Off the Shelf - Blog

The misery of bullies.

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:00:00 +0000

We've all known bullies and felt the pain of their attacks. But, have we ever considered the pain in their lives? Butterball is thirteen, overweight and feels so ostracized in school that he eats his lunch of vending machine cheese crackers in the bathroom stall. How did things get so bad? Why did he hit his former friend Maurice on the playground with a sock full of batteries? Playground: The Mostly True Story of a Former Bully by 50 Cent is inspired by the hip hop star's own adolescence. You'll find yourself groaning at Butterball's bad choices, laughing at his acerbic comments and cheering him on as he begins to believe in himself. Read this book to see the humanity behind a bully and feel hope for all kids in trouble.

HOPE . . . . IS HERE

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:45:00 +0000

Maybe I am picky but the voice on an audio book must be just right for me to listen. If it's not I go back to the hard copy. But the voice on this audio book Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer is just right!

Sixteen year old Hope has moved plenty from restaurant to restaurant with her Aunt Addie. She learns what makes a good waitress serving up comfort food cooked by her aunt. Just like Hope I was once a waitress and yes you do learn a lot about people while serving them food. It is from this viewpoint you learn about Hope who, by the way, chose her own name and had it changed legally. Well you can not blame her after you read what name her mother gave her! She has seen her mother exactly three times since she was born. And each time she gave Hope tips on how to be a good waitress. Every time they move it is difficult but before she leaves she writes somewhere in the café "Hope was here". And hope is a constant theme in this story. Told with humor and warmth this story is a winner.
This audio is recommended for ages 10 and up, so take it on your next vacation listen or read - your choice.

bEcKy

A sci-fi Cinderella

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:39:00 +0000

When I first heard about Cinder by Marissa Meyer, I thought it was just a Cinderella story with cyborg elements. It is so much more that. Meyer takes the elements of Cinderella, like the prince, and the ball, and the cruel step-family and weaves them into a much bigger story. There is a new evil Queen, the ruler of the Lunar colony. She has some mysterious powers, she may or may not be responsible for a plague that is decimating Earth, and she wants the Prince's throne. Cinder gets involved because she is an excellent mechanic. Little do people realize it's because she is part cyborg. Anyway, the Prince needs a droid fixed. He says it's for sentimental value, but it's really because she was spying for him. This all makes for a very cool, science fiction style Cinderella that is well worth reading.

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