	The Babysitter IV	Point Horror
278	Stine. R. L.	Beach Party	Point Horror
279	Stine. R. L.	Beach House	Point Horror
280	Stine. R. L.	The Dead Girlfriend	Point Horror
281	Stine. R. L.	Hit and Run	Point Horror
282	Stine. R. L.	Twisted	Point Horror
283	Stine, R. L.	The Overnight	Point Horror
284	Stine, R. L.	The Girlfriend	Point Horror
285	Stine, R. L.	The Boyfriend	Point Horror
286	Stine, R. L.	Let's Party	Point Horror
287	Stine, R. L.	Phone Calls	Point Horror
288	Stine, R. L.	The Babysitter II	Point Horror
289	Stine, R. L.	The Perfect Date	Point Horror
290	Stine, R. L.	The Prom Queen	Point Horror
291	Stine, R. L.	The Snowman	Point Horror
292	Stine, R. L.	Night Terrors	Point Horror
293	Stine, R. L.	I saw you that night	Point Horror
294	Stine, R. L.	The Hitchhiker	Point Horror
295	Stamper, J. B.	More Tales for the Midnight Hour
296	Stamper, J. B.	Tales for the Midnight Hour
297	Stamper, J. B.	Still More Tales For The Midnight Hour
298	Stine, R. L.	All Night Party
299	Stine, R. L.	Cheerleaders: The Second Evil

Another Angel Delivery! Thanks Mary!

We are so lucky to have generous people who send us books. Today, an American friend named Mary has sent us an amazing box of goodies.

Mary was so kind to find us books that are very popular at the SRR. With 800 girls hungry for great books, it is often quite difficult for them to get at the books they want so badly.

This incredible box of books she sent us has a lot of great titles.

First up, she sent us copies of Eclipse, New Moon, and Breaking Dawn. YES! Although we have a copy of these books in the SRR, this series is easily the most popular in the country and we really need another set. I am also happy to announce that Breaking Dawn is a hardcover! YES! You may have to wait for this one though because it is so beautiful I think I want to read it again, just to enjoy the hardcoverness of it all!

If that's not enough, Mary also managed to find us a copy of Betrayed and Marked - the first two books in the popular House of Night series. These books are always out of the SRR and it has been difficult answering all the requests for them. Thanks Mary!

A Great and Terrible Beauty has been another very popular title. It's nice to have a second copy so more girls can enjoy this one!

Scott Westerfeld's Uglies Trilogy has been a huge hit (well, it might have something to do with my constant promotion of it). Many of the 9A girls have read and loved the books and I'm so happy to tell you that Mary found copies of both Uglies and Pretties for us.

There is something here for everyone. We also got a couple of books by Jodi Picoult. We got Salem Falls and My Sister's Keeper (with the new, cool cover). Picoult's books continue to get a lot of attention this year so I'm sure these will be snapped up.

Mary also sent us a beautiful hardcover of Cecelia Ahern's Rose Dunne. Ahern's books jump off the shelves and I'm sure this hardcover will only last minutes before somebody grabs it. This one will probably have four or five readers a month.

Thanks so much Mary! All the books you sent us will be well-loved!

Book Preview: Ghost Hunters

German author Cornelia Funke is very popular. The Thief Lord was such a hit that they made it into a movie. We have a few copies of that book in the SRR and it is often signed out. It also managed to place number 10 on the Teens' Top Ten list in 2003.

The next year, 2004, Funke had another hit with the popular Inkheart book which also managed to place number 5 on the Teens' Top Ten list. BTW, we have a copy of it in the SRR also!

If you enjoy Funke's books, we have a copy of Dragon Rider in the SRR as well.

Ghost Hunters is another series that she wrote in 2006/07. It will make a welcome addition to the SRR, especially for all the Funke fans in the school.

Thanks again to Peta for striking gold again with this little treasure!

Here's the blurb:

Ghoulhunting is a riot, but exams are not, and Tom is taking his Third Ghosthunting Diploma. When he is sent to Bogpool, a misty, muddy village, it seems it’s bog-standard ghostcatching and his diploma is in the bag. But he has entered a dirty trap, and as the village begins sinking into the mud, a beastly Ghost of Death arises, and the ghosthunters must face their gravest test yet! The fourth in a funny series of by bestselling author Cornelia Funke. Get scared silly!

Book Preview: Horror High

Our book angel Peta strikes again! This time it is a couple of books from a Scholastic series called Horror High. Thanks again Peta! These look great!

Here's the blurb on book number one called Toxic Beauty:

It's the stuff of nightmares.
Starting a new school is hard enough, but Bethany has never felt more plain and ordinary. She’d give anything to be popular, beautiful and clever.When a mysterious man offers to make all of Bethany’s wildest dreams come true, she jumps at the chance. But she doesn’t realize that beauty comes with a price…

The fun continues with book number two called Killer Instinct. Here's the blurb:

There's talk around school about a mysterious house where no one ever lives for long. But when Holly and her friends decide to break in for a laugh, they don't expect to find it occupied - and by a vampire.
Suddenly they find themselves trapped in a deadly game. Either they all die or they choose one to stay and be the vampire's for ever. It's their choice...

Once again, thanks Peta for finding us such interesting new reading material. These books are bound to get picked up the minute they are put on the shelves of the SRR!

Book Preview: Burned

Peta picked up another great book from the top of our shopping list and this time it comes in hardcover! Yay! We love hardcovers, don't we girls?

This is book seven of the House of Night series.

1. Marked
2. Betrayed
3. Chosen
4. Untamed
5. Hunted
6. Tempted
7. Burned
8. Awakened (due in January)

Riding the wave of vampire fiction created by Stephanie Meyer, PC and Kristin Cast have created this popular series which keeps getting snapped up. We have extra copies of books 1 and 2 on the way as well!

Here is the Amazon product description for the first book called Marked:

When sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird gets Marked as a fledgling vampire she must join the House of Night school where she will train to become an adult vampire. That is, if she makes it through the Change. But Zoe is no ordinary fledgling. She has been chosen as special by the Goddess Nyx and discovers her amazing new power to conjure the elements: earth, air, fire, water and spirit. When Zoey discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite group, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look within herself to embrace her destiny - with a little help from her new vampire friends. Not suitable for younger readers.

And here is the product description for Burned, book seven:

Amazon Description:

Y'all need to get yourselves together. Here's a newsflash from the only High Priestess you have left at this dang school: Zoey isn't dead. And believe me, I know dead. I've been there, done that and got the fricken tee-shirt. Zoey Redbird is the youngest High Priestess in House of Night history and is the only person ? vamp or fledgling ? that can stop the evil Neferet from raising all kinds of immortal trouble. And she might just have a chance if she wasn't so busy being dead. Well, dead is too strong a word. Stevie Rae knows she can bring her BFF back from her unscheduled va-cay in the Otherworld. But it's going to take a lot more than hoping to bring Zoey back. Stevie Rae will have to give up a few secrets of her own ...

Thanks again to Peta for her amazing generosity in sending us this beautiful hardcover book!!!

Book Preview: Blood Promise

Today we got a beautiful brand new copy of Blood Promise from Peta who ordered it from Book Depository for us. Thanks so much Peta!!!

Many of the girls are reading the Vampire Academy series and loving it. They will be so happy to know we have this one which is book number 4 out of 6 (#6 due in December). Check out the cover! Isn't it awesome?! I like the new design better than the older ones because of the purple lettering and the interesting use of "Vampire Academy" at the top of the cover. Nicely done!

If you haven't heard of the Vampire Academy series, here is a description of the first book -

Amazon Description:

St Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school - hidden away, it's a place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St Vladimir's where the girls must survive a world of forbidden romances, a ruthless social scene and terrifying night time rituals. But most of all, staying alive.

Book preview: Pirates! by Celia Rees

Today we got four books from Canada! Yay! First of all, we got a book called The Gatecrasher by Madeleine Wickham. You may know Madeleine by her pen name "Sophie Kinsella"and you have probably at least heard of her Shopaholic books.

Next up, we have Dedication by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus. If you've read The Nanny Diaries or enjoyed the movie, you may want to read this book as it was written by the same writers.

Next up we have Welcome to My Planet by Shannon Olson. This sounds like another book that you girls will enjoy.


We got Pirates! by Celia Rees which took third place in the Teens' Top Ten books of 2004. I've been trying to get this one for a year.

Amazon Description:

Pirates! is a classy and welcome addition to Celia Rees's successful oeuvre, that of novels with a historical background, such as the phenomenally bestselling Witch Child and Sorceress. Swashbuckling in the tradition of every pirate tale, from Treasure Island to Pirates of the Caribbean, Pirates! is truly gripping from first page to last and never fails to be totally entertaining throughout.

Nancy Kington and Minerva Sharp are two young women from very different backgrounds who, in time, become united in a common, pirating cause. Nancy, the daughter of a successful Bristol ship owner, had her life all planned out. She lived in comfort and hoped to marry her childhood sweetheart William. But disaster strikes and she is aghast to experience her circumstances turning upside down when her father dies. Soon she finds herself shipped out to land they own in the West Indies to marry for the good of the remaining family.

Minerva is part of the staff at her new plantation home and they immediately become friends--despite the delicate nature of their differing positions as merchant's daughter and slave. But Minerva has complications of her own--particularly from an abusive overseer. Nancy is eventually driven to murder him, and together they become fugitives. Joining a pirate ship comes naturally to both of them and a wild, wild life of seafaring and adventure begins.

With detailed research that leaps from every page, Rees's narrative is atmospheric but never heavy. She moves the story along at a jaunty pace, making it impossible for the reader to get bogged down. Rich and exciting, Pirates! is another triumph and unlikely to be bested by another pirate novel for some years to come. -- John McLay

Thanks to our Canadian friends, Erinkate and Veronique for sending the books!

Book Preview: Gone by Michael Grant

I picked this book up at Icklebooks today. I remember reading the review at Steph's blog and I knew I wanted to read it. I even had it on our shopping list.

And when I popped into Icklebooks and saw it just sitting there I thought, "It can't be..."

It was. I remember reading about the premise of this book and thinking, "That's awesome!" Then I read the first chapter and thought, "OMG, this is the best thing since Hunger Games." I can't wait to finish reading this book.

Okay, here's what I've read so far. There are a bunch of teens in their classroom and their teacher just disappears before their eyes. Soon they discover that all the adults have disappeared. In fact, anybody over the age of 15 has vanished. You can imagine the chaos that will follow. The three main characters run off to their houses to discover that their parents aren't anywhere to be found.

OMG. What's going on? What's going to happen next? I love this type of book. I can't wait to read more. I'm thinking: Lord of the Flies. Will the young people in this small town be good little people and take care of one another or are they going to get really evil? I wonder. Will they organize themselves? How will they eat? Imagine all these kids getting into cars and driving around. What would happen in a situation like this where kids have the run of the world and can do anything they want without adult supervision. Imagine the possibilities!

Here is the Amazon Description:
Suddenly there are no adults, no answers. What would you do? In the blink of an eye, the world changes. The adults vanish without a trace, and those left must do all they can to survive. But everyone's idea of survival is different. Some look after themselves, some look after others, and some will do anything for power...Even kill. For Sam and Astrid, it is a race against time as they try to solve the questions that now dominate their lives...What is the mysterious wall that has encircled the town of Perdido Beach and trapped everyone within? Why have some kids developed strange powers? And can they defeat Caine and his gang of bullies before they turn fifteen and disappear too? It isn't until the world collapses around you that you find out what kind of person you really are. This book offers a chilling portrayal of a world with no rules. When life as you know it ends at 15, everything changes.

SRR Bulletin Board

The answer to the question "Who is Peta?" has finally been answered. I put up pictures of some of the books she has donated to us as well as a list (at the bottom of the bulletin board).

Right after I finished putting it all up, the bell rang and students started filing down the stairs. A lot of them stopped to look at the stuff on the board. Some of them pointed at specific covers and seemed to be discussing the books.

Isn't that great?

Books Donated by Peta

To date, Peta has donated a total of 317 books to the SRR!!!

For those of you who read my blog, it is no surprise to you that Peta has been a huge supporter of the SRR. I like to keep an updated list of books she has donated to us so I'm setting up this post (sorry, but it is very long, which is a good thing actually). Look at the list. Have you read any of the books she has sent us?

1. Catcher in the Rye

2. A Series of Unfortunate Events #2

3. Peter Pan in Scarlet Illustrated Edition

4. Tales of Beedle the Bard

5. Know Your Brain

6. The Rough Guide to Books for Teenagers

7. Introducing Shakespeare

8. Rebel Angels

9. The Truth About Forever

10. Twisted

11. Up Close and Personal Miley Cyrus

12. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

13. If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince?

14. Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac

15. Fire Study

16. Magic Study

17. Poison Study

18. Eyes Like Stars

19. Catching Fire (Hunger Games 2)

20. Coraline

21. Guitar Girl

22. Skellig

23. The Fall of Fergal

24. Terry Deary's Terribly True Horror Stories

25. The Story of Tracy Beaker

26. Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror

27. Tales of the Greek Heroes

28. The Lottie Project

29. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

30. Bad Girls

31. Glubbslyme

32. Graceling

33. Much Ado About Nothing

34. The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me

35. Burning Up On Tour with the Jonas Brothers

36. Twilight Movie Companion

37. Crime Scene: The ultimate guide to forensic science

38. Tithe

39. Valiant

40 The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips

41. House of Secrets

42. Elsewhere

43. The Twilight Companion

44. Ironside

45. Clay

46. Where Rainbows End

47. A Place Called Here

48. If You Could See Me Now

49. 13 Little Blue Envelopes

50. Shadow Web

51. The Hunger Games

52. Parasite Positive

53. Stargirl

54. Vampirates of Demons of the Ocean

55. Before I Die

56. Charlie Eggleton's Talking Skull

57. Wings

58. The Garden
59. Marked
60. Betrayed
61. Untamed
62. Hunted
63. The Thief Lord
64. Wicked Lovely
65. A Company of Swans
66. On Writing
67. Everything Beautiful
68. Does My Head Look Big in This
69. Ink Exchange70. The Forest of Hands and Teeth
71. Chosen
72. Evermore
73. Poison by Chris Wooding
74. Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund
75. So You Think You Know Harry Potter
76. Mirror Mirror by Nancy Butcher
77. The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter by David Colbert
78. Prom Nights from Hell by Various including Stephenie Meyer
79. Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen by Dyan Sheldon
80. 1599 A Year in the Life of Shakespeare by James Shapiro
81. The Earth My Butt and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
82. Capt. Hook by Hart Helquist
83. Un Lun Dun by China Mieville
84. Persopolis by Marjane Satrapi
85. Wendy by Karen Wallace
86. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Austen and Grahame-Smith
87. Secret Heart by David Almond
88. Jack Sparrow the Age of Bronze by Rob Kidd
89. Jack Sparrow the Sword of Cortes by Rob Kidd
90. Jack Sparrow Silver by Rob Kidd
91. Jack Sparrow City of Gold by Rob Kidd
92. Troll Trouble Goat Pie by Alan MacDonald
93. Troll Trouble Trolls United by Alan MacDonald
94. Troll Trouble Trolls Go Home by Alan MacDonald
95. Chelsea and Astra by Mary Hooper
96. A Midsummer Night's Dream by Andrew Matthews
97. Stage Struck by Stevie Silver
98. High School Musical 3
99. The Arctic Fox by Mary Ellis
100. Jeremy Strong The Hundred-Mile An-Hour Dog
101. The Pain and the Great One Soupy Saturdays by Judy Blume
102. The Midnight Library Blood and Sand by Nick Shadow
103. Sammy and the Starman by Anne Cassidy
104. The Magic Puppy Star of the Show by Sue Bentley
105. The Knowledge The Gobsmacking Galaxy by Kjartan Poskitt
106. The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman
107. Mary, Bloody Mary by Carolyn Meyer
108. Juby's Rook by Michael Lawrence
109. Beware Princess Elizabeth by Carolyn Meyer
110. The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket
111. I, Coriander by Sally Gardner
112. Peter Pan in Scarlet Illustrated Edition by Geraldine McCaughrean
113. Oh My Goth
114. Best New Manga
115. Manga Shakespeare Hamlet
116. The Silver Sword
117. What a Week to Break Free
118. What a Week to Make it Big
119. Cub in the Cupboard
120. Guinea Pig in the Garage
121. Hamster in the Hamper
122. Vampire Academy (copy 2)
123. Charlotte's Web
124. Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
125. Vampire Academy Shadow Kiss
126. Vampire Academy Frostbite
127. Poison Study (copy 2)
128. Fire Study (copy 2)
129. Fallen
130. Beautiful Creatures
131 - 138 Hannah Montana Set

139 The Tide Knot

140 Gangsta Rap

141 Peeps

142-143 Time Traveller's Wife (two copies)

144 Looking for Alaska

145 13 Reasons Why

146 Tantalize

147 My Sister's Keeper

148 Vegan, Virgin, Valentine

149-159 Roman Mysteries (series of ten)

160 That Summer
161 Blood Promise (Vampire Academy 4)
162 Burned (House of Night 7)
163 Horror High: Toxic Beauty
164 Horror High: Killer Instinct
165 Ghost Hunters and the Mud-Dripping Monster!
166 Dream Master Nightmare
167 Bug Muldoon and the Killer in the Rain
168 James and the Giant Peach
169 Kiss of Death
170 The Courageous Cats Compete
171 Love, Shelley

172 Curse of the Blue Tattoo

173 Endymion Spring

174 Ghost Stories (HC)

175 Speak

176 Usborne Big Book of Puzzle Adventures

177 Ryland's Footsteps

178 Paper Towns

179 The Short Life of Bree Tanner (two copies)

180 Fire

(And 136 other books)

New Bulletin Board Outside SRR

Well this ought to get a few students' attention!

If you read Forest of Arden (like you are doing right now), you already know who Peta is.

Book Preview: Peeps by Scott Westerfeld

What if all your ex-girlfriends were vampires? Yikes!

Another one of the twenty amazing books that Peta sent us this week is Scott Westerfeld's Peeps. A lot of girls have enjoyed the Uglies trilogy so they will probably be interested in this one. Also, if you like vampire types of books, this sounds pretty good.

Westerfeld's book is another one on the Teen's Top Ten list, hitting #5 in 2006 - just after Harry Potter, Twilight, Eldest, and Libba Bray's Rebel Angels - all great and popular books! I've been looking forward to this one for a long time...

Here is the blurb:

Okay, let's clear up some myths about vampires. First of all, you won't see me using the V-word much, in the night watch, we prefer the term Parasite Positives, or Peeps for short.

The main thing to remember is that there's no magic involved. No flying. No transforming into bats or rats either. We're talking about a disease.

After a chance encounter with a mysterious woman one night, Cal Thompson's life is changed forever. He's been infected with an insidious parisite. The good news: he's only a carrier - still sane, without the worst of the symptoms. The bad news: he's infected all his former girlfriends - and now they've turned into what Cal calls peeps. The rest of us call them vampires. And it's Cal's job to hunt them down before they create even more of their kind...

Wow, doesn't that sound incredible? Hehe...you may need to wait for me to read this before it will hit the SRR.

Book Preview: Thirteen Reasons Why

There are thirteen reasons why your friend died. You are one of them.

This is another book sent by Peta this week and it sounds amazing, doesn't it? It's another book with a serious and dramatic edge to it I think, but the premise is very interesting.

Here is what it says on the blurb:

Clay Jensen returns home to find a strange package with his name on it. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker - his classmate and first love - who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

Hannah's voice explains there are thirteen reasons why she killed herself. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why.

All through the night, Clay keeps listening - and what he discovers changes his life .... Forever.

Awesome. I feel a waitlist coming on. Yep, if you want to be the first girl to read this book you'll need to leave a comment in the comment section of this post!

Book Preview: Looking for Alaska

This book is one of the ones Peta sent us this week. Doesn't this sound great? Here is the blurb:

In the dark beside me, she smelled of sweet and sunshine and vanilla, and on that thin-mooned night I could see little more than her silhouette, but even in the dark, I could see her eyes – fierce emeralds. And not just beautiful, but hot too.

When Miles Halter leaves for boarding school, he goes to seek what dying poet Rabelais called the “Great Perhaps”. Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, self-destructive and dead sexy. Alaska pulls Miles into her labyrinth, catapulting him into an unimaginable future…

Vivid, passionate, intensely moving and shocking, this is a stunning debut novel by young American author John Green.

This book was a top ten book on the Teens' Top Ten list of 2005, placing third just behind Dessen's The Truth About Forever.

If you haven't heard of the Teens' Top Ten list, you need to check them out HERE. Every year 8,000 teenagers vote for the best books of the year and we have a lot of them in our collection now. If you read a teens' top ten book, you will probably love it - they are usually really good. You can see which ones we have in the SRR by going HERE.