The Story of a Seagull and the Cat who Taught Her to Fly, by Luis Sepulveda

A dying mother's last act was asking a cat to watch over her egg, not to eat the baby and finally to teach it to fly. Most cats would say yes and then when the mother was gone, eat the bird, but Zobra is a honorable cat. How does a cat teach a bird to fly? This case involves a set of encyclopedias among other things including keeping his friends from eating the bird while all try to make a dying mother's wish come true. Can two different beings really learn to love each other? If they can, maybe we all can too.

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass

Jeremy likes his world his way and small. When he gets a 13th birthday present from his late father, he has to go out into the larger world if he wants to open the mysterious box that needs 4 keys. He has to find the special keys that fit and with his friend Lizzy, the search is on. Inside the box is his father's answer to the question what is the meaning of life. How much trouble can you get in during this search and what causes the police to be called is only part of the problems that happen to Jeremy and Lizzie. What would you do to find out what your late father wanted you to know? I had to get 3 copies to keep up with demand for this book.

The Mailbox by Audrey Shafer

Gabe is 12 and has finally found a home with his Uncle Vernon, who is a gruff loner that takes in Gabe because he is family and that is what family does. After Gabe's first day in 6th grade, he comes home to find his uncle dead. Not knowing what to do and not wanting to go back into foster care, he goes to school the next day. When he returns, his uncle's body is gone and there is a note in the mailbox. Whoever took the body and is sending the notes, helps Gabe live alone, but how long can Gabe keep the nosey adults at bay? What happens when Gabe is found out? Flash backs tell how both Gabe and his Uncle change each other for the better. I can't keep this one in once the students at my junior high finds out about it.

Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor

Addie's life has never been easy. Her real dad died and her mom's behavior is not like most parents. When her mom and step-dad gets a divorce, she wants to live with him and her younger half- siblings, but goes to live with her mom. It is hard to be the only adult when you are 12. There will be a time in your life when you must answer this question: do try to save your parent or do you have to save yourself. For all those who have a hard home life, you will find hope in this story. For those who don't, you will love how Addie finds family is the strangest places.

Theodore Roosevlet and the Rise of Modern America by Albert Marrin

The youngest man to ever be president, he was the last person many Republicans wanted to be president that is why he was put in the job of vice president to kill his political career. But when Mckinley was fell by an assassin's bullet, he became president. Larger than life, he used his new job to change the way many Americans lived, worked, and even vacationed. From a sickly childhood, to the wild west time, and travels all over the world, he didn't let anything or anyone stand in his way. If you have half the life, he had and even enjoy it half as much, you will die happy. Just don't try some of the things at school and you will be fine.

Weird Michigan, Weird Ohio, Weird Indiana

If you like short stories about weird, interesting, and may be scary people, place, or things, this is the series for you. I have been to, lived near, or have seen something in every book. In Weird Ohio, I have even met a person who use to drive the most famous dead guy in Sabina around when he was in college. (I went to the same college years afterward.) If you don't like one story, just go to the next and I know you will find something you will enjoy.

Inside Monster Garage by Ken Vose

When some of my students told me that they didn't know we had this book, I knew I had to add this to the blog. While the show has gone off the air, it might come back with new episodes or even in reruns. This is a behind the scene look at many of the great episodes. Loaded with pictures and Jesse wisdom, it is a fan's dream. I always wanted Jesse to build a book mobile for teenagers out a a "beverage" truck, but never got the nerve to email the suggestion. If you are reading this Jesse, if you build it , they will come and check books out of it. I know they will if you let me stock with what they want to read.

Purple Death; The Mysterious Flu of 1918 by David Getz

You need to remember that modern medicine has come a long way since 1918 and this was the last of the true great epidemics that hit the world. Growing up my late grandmother told me of this flu, but none of the history books had anything about it. Everyone wanted to forget about it, but the medical community worried about what if it returns. If you want to understand why the adults seem be going off the deep end these days, just read this book.

Driver's Ed by Caroline B. Cooney

What teenager doesn't look forward to getting his/her driver's license? Remy loved to drive and can't wait to get hers. Morgan wanted his as long as he can remember. Both meet when they take the driver's ed class. But when a group goes out to take (steal) a few road signs for fun, life changes for everyone. What was a night of fun turns into tragedy that changes the lives of both the innocent and the guilty with choices to be made that will ruin some lives or set in motion the healing that is needed for other.

Curses, INC. and Other Stories by Vivian Vande Velde

While some of the stories are better than others, those at are great make up for the rest. Stories range from a boy who tries a new website "Curses, INC." to get back at a girl but doesn't quite works out as he plans, to a man who learns what his cat and dog are really thinking (I learned to never turn my dead back to my cats), to letting the dead stay dead. If you don't like one, just go to the next.

A Drowned Maiden's Hair; a Meldodrama by Laura Amy Schlitz

I had to buy 2 extra copies of this book to meet the demand once the word got out about this book. By a Newbery Award winning author, it is a story of Maude Flynn, her need to find the love of a family, the spiritualists movement in the late 1800's and a mother's love of her dead child. What would you do to get someone to love you and what would you do for someone you love? Does the ghost really guide everyone to so called happy ending?

The Ghost Squad Flies the Concorde by E. W. Hildick

While this cover is different from the hardback books in most libraries, it does show the members of ghost squad, which unlike today's TV show are ghosts not ghost hunters. In this book, they have to work together to save Danny's living family from being killed. Using the computer that put Gomez on the ghost squad to communicate to the 2 living members, they must find a way to stop the man who will stop at nothing to get the money earned by Danny's death. But they must also watch out for the one thing that can kill a ghost while they are trying to put an end to this evil plot. While this series is over 20 years old, any publisher reading this blog should try to bring it back into print so my readers can enjoy the whole series.

So you want to be a wizard by Diane Duane

For those of you who loved A Wrinkle in Time and can't find anything like it, this is for you. Two outcast find copies of the a book called So you Want to Be a Wizard and learn they can be. Thinking magic would be a way to get back at those who bully them, they quickly learn that if you try, bad things could happen. With a little guidance from older wizards, they set out to correct their mistake. They have to or our world will be changed forever. You will never look at a car the same way again. I made the mistake of starting this about 8:00 p.m. and didn't get to bed until I finished it. Don't let the number of pages get to you, every page is need to tell this adventure story. First book of a series that seem to get added to every few years.

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede

First book of a series, a princess wants more than just marry a handsome prince and living a boring life in a castle. When her parents tire of her trying to learn sword play, cooking, and magic, they try to marry her off to a prince. When she runs into a garden and yells, "I would rather be eaten by a dragon", a talking frog tells her that could be arranged. Listening to frog, she runs away to the dragons. If you know your fairy tales and legends, you will get the "inside jokes" , but don't worry many other joke are included for those who don't. Everyone I have given this to loved it and read the other 3 books. My step daughter read all 4 while riding up north in Michigan and back so she wouldn't have to talk to me.

When the Tripods Came by John Christopher

Presequel to my favorite book in sixth grade, The White Mountains, this will scare any of you that can't get enough of Sponge Bob or other mind numbing cartoons. Aliens are trying to invade the earth. Of course the world's military blew them up, so they have to try another way. This was written to show the doubters who read The White Mountains (which is set many years after the tripods take over the earth) that what we thought was science fiction could really happen. Lots of action and main characters running across Europe to get to safety, but not everyone makes it. Can be read before or after The White Mountains. The 2 sequels of The White Mountains must be read after it in order.

The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

While the beginning is confusing, the story will pull you in and will not let you go. Written years before Harry Potter, this is a story of an 11 year old boy learning he is not "human" and must find 6 signs to keep the dark from rising and freezing the earth. Time and space is crossed in the search for the signs. Half of the Potter fans come back to me to say I am right. This is better than Harry Potter. It is the second book in the series, but you don't have to read the first. If you loved this, you have 4 others in the series. It was to be made into a movie, but I haven't seen anything about the release. Newbery Honor book.

Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck

EML two greatest loves have always been libraries and race cars. Only Richard Peck could bring the two together in turn of the century Indiana. Pee Wee's world is turned up side down when 4 young librarians come to town in search of the job of replacing the dead librarian (who was found under the card catalog). If you think one crazy librarian is bad enough, 4 can really cause an uproar. Pee Wee's brother is building a race car that gets mixed up with those librarians and on race day, it will be Pee Wee that learns the most. If you have read any other of Peck books, you will want to try this one. Aimed more at girls than other books by Peck, it still can be enjoyed by boys who likes a little craziness.

The Teacher's Funeral; A Comedy in Three Parts by Richard Peck

With a title like this, only those teachers who don't think like students will hate this book. Set in rural Indiana in 1904, the only teacher at school dies in August. Like that answer to Russell's prayers, school can't open unless they can find a teacher on short notice. When a new teacher is found, she is Russell's worst nightmare. She is tough and you would not believe how she got the pointer she uses in the school. Even EML would not have reached in there. Russell tries everything to get ride of her but will snakes really work? Maybe the rich guy in one of those new automobiles who takes a fancy to the new teacher will work. If you want to really enjoy this book, let your teacher see you read it and smile sweetly.

A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

One of the few times that the sequel is better than the first book. Sequel to A Long Way from Chicago can be read alone. The Great Depression had forced Mary Alice to move in with her grandmother since her parents have no money. Granny in the summer is just a warm up for rest of the year. From getting even with those who tip outhouses to a snake mixed with an out-of-town artist, you never know what grandma will do next. But you never know that going somewhere you think will ruin your life brings you to a place that you meet a person that will change your life. Quick read for those who need one.

A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck

I rarely can read more than 1 or 2 books by an author, but Richard Peck is a must read. If you think you have a weird grandma, just meet Joey's. Joey lives in Chicago during the Al Capone days but sees his 1st dead body in his grandma's living room. Each summer brings a new adventure for Joey and his sister Mary Alice. Summer with grandma is never dull especially when she thinks not all laws apply to her. This runner-up for the Newbery is a fun read even if you don't really like historical fiction.

Why and how books will change your life and I bet my life everyday on this

Everyone who has personal contact with EML knows that I believe that everyone has one or two books that will change your life. I have had two in my life that was there when I needed something that will give me the anchor I needed at a time of my life when I didn't know where to turn. Both times I was not looking for an anchor or even knew I needed one. I just read a book that was either required or just looked interesting. But once I read it, it applied to my life and gave me insight to the problems I was having. In one case, I didn't even know I had the problem and when it was discovered, I thought about what I had read the year before and how it now helped me understand the problem. What I got from those books was life changing because I learned life lessons without having to go through the pain.

Some books just make you feel good. They make you feel safe when the world doesn't. You will relate to a character, sometimes not even a human character, and learn that you will make it through because that character did. Books can take your mind away from the real world and let you control how you use them. If you want to keep rereading a few pages, you don't have to keep reloading or waiting for a page to load.

You may be 5 or 95 when you find your first. You may only have one book or you may have a dozen. The only way you can find them is to read. The more books you read the better your chances to find that special book that will change your life.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is my nephew's favorite author and now I see why. This 2009 Newbery winner lets the reader know that sometimes it is the humans that must be feared, not the so called monsters. Nobody Owens loses his first family to a murder and now lives in a graveyard. It does take a graveyard to raise a Nobody. A vampire, a werewolf, a witch, and too many ghosts to keep straight will keep you guessing who is who while enjoying the ride. If you like this book, you will have to go to the public library to get the rest of his books since they are aimed at the post YA audience.

Alcatraz verus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson

Alcatraz Versus The Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson was a great read. I made the following wordle about it. I feel kinda bad about letting you know about this book since it will put you in danger from my buddies, but it is a risk you will have to take. The book is worth our lives. Just image finding out everything you thought you knew about the world is wrong and have to out smart a bunch of evil librarians that would kill to keep the "correct" knowledge from the people they rule. That means you, dear reader. There are 3 sequels before we got to the author.

Why I am doing this?

Some of you think if it is on the computer, it must be better. So I am now going to start putting my book talks on this blog so you will maybe read the books I talk about when I see you in the library. If you can't remember the title I talked about a few months ago, you would be able to find it here. (At least if I can get it on here in a timely matter.) If you have read the book and want to add a comment about you can.