Somebody on this Bus is Going to be Famous by J. B. Cheaney

If you ride a bus, you know that each kid has his own story and dreams. Some live in the subdivision, others down the road. Life on it is ruled by the bus driver who is either nice or evil. On this bus, she leaves the students a mystery -- why does she makes a stop at the end of a road where no one is waiting? That is not the only mystery. Doing a report, Miranda learns about a mystery involving the class of 1985, which is the grad class of some of their parents, but NO ONE WANTS to talk about. The only thing about these mysteries is that they will affect everyone's future, either positively or negatively. It takes a tragedy to finally be able to solve both. Are you just like one of the kids? To find that out and see who and how they become famous, read the book.

The Cheshire Chees Cat :ADickens of a Tale by Carmen Agra Deedy and Randall Wright

From the writer that brought us The Library Dragon, a twisted tale of a friendship between a cat, a mouse, and a missing little girl. Shilley is an alley cat with a problem and needs to find a home. He thinks the answer to his prayers will be becoming the house cat for "Ye Old Cheshire Cheese" pub. He does this by making a deal with the mice that helps both, but Charles Dickens himself can see something is up with that cat and those mice. The pub has the reputation of having the best cheese in the whole of England. When Shilley finds a missing tower raven, the plot thickens. But when the cook's helper brings in another cat to get rid of the mice, Shilley may lose it all -- his home, his best friend, the raven, and his secret. If you like a fast paced, funny story with lots of twists and turns, enjoy. You will not believe the ending when Pip the mouse helps out one of the greatest writers ever to write one of his most famous lines.

How the Beatles Changed the World by Martin W. Sandler

Did you know that the Beatles ready did change the world in more ways than you think a simple rock band could? Music, yes, but fashions, movies, and religion also??? If you want proof of this, read it here. Were they really responsible for the fall of the Soviet Union and the eastern bloc? There was never a band like the Beatles before them and probably never will be again. But what was the cost of all that fame and success? Would you want to go back in time and trade places with them? Really?? Just read about the wild ride and all the hard work that 4 guys from working class Liverpool had and did. You will never listen to another Beatles song the same way from when they were a group or the songs that Paul, John, George, and Ringo did after. I promise you that.

It has been 6 years now and how to find the best books on this

It is hard to believe it has come to this since. This book blog is only 6 years old. My goal was to keep this blog to just the great books I know any student (or adult) will be able to find one to love.  It was NOT created to be one of those blogs that had too many books on it for students to find useful. That is why after putting a book, or two or four, on every month or just not adding them in July, I will be going bimonthly from now. Since everyone that knows the Evil Mutant Librarian will tell you that I am odd duck, I will be doing the blog on even months.

 I hope to added the books that I just had to tell you about because they are so good I couldn't stop myself. Some will be older, those who have patiently waited their turn to shine. Some will be new and were so wonderful they had to jump ahead of those waiting.  While there are lots of great, wonderful, and must-be- read books out there, I try to only pick those that might mean something to that special reader who really needs to find that book - the one that will change a life. Just remember when you click on the labels that help you find the type you want, to scroll down to the bottom of the list and work your way up. The books may be older, but these were the one that just had to be added first because students made me buy extra copies to meet the demand.

Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Lanesha lives with her Mama Ya-Ya, the midwife who delivered her and kept her after her mother died at her birth. Mama Ya-Ya is old and tries her best to raise her with very little money but lots of love. School is where she feels out of place with a few friends.  Smart and curious in a place where big dreams are not the norm, she finds encouragement from a teacher who believes in her. She is looking forward to her birthday, but there is a storm brewing in the Gulf that Mama's dreams keep telling her will be the end of their world. It is up to Lanesha to get ready and as others leave, she and Mama do not. It is only after Katrina hits that Mama understands what her dreams mean. They are in big trouble and it will take everything Lanesha can think of to save herself, the dog in her care, and one of her friends. But it will take the love of a mother who has always been there when the flood forces Lanesha to do things she didn't think she could do.  Which mother is it, the one who raised her or the one she knew that never really left her? Does a mother's love really ever die?

The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell

Reveta has seen a lot in her 13 years, which has helped her to become a bright and strong person. She will need to be both when living in the  kingdom of Sylvania with her soldier father who has finally retrieved her from the safe place her mom left her when she died.  She is pulled into a mystery that has to be solved - where do the 12 princesses go at night and how do they get out of the locked place that their father the king has them every night? When a friend is hurt trying to solve this, Reveta knows she has to solve it or else. What she didn't know is that she will have to make a choice that no mortal should have to make. When she makes it, she is drawn into another mystery that has even more at stake. If you love fairy tales, myths, and plot twists, you will love this book. Would you have made the same choice or do you have the courage to live with your choices?

Lincoln's Grave Robbers by Steve Sheinkin

How does someone go from being a counterfeiter of money to being a grave robber? Maybe it involves being desperate or could it be stupidity? Big Jim Kennally thinks stealing Lincoln's body will solve all his problems, but he is in over his head and doesn't know it. The head of Chicago Secret Service has his sources so he is out to stop it. When both men's plans don't go as planned, it makes an interesting twisted tale that would be a great fiction book if it was not in the real history books. If you are ever interested in how counterfeiting is really done or the crazy method they come up with to keep Lincoln's body safe, you will enjoy this. Or maybe you just want to find out what a bone orchard is or why you might not want to be left there on a dark night.

Up Close: Frank Lloyd Wright by Jan Adkins

If he was alive today, talk show hosts would be fighting to get him to talk. The press would have a field day about his private life, but this man changed American architecture and he didn't even have a college education. His buildings were so wanted by people that he could get away with not listening to his clients and even staying in budget. The home you live in may have been different if not for his ideas. Look up Fallingwater  or the Guggenheim Museum or the Robie House or any other of his masterpieces online to see why. Maybe this is why he could be such a cad and still be designing buildings 65 years after he started.

Aviary Wonders Inc. by Kate Samworth

This is for all of you who miss picture books. Set in the future, a future that we hope doesn't happen when birds have all but disappeared. It isn't just a catalog, it is also an instructional manual that started renewing the world's bird supplies since 2031. Founded by Alfred Wallis, who must have wanted this ancestors to roll in their graves - you will have to read it to see why. You can page through and choose the parts to make real birds or make up your own.  The only rule is that these birds cannot be caged. Would you be able to teach your bird to fly or sing? Just be careful, or you may end up with a problem that only Alfred can solve.

Nobody's Secret by Michaela MacColl

Emily's life is full of limits. Limited by the social practices and expectations of women in the 1840s. Limited by her mother's health and her mother's worries about hers. Limited by the fact that everyone in her small village knows her family, the Dickersons. So when she is out in the fields, she meets a young man who refuses to tell her his name so she calls him Mr. Nobody. She sees him in town. The next time she sees him, he is dead in her family pond. Because she is not the only one who doesn't know his name, he is laid out in the church basement to see if anyone knows who he is. Emily makes it her quest to find out who killed him. As she tries to follow the clues, she has to keep all the adults in the dark about her doings, especially her mother. As the clues lead closer and closer to the killer, the danger grows. Whoever did it has killed once and will kill again to keep from getting caught. Will Emily really risk her life and maybe the lives of her family to just bring Mr. Nobody's killer to justice? If she does, will she finally learn his name? Maybe you should not wish that your life is too boring just like Emily did. You might not like the excitement that may come your way.