Monday, August 31, 2009

Gym Candy by Carl Deuker


How far would you be willing to go to get what you want? For Mick Johnson, the son of an infamous high school, then college, and finally NFL football player, he's got huge shoes to fill. But can he do it himself or does he need the help of some gym candy? And what about the consequences that come with that kind of "candy"? For Mick, winning isn't everything, it's the only thing. But is it really?

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Antsy Does Time by Neal Shusterman

What lengths would you go to in order to get a little attention from your family? What would you be willing to do to help a friend in need? For Anthony, a.k.a. Antsy, Bonano he knows a friend in need of help when he sees one, so he sarcastically offers to give his friend a month of his life. And what starts out as a joke gets crazily out of control... quickly!

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Organ donation to the extreme!

UNWIND by Neal Shusterman - In the not-too-distant future, a person's life is precious from conception until the age of 13, when parents who aren't happy with the way their child has evolved, can have them "unwound", where body parts are harvested and given to the highest bidder. You see this satisfies both the pro-lifers and the pro-choicers because technically no one ever dies. Their body parts continue to live on in other peoples' bodies. 16-year-old Connor decides to take matters into his own hands and run away from the "harvesting camp" before he can become one of the "unwinds". Along the way he discovers an underground world of unwinds where there is a whole new set of rules he must abide by or risk the same fate.
If you like that one here is another look at the topic...
THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX by Mary E. Pearson - What would you do to save the life of someone you love? How many organ transplants can one person receive and still be the same person? What percentage of a person's body should remain in order to still be considered human? Does everyone hear voices of dead people? What really happened the night her two best friends died? Why can't she remember that night? These are all questions Jenna Fox asks herself after she wakes up from an 18-month-long "nap".

Found: The Missing, Book 1 by Margaret Peterson Haddix



What happens when a plane suddenly appears out of nowhere carrying nothing but 36 babies? There was no sign of the plane on the airport's radar, there was no flight crew on the plane. The plane was seen by only a handful of people and those people have mysteriously disappeared. Flash foward 13 years to a couple of boys playing basketball in the driveway. One of them receives a creepy letter that leads to a bizarre turn of events and perhaps a little bit of time travel.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

The Possibilities of Sainthood by Donna Freitas



15-year-old Antonia has two wishes: 1)to be named the first ever living saint to be named by the Pope and 2)to be movie-star kissed by the tall, dark, and handsome Andy Rotellini. While constantly petitioning an assortment of saints to intercede on her behalf in whatever matter presents itself, she is always on the lookout for an idea to propose to the Vatican that will help her become the first ever living saint. But first, that kiss... and why does that goofy Michael, with his oh-so-fake Irish accent, keep hanging around?

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins


Every year in a future place called Panem (what used to be known as North America), 24 kids between the ages of 12 and 18 are randomly chosen to be sent to the Hunger Games that are televised for all of Panem to watch. Only one can win. The winner is the only one to emerge out of the arena still alive. 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen has been surviving using her wits and hunting skills for the last several years, but she has never been put in a situation where she has to kill or be killed.