Afer Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick

Everyone wants to live happily ever after, but what happens when you are diagnosed with cancer and survive? This is the story of Jeffrey and what happens to him After Ever After. He really needs to talk about things with his older brother Steven, but he's left the country to study drums in Africa. Jeffrey really needs to help his best friend Tad, but he's missed a lot of school recently. And he really needs to pass the statewide test so he can graduate from the 8th grade, but first he has to learn how to stop surviving and start living again.

2010 Lone Star Books

Bringing you the best books is my gift to all of you!

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Lia and Cassie are the best of friends. They do everything together, including making a bet to see who can be the skinniest. After an argument causes them to stop speaking for several months, the bet isn't over. In fact, Cassie takes the bet too far. Lia is left cold and alone to remember how Cassie tried to reach out to her. Could Lia have helped her? Can Lia help herself? This is a powerful book with an all too believable cast of characters that will leave readers rooting for Lia and her recovery.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

In the third and final installment of the Hunger Games trilogy, Katniss and Peeta are back to get their ultimate revenge on the Capitol, or is it the other way around? Like the two previous novels, this book grips you from page one, but the ending left me unsatisfied. I won't spoil it for you...

The Hunt for the Seventh by Christina Morton-Shaw

What do you get when you combine six dead children, a horrible rain storm, crazy wind, a creepy grandpa in a motorized wheelchair, and a giant English estate? One terribly frightening ghost story good read, that's what!! 12-year-old Jim and his sister Sally, move to Minerva Hall where their father has recently accepted the position of head gardener. Unfortunately for Jim, his presence conjures up the spirits of previous generations of Minervas who have all met an untimely death. Can Jim prevent another death before it's too late? 

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

17-year-old Terra was born with a large birthmark on the side of her face, also known as a port-wine stain. While enduring stares from strangers and deflecting cruel remarks from her father her entire life, she has become an accomplished artist. But it's a chance encounter with a goth boy that completely changes the course of her life, making her see herself for the first time as who she really is. This is a well-written book about the meaning of friendship, being true to yourself, and standing up for your beliefs.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Is time travel possible? Not if you're 12-year-old Miranda living in New York City in the late 1970's. When she discovers the first of three notes left for her by a mysterious stranger, she has to decide whether to believe everything she sees or follow her intuition and protect those closest to her. Can she save her best friend's life before he is quickly taken from her or will he too leave before it's time?

The Season by Sarah MacLean

In early 19th century London, high society young ladies were presented to eligible bachelors at debutante balls known as the ton. Lady Alexandra Stafford should have been "a catch," but she was smart and not afraid to express her opinions in front of anyone. That kind of boldness scared off many of her suitors which was perfectly fine with her. Marriage was not something she was looking forward to. But when her childhood friend's father mysteriously dies, she finds herself uncovering secrets of espionage, treason, and murder and discovers love along the way.

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

With the death of their father, twins Lia and Alice are now orphans. Much to their surprise they are also now enemies. Left to figure out the meaning behind a centuries-old prophecy pitting twin against twin, can the sisters end the prophecy before someone ends up dead? For those of you interested in the supernatural, this one won't disappoint! The follow-up novel GUARDIAN OF THE GATE is set to be published in August, 2010.

Killer Pizza by Greg Taylor

Teenagers Toby, Annabel, and Strobe think they are going to work for the newest pizza joint in town, Killer Pizza. Little do they know the pizza shop is just a front for an organized monster-fighting gang. The three of them are recruited to join the ranks of the Killer Pizza Monster Combat Officers (MCOs) to help thwart the infestation of guttata in their hometown. This is the perfect book for all of you R.L. Stine fans!! 

The Sweetheart of Prosper County by Jill Alexander

Austin is tired of watching the annual parade from the sidelines (literally) so she hatches a plan to become the Sweetheart of Prosper County by becoming a member of the Future Farmers of America (FFA). Little does she know that FFA members are like a family that will teach her more about herself than just how to raise a prize-winning chicken! As she comes to terms with the loss of her father and gains independence from her mother, she learns how to stop the town bully in his tracks and truly becomes "The Sweetheart of Prosper County".

Donut Days by Lara Zielin

16-year-old Emma wants nothing more than to come out from under her very conservative, very evangelical Christian parents shadow. She sees her chance with the opening of a donut shop in her small Minnesota town where she decides to write the most awe-inspiring newspaper article all about it. In the process of getting the story of her life, she makes a connection between a polluted land sale and the church where her parents are the pastors. Can she expose the corrupt deal without causing her parents to lose their jobs or will her journalism skills earn her the respect and praise she has been wanting?

Girlfriend Material by Melissa Kantor

Sixteen-year-old Kate has big plans for her summer... until her mom announces the two of them are leaving their native Utah and traveling to Cape Cod for the summer! Kate is convinced it's going to be the worst summer of her life, but then she meets cute Adam at the local library of all places. Will she transform herself and finally be considered "girlfriend material" or will she forever be the "funny sidekick"?

Lone Star Books 2010 Video
Click the link above for an excellent review of this year's Lone Star books!

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Looking for a romantic, blood-filled mystery adventure? This is the book for you! In a world where people born with Graces (an uber-developed talent) are identified by their different colored eyes, Lady Katsa has been employed by her corrupt uncle, also the king of the Seven Kingdoms, to use her Grace to kill anyone who crosses him. She secretly forms a Council to  begin to use her Grace in a more positive way, to bring justice to the people of the Seven Kingdoms and along the way meets Prince Po, a mysterious Graceling with skills to match. This is the first book in a series, with a companion book FIRE already out.

The Red Blazer Girls by Michael D. Beil

What do you get when you have a thousand-year-old mystery, a twenty-year-old hidden birthday gift, and a cast of mysterious characters? The Red Blazer Girls, of course! This group of super-sleuth junior high school girls sets out to solve this "puzzling mystery, mystery with puzzles" while taking crazy field trips, drinking expensive coffee, and working complicated math problems. Can they solve the mystery before time is up?

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

11-year-old Calpurnia Virginia Tate lives in rural central Texas at the turn of the 20th century with her family that includes her mother, father, 6 brothers and her eccentric grandfather. While her mother wants nothing more than for Callie Vee (as she is affectionately called) to be domesticated and learn how to be a good wife, Callie wants to follow her grandfather around the brush and look for new species of plants. Can Callie help change the perception of young girls in her small slice of central Texas life?

Pop by Gordon Korman

High-school junior Marcus has moved to a new town (that has the defending state champion football team) in the middle of summer . He knows absolutely no one, but he really wants to make the football team. He goes to the town park and starts throwing the ball around and, in the process, meets a guy who really seems to know football. As the two of them  pass and tackle, Marcus gets better with each "pop". Who is this guy? And why is he helping Marcus when he has a son of his own at home? And why does he act so strange all the time? Even if you aren't a football fan, you'll enjoy a really good story!

All the Broken Pieces by Ann E. Burg

12-year-old Matt is a casualty of war, but not in the usual sense. You see he was airlifted out of Vietnam two years earlier and brought to the United States after his mother realizes she can no longer take care of him. Now that he is in the US living with a new family, he has to figure out a way to fit in and "forget" everything he left behind. Luckily for him, baseball is a universal game allowing "all the broken pieces" to fall where they may.

Bull Rider by Suzanne Morgan Williams

15-year-old Cam O'Mara comes from a family of championship bull riders, but he has absolutely no interest in the family pasttime. Instead, he gets his adrenaline rush from skateboarding with his best friend, Mike. But when his big brother, Ben, is almost killed in Iraq and is left fighting for his life, Cam decides the only way to get Ben to start living again is to show him anything is possible. He starts riding bulls to get closer to his brother and eventually signs up to ride the ugliest, meanest bull in the state. With $15,000 at stake, not to mention the lives of two brothers, will this bull bring the family together again or will tragedy continue to strike the O'Mara family?

Check out Ms. Williams web site.

Texas History students visit the Elementary school...

Mr. Garmons's 7th grade SAIL classes visited with Ms. Washmon and Mrs. Martin's 4th grade classes to share with them some of the memorable events that took place in Texas History. They had 4 different areas where students learned about the Civil War, Native American Indian tribes, Texas leaders, and explorers. Interactive games to review the topics were also played. Check out the cool animoto video to get a better idea of what they did!

Slob by Ellen Potter

Owen Birnbaum is not your average 12-year-old. In fact, he's the fattest kid in his school, but he's also brilliant. Through scavenging building demolition sites, he is able to find enough spare parts to build a television set that he hopes will show him exactly what happened the night his parents were killed. This book is for all of those who have ever been picked on or made fun of for not being "normal". Owen shows us that "normal" is just a state of mind. Slob has been named a 2010-2011 Lone Star book.

The Great Death by John Smelcer

What would you do if everyone you knew and loved died? What would you do if the only other living person was your little sister? What would you do if the two of you were all alone in the middle of Alaska in the heart of winter when temperatures drop below zero for days on end? What would you do if the only signs of life you saw were wild animals competing for the same food as you? What would you do if you witnessed your two beloved dogs being killed while trying to protect you? What would you do if all this happened to you and you were only 12? Join Millie and her younger sister Maura as they search for signs of life after "the white man's disease" wipes out their village in the early 1900's.

Notes From the Dog by Gary Paulsen

This is a quick read that will leave you cheering for 14-year-old Finn as he comes to realize his life and world are better when he lets people in. The summer starts out with him wanting to "turtle up for a while" until he meets his new neighbor, Johanna. Once he discovers she is battling breast cancer, he decides he will take her advice about people. In the process, he learns more about himself than he ever wanted to know. Together with his best friends Matthew and Dylan, they vow to help Johanna in every way they can.