NCS Library Blog

With Love From Your NCS Library!

2012-02-14T09:12:00.000-05:00

Love stories and stories about love of all kinds frequently make some of the most interesting, thrilling, heartwarming, and heartbreaking narratives. So if you're looking for a book or film to help pass away the time over the long weekend, check out our 2012 Valentine's Day resource list--a mixed bag of diverse romances and love stories!

All You Need Is Love--2012 Valentine's Day Love Stories List

Happy Valentine's Day!

Ms.Dickinson's Purple and Gold Pick of the Week: all these things i've done by Gabrielle Zevin

2012-02-08T14:49:00.000-05:00

Chocolate, coffee, forbidden love, and organized crime--the perfect elements for Valentine's Day read! all these things i've done, Gabrielle Zevin's third young adult novel (following her 2007 release, Memoirs of a Teenage Amniesiac), is a dystopian novel set a world very close to our own featuring a highly pragmatic narrator and a story dealing with love of many kinds.

Several decades into the future, caffeine is outlawed and water & paper supplies are limited. New York City is town rife with crime and poverty where museums have been turned into nightclubs and coffee is sold in seedy speakeasies. As the daughter of the city's most notorious crime boss, Anya Balanchine is no stranger to the town's underworld. But with both parents dead from mafiya hits, Anya is more worried about her siblings' safety than her family's weakening monopoly on illegal chocolate imports. Then her loser ex-boyfriend gets poisoned by a couple bars of Balanchine Special Dark chocolate he begged from her and suddenly Anya's plans for staying out of the spotlight are ruined completely. Meanwhile Anya's shifting relationship with the son of the new and ambitious District Attorney definitely isn't making her life any easier.

As I stated, the future portrayed in Zevin's newest novel is much more familiar to readers of 2012 than the more distant worlds portrayed in dystopian novels such as The Hunger Games or Marie Lu's recently released thriller Legend. The lessening of key resources and the outlawing of caffeine are the most obvious differences. However, Anya's life is set apart in ways unrelated to the novel's futuristic setting. Anya has grown up in a world of paranoia, violence, and distrust; her general distrust of others' motives and her tendancy towards self-denial on behalf of the few people she really loves separate her from her peers. Her great pragmatism and moral concern make her a fascinating (if slightly disconcerting); these qualities also make the developing forbidden love story between Anya and the D.A.'s charming and sweet son Win even more sympathetic.

I also greatly enjoyed Anya' s complicated relationships with her immediate family, including her siblings, her dying grandmother, and even her late father and mother. Anya's struggles to distance herself from her family's criminal past and present while also relying on the skills and strength she's gained from such a life are as compelling as the larger mysteries and action. The plot is not obviously action-packed but the novel is full of twists and turns; mystery fans will find a great deal to enjoy in the complexities of the Balanchine crime family and their illicit business.

The combination of a setting both familiar and unfamiliar, starcrossed romance, complex family relationships, and compelling mystery make Gabrielle Zevin's all these things i've done a unique and appealing coming of age story. Grab a mug of coffee or a chocolate bar and check out this intriguing new novel!

Update on Hunger Games Movie Goodies!

2012-02-03T12:10:00.000-05:00

For all our Hunger Games fans eagering awaiting the film's release on March 23, the media machine behind the likely blockbuster has produced two new exciting digital goodies to hold you over. Yesterday, a second theatrical trailer burst onto the Internet to add to the hype. Check it out here at the Entertainment Weekly website!
Are you more excited to see the movie? Or are you worried that some of your favorite pieces of the book are going to be lost on the cutting room floor?

Lionsgate also recently kicked off another fun online bonus feature: the Capitol Couture Tumblr. It's a cool peek at the world the film creators are working to develop based on Suzanne Collins' descriptions.

Also--the library will soon be announcing our very own competition to help pass the last few weeks before the film's premiere at the end of March! Keep your eyes and ears open for updates!

Ms. Dickinson's Purple and Gold Pick of the Week: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

2012-01-27T14:11:00.001-05:00

In some ways it's a little bit strange to read a sundrenched summer road trip story in the middle of a very chilly January. But in other ways, reading Morgan Matson's delightful debut Amy & Roger's Epic Detour was the breath of fresh air I needed over the cold, damp weekend. The best part, of course, is that in Amy & Roger Matson takes the elements of a classic road trip novel and uses them to create a complex and enjoyable story about grief, loss, healing, friendship, family, and romance.

Amy does not want to go on a cross-country road trip this summer. But her mother has decided that they're moving to Connecticut to California. Her twin brother is in North Carolina at camp (AKA rehab) and her mother has already begun her transition to a new life on the East Coast. But Amy and their car are still on the West Coast and now Mom demands that both of them make their way across the country to start the summer in their new home.

What's the problem with this situation? Since her father's sudden death a few months ago, Amy hasn't been able to get behind the wheel of a car without panicking. The solution, it turns out, is nineteen-year-old Roger, the son of an old family friend whom Amy supposedly played with as a kid (although she definitely doesn't remember him being this attractive as a seven year old). Roger also needs to switch coasts for the summer and has agreed to drive the car--and Amy--across the country. It turns out that Roger has plenty of his own emotional baggage and both of them need a chance to take a detour from their lives. Soon a simple drive becomes an unforgettable adventure as Amy discovers that getting lost in between California and Connecticut might be exactly what she needs to find her way back home.

This novel combines several types of stories (including the roadtrip, life after the loss of a loved one, friendship evolving into love, etc) into a lovely debut novel exploring both physical geography of modern middle America and the complicated emotional geography of loss and recovery. Amy, as our narrator, is intelligent, sarcastic, bitter, and a little bit broken and her narration is both sharply observant and emotionally conflicted. Roger remains somewhat mysterious at first but slowly develops into a very sympathetic three-dimensional character; the reader's understanding of Roger shifts as Amy's does, with more and more information revealed through their increasingly close friendship. The diverse quirky cast of supporting characters add another wonderful layer to the narrative and the descriptions of the places Amy and Roger pass through on their trip are full of unique details that bring their beauty and weirdness to life. The relationship between Amy and Roger evolves slowly and realistically and their increasingly strong bond becomes as satisfying for the reader to observe as it is for the characters to experience. The novel also incorporates images from Amy's travel scrapbook and both characters' playlists into the regular textual narrative.

This refreshing roadtrip of a debut novel would be a great fit for fans of quirky musical romances like David Levithan and Rachel Cohn's Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist or stories about finding love after loss, such as Jandy Nelson's The Sky is Everywhere or Sarah Dessen's The Truth About Forever.

Ms. Dickinson's Purple and Gold Pick of the Week: Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories, edited by Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant

2012-01-20T11:35:00.000-05:00

From dirigibles to clockwork automatons, the possibilities contained within steampunk fiction are diverse and increasingly exciting. Steampunk, a subcategory blending science fiction, fantasy, and alternative history, has steadily grown in popularity over that last few decades. Usually steampunk fiction presents a world in which steam power (rather than electricity) and technology such as clockwork machinery and airship dominate an alternative version of a 19th century American or European society. Well known fantasy/sci-fi series that use elements from steampunk fiction include Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy and the more clearly steampunk Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld and the Airborn trilogy by Kenneth Oppel.

The writers included in this thrilling collection of short stories take the ideas behind this emerging subgenre and bend, stretch, and experiment with them to create a wide range of fascinating new interpretations of steampunk fiction. While several of the stories involve the standard steampunk trappings of foggy Victorian London and lighter-than-air ships transporting passengers attired in corsets, full skirts, and top hats through the sky, many others transport the steampunk aesthetic to less familiar settings such as alien planets, post-apocalyptic America, colonial Australia, ancient Rome, and modern Appalachia. The tone and styles are equally diverse and the collection is a delightful mix of tragic, romantic, humourous, and eerie tales that transport the reader to varied and brilliant imagined worlds. The collection includes two stories told in graphic novel format as well, adding another welcome layer of variety.

Including pieces by favorite current authors such as Libba Bray, Cory Doctrow, Garth Nix, Holly Black, and M.T. Anderson, Steampunk: An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories is a perfect pick for any sci-fi, fantasy, and/or steampunk fan during the busy school year!

Ms. Dickinson's Purple and Gold Pick of the Week: Bunheads by Sophie Flack

2012-01-04T14:20:00.002-05:00

As children, we imagine a multitude of future roles and careers for ourselves--frequently many different ones in the course of single day! When I was in early elementary school, I wanted to be a ballerina. It did not make a difference to me that I did not take serious ballet lessons or that I was not very interested in anything that involved serious athletic effort or ability. I briefly took beginner dance classes, wore a pink tutu around the house, and redecorated my bedroom in baby pink with a ballet slipper pattern border (a fact I regretted for the next decade). Although my ballet career never took off, my fascination and love for this form of dance continues. The intense and demanding backstage world of professional ballet has always been especially interesting to me so when I heard buzz about a new novel called Bunheads, I was immediately intrigued.

Hannah Ward is not a ballerina. Ballerinas are the big stars--the soloists in the spotlight. Moreover, the world calls to mind fluffy pink tutus and porcelein figurines the twirl on top of music boxes. 19-year-old Hannah is a dancer in the corps de ballet in the famous Manhattan Ballet and her life is not pink or fluffy. It's hours upon hours of hard physical work in sweaty leotards, practicing until her whole body aches. It's living, breathing, and thinking dance every day. Dancing has been always Hannah's only focus in life. The theatre is her whole world; although she moved to New York at 14 years old to study and dance at the company's academy before moving up into company, she's barely seen any of the city. She's never had time for an outside social life--or a date. When she meet sweet musician and NYU student Jacob, Hannah begins to discover the world beyond the stage. But competition within the company is getting more and more intense and Hannah begins to realize that she's going to have to make a choice between her passion for dance and her longing for a normal, more diverse life.

Bunheads does more that give readers a peek into the very separate world of professional ballet; it paints a complex and realistically conflicted picture of that world from the viewpoint of an involved insider. The author Sophie Flack is recently retired dancer whose own path in the ballet world clearly parallels that of her protagonist. She moved to New York study at the School of American Ballet, eventually joining the New York City Ballet as an apprentice and later a corps de ballet member. She danced with the company for nine years, including both national and international tours. Thanks greatly to Sophie Flack's breadth of experience in this world, the piece manages to portray with equal clarity both the wonder and beauty passionate dancers feel about their choosen art and career and the almost superhuman emotional, physical, and mental pressures dancers work under within a professional company. Flack works to dispell certain myths about ballet dancers (about ubiquity of eating disorders or the belovedness of The Nutcracker) while also acknowledging the harsh truths behind some of them, such as the very real strict body shape and weight requirements in most professional companies and the potential serious medical consequences for dancers who do not maintain healthy eating and exercise habits while trying to meet them.

Hannah is a great narrator, determined and passionate about her career as a dancer but also vulnerable and concerned that her sacrifices may not be leading her to the future she might want as an adult. Her love for and her doubts about her career as a ballet dancer come through in her narration and her coming of age story is one that both dancers and 'pedestrians' (her friends' term for non-dancers) will be able to understand. Although the novel is filled with ballet and dance terminology, it remains completely accessible for non-dancer readers and the descriptions and explanation are integrated well into the action of the plot. In all, Bunheads is an interesting debut novel that will appeal to bunheads and pedestrians alike!

Ms. Dickinson's Purple and Gold Pick of the Week: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

2011-12-16T10:28:00.001-05:00

Every October, the capaill uisce--water horses with a taste for flesh--begin to merge from the sea surrounding the island of Thisby. Every November, the Scorpio Races take place and riders attempt to control their deadly captured mounts long enough to cross the finish line. Some succeed. Others die. The somewhat stoic 19 year old Sean Kendrick is already a four year champion of the races but this year he's competing to earn his beloved capal uisce stallion--and his own freedom-- from his employer, the owner of the horse trading stables on the island. Kate 'Puck' Connolly has never wanted to ride in the races, especially not since her parents were killed by capaill uisce at sea a few years ago. But when her older brother declares his plan to leave Thisby and make his way on the mainland, Puck is desperate to give him a reason to stay with her and their younger brother, keeping what's left of their family together. So Puck enters the Scorpio Races with her trustworthy island pony as her mount, making her both the first female rider and the first to ride an ordinary land horse. But while both Puck and Sean are desperate to survive--and succeed--on race day, these competitors slowly develop a deep connection born of mutual respect and a shared love of the island. However, only one rider can win the Scorpio Races.

When I heard that Maggie Stiefvater's newest novel The Scorpio Races was going to be about dangerous, carnivorous water horses, I was intrigued and excited   When I heard Maggie herself speak about the novel, her inspiration, and the development of the story, I learned that it was about much more that fantastic mythological horses--and I was even more excited.  Fascinated since childhood by the pieces of Irish, Scottish, and Manx mythologies that describe various versions of violent, magical horses dwelling in the ocean, Maggie Stiefvater has been attempting to write this particular story for a long time. She discussed her longtime interest and slight obsession with water horse legends and her multiple attempts to write about them when she visited D.C.'s own Politics and Prose Bookstore to kick off The Scorpio Races' publication in November.  She describes much of this process similarly on this page on her website.  Maggie is a very funny and very eloquent speaker and writer, especially when discussing the writing process and her personal journey of development as a writer. When discussing the development of this particular novel, she noted that the piece never really came together until she realized that she adapt the water horse myth more freely and that this particular story was more about the island of Thisby and the relationship the characters have with the island than it was about the water horses.  And I believe that this very accurate observation describes the real strength of this book; reading The Scorpio Races is an absorbing experience that can transport you into a fully imagined and fully real world that manages to be simultaneously familiar and foreign.

As Maggie discusses on her website, this novel is more about the island than the carnivorous horses (although they're also fully developed creatures). Thisby feels very much like a real place with a clearly developed social structure, religious/spiritual life, and long held traditions, including a fully described traditional dessert. I have always found Maggie Stiefvater's writing to be distinctly atmospheric; her Wolves trilogy wonderfully evokes the small Midwestern town and its landscape and seasons ground that particular supernatural romance in our own recognizable world. The world of Scorpio Races   emerges even more clearly and the island is a character in its own right, equal in both value and complexity to the human characters. By only a few chapters in, I wanted to book the next boat out to Thisby!

However, the human characters, especially our narrators Puck and Sean, are also complex and well-drawn and their relationships with eachother, the island, their horses, and the supporting characters are equally interesting and well-crafted. The novel is generally well paced and the final race itself is as heart-stoppingly exciting as any action scene in The Hunger Games. There are occasional plot holes (supporting characters that appear and slip away, never to be mentioned again) but overall, the novel's otherwise rich characterization and world makes these flaws easy to overlook.

For anyone who likes horse stories, adventure stories, romance, and/or fantasy, The Scorpio Races is a wonderful new read and a perfect book to curl up with on a snowy evening!

Curl Up With A Good Book This Winter Break!

2011-12-13T09:05:00.000-05:00

Wow! Although it feels as if we just barely returned from Thanksgiving Break, our Winter Break is just around the corner! This short but meaningful vacation can be the ideal time for relaxation, especially through reading! As the temperatures drop and the sun sets earlier each evening, curling up on the couch or a favorite chair with a book becomes more and more appealing. So, in hopes that you will find some time to sit back, relax, and enjoy a good book this holiday season, your librarians have pulled together a list of interesting and diverse reading options to give you a head start!

Snowflakes and Hot Cocoa Winter Break Booklist 2011

Have a lovely holiday and a joyful new year!

Can't Remember A Book You Heard About During A Booktalk? No Problem!

2011-12-02T11:04:00.000-05:00

Calling all 7th and 8th graders!

The library has a public service announcement for you!

At the request of several middle schoolers, Ms. Dickinson has put together a list of the books she has brought to 7th and 8th grade class meetings (including cover images and small summaries). After a booktalk visit to class meeting, many middle school students come to the library asking about a book they saw but can't remember the title or author or other details. So now if you remember that a book sounded interesting to you but you can't remember its title (and so you can't find it in our library, another library, or a book store), just take a peek at these handy lists! The lists can be downloaded from the links below; copies of the lists are also posted up on the bulletin board in the main middle school entryway, near the 7th and 8th grade mailboxes. Remember if you want to get on the waiting list for a book, just stop by the library and talk to Ms. Dickinson!

7th Grade List
8th Grade List

Ms. Dickinson's Purple and Gold Pick of the Week: Cleopatra's Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter

2011-11-28T15:48:00.001-05:00

Good historical fiction can be hard to come by. A great piece of historical fiction manages to walk a delicate balancing act, combining a solid, well-researched historical framework and a rich, engrossing story. In good historical novels, the authors manage to transport the reader into another time, place, and culture through accurate historical details and good old-fashioned character development; they must delicately craft a good, readable story out of historical facts, keeping just the right amount of 'history' and 'fiction' to satisfy a diverse group of readers. Since great historical fiction can sometimes be rare, it is especially satisfying when you stumble upon a great new historical novel like Cleopatra's Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter!

Cleopatra Selene has always known exactly whom she was: princess of Egypt, daughter of the brilliant Queen Cleopatra and General Marcus Antonius, and a great queen in the making. Growing up within the palace in the culturally and intellentually diverse city of Alexandria, Cleopatra Selene and her brothers learn multiple languages, chase eachother through the stacks of the great Library, attend special celebrations and dinners, and play Roman and Egyptian games. But then Octavianus, new leader of Rome, decides that he wants Egypt's many riches for his own developing empire and begins a fresh war against Cleopatra Selene's parents and beloved country. Suddenly everything and everyone Cleopatra Selene has ever known and loved is destroyed and she and her young brothers are shipped off to Rome, to live as prisoners in the household of Octavianus, the very man who ruined their family. However, although she's living a disgraced princess in exile, Cleopatra Selene refuses to forget her destiny: she will be queen of Egypt and fulfill her duty to the goddess Isis and to the people of Egypt--no matter what the cost. Living in the heart of enemy territory, Cleopatra Selene must endure heartbreak and confusion as she struggles to choose between romance and power in her quest to live up to (and perhaps beyond) her mother's example.

Cleopatra's Moon fits my personal definition of good historical fiction perfectly; Shecter has seamlessly combined historical facts, cultural details, and good old-fashioned storytelling to create a rich and addictive novel. Using Cleopatra Selene's very aware and distinct voice, Shecter brings to life the varied worlds of ancient Alexandria and Rome, clearly displaying a vast amount of research but never overburdening the plot with dry facts or trivia. The characters, especially the determined and unsinkable Cleopatra Selene, are full developed and incredibly interesting; you might start this novel because of an interest in ancient history or epic drama but you will stick around for the rich characters. The story is a excellent balance of action, romance, and emotional highs and lows that will keep you turning pages. Shecter also provides a helpful character directory at the beginning and a fascinating "Facts Within The Fiction" section that summarizes the historical facts about real situations and people on which she based the novel.

For a fresh new heroine and an exciting tale full of intrigue, tragedy, romance, and triumph, swing by the library and snag our copy of Vicky Avear Shecter's great historical novel, Cleopatra's Moon, now on display in our fiction section!

Ms. Dickinson's Purple and Gold Pick of the Week: The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

2011-11-18T13:32:00.003-05:00

Some of the most popular books in our library here at NCS are exciting fantasy novels with interesting and strong heroines. This specific sub-category of books encompasses several key authors, such as Tamora Pierce (the Tortall sequences and the Magic Circle series), Kristen Cashore (Graceling, Fire), Garth Nix (the Abhorsen trilogy), Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games trilogy), and Robin McKinley (The Blue Sword, The Hero and the Crown). Because novels that fall into this area of fiction are frequently requested by students, I am always looking for new books to recommend fans of these authors. When I read the summary for Rae Carson's debut novel, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, I was interested and hopeful that I had found another book to give to lovers of Tamora Pierce's and Kristen Cashore's adventures. And once I started reading, I was delighted to see that my instincts were right!

Lucero-Elisa de Riqueza is the chosen one--the bearer of the Godstone and marked for special and sacred service. But Elisa is also the younger, less attractive, and more ignored of two princesses. She can't imagine ever doing anything remarkable. Then, on her sixteenth birthday, Elisa becomes the secret wife of a handsome king who is desperate for the political aid and unknown power that Elisa can bring to his tumultuous nation. Now Elisa, who is more comfortable reading religious texts in the library or snacking on pastries in the kitchen, must enter into a new court as her husband's secret ally. The kingdom is on the verge of war and leaders on all sides are very interested in the mystical bearer of the sacred Godstone--including a daring young revolutionary convinced that Elisa can save his people. Soon Elisa has left her sheltered life far behind as she enters into a dangerous adventure full of political intrigue and magical battles. But in order to save a nation and its people, Elisa must learn to understand and use the power deep within herself, risking her life and her heart in process.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns brings us into a rich, new magical world with fully developed cultures and religion. Unlike many other fantasy adventures, this world appears to be physically and culturally inspired by Spanish and Mediterraean societies. Elisa is a wonderful protagonist, whose unique strengths grow and develop visibly as the story enfolds. She is highly intelligent and is a both a skilled military stratagist and a perceptive religious scholar. When the novel begins, she lacks a great deal of self-confidence and has spent much of her life doing very little physical activity and eating when upset or nervous. However, when forced into strenuous physical activity by necessity, Elisa grits her teeth and refuses to give up; as a result, she gains better health, new survival skills, and a more positive attitude towards her body and her abilities.

In The Girl of Fire and Thorns, Carson creates an action-packed story filled with three-dimensional characters and uniquely interesting settings. This novel is definite must-read for fans of Tamora Pierce, Kristin Cashore, and Robin McKinley! Swing by the library to snag our copy in time for Thanksgiving break!

Big News for Hunger Games Fans!

2011-11-15T11:36:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was a highly anticipated and exciting day in the world of young adult literature--mostly for those of us who are rabid fans of Suzanne Collins' intense dystopian trilogy, The Hunger Games series. Early yesterday morning the first true trailer of the upcoming film adaptation of the first book, The Hunger Games, premiered. So just in case you missed it, here it is!

What do you think?

Are you excited? Or worried?

Do District 12 and the Capitol look as you imagined?

Do you think the movie can live up to the book?

Don't forget the US Library has copies of all three books in the series, but they're frequently checked out! So, if you haven't had a chance to start this thrilling series,

hurry in to grab one or get your name on a waiting list asap!

Feast on Some Good Food and Good Books This Thanksgiving!

2011-11-15T09:01:00.000-05:00

For many of us, finding time to read for fun is a nearly impossible feat while school is in session. Between classes, preparation for classes, athletic and artistic activities, and social time with friends, where is the time left to sit down and read something of our choice purely for fun? And at this point in the term, when the stress is really starting to get to everyone, a good book could be a great way to refocus, relax, or escape. Thankfully, this is also the time in the term when we all get a little break! Ideally, Thanksgiving is a time when we get to refuel our bodies, our souls, and our minds. We share good food and conversation with family and friends. We spend time with people we love. And, if we chose, we can sit down and curl up with a new book.

So, as our Thanksgiving gift to all of you, here is your librarians'

Thanksgiving book recommendations list for 2011!

A Banquet of Books for Thanksgiving 2011

Ms. Dickinson's Purple and Gold Pick of the Week: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

2011-10-28T14:54:00.041-04:00

For centuries, poets, novelists, playwrights, and musicians have written about the pain of love. Love hurts. Love can make you lose your mind. Loving people can lead to heartbreak or unbearable sorrow. In the future depicted in Lauren Oliver's latest novel, the dark and scary side of human emotion has been labeled a dangerous disease known as deliria--and it has a cure. No one can put themselves or other people in danger because of love anymore. Now, at around age 18, everyone is processed and gets the procedure which will protect them from catching deliria. Lena Halloway can't wait for her procedure to happen in just a few months on her 18th birthday. Some people get worried about the procedure or try to resist the scientists when the day comes but Lena is excited and anxious to be cured. Lena wants to be safe and happy for the rest of her life--unlike her mother who suffered from an intense case of deliria and killed herself.

Then the worst thing imaginable happens: Lena falls in love. And suddenly she realizes that her whole life has been based on a lie. Now Lena would give almost anything to avoid the quickly approaching procedure. Being safe no longer seems worth losing the ability to truly feel for the first time in her life.

In the mix of emerging dystopian fiction, Delirium has a particularly intriguing premise that helps it stand out from the pack. Lena is an appealing character; her development from eager and nervously obedient citizen to passionate rebel is slow but believable and her initial support and belief for the existing systems helps draw the reader into the world more quickly. Both Lena and her situation reminded me of Cassia in that other romantic dystopian thriller, Matched; both characters begin the stories very firmly invested in the status quo of their worlds and are transformed slowly by exposure to people (in both cases, male love interests specifically) who can show them a different side of the system. Oliver very successfully depicts both the headiness and rush of first love and the sinister and slick action of a controlling state in an addictive novel that is equal parts tragic romance and dystopian thriller. The larger universe could be more strongly developed and Delirium is not the best of the recent dystopian novels published over the last year. However, the novel stands out as an intense and quite lovely exploration of the two-sided sword of human emotion and connection and will appeal to fans of both intense romances like those written by Maggie Stiefvater, Sarah Dessen, or Deb Caletti and dystopian fiction such as Wither, Matched , and the Uglies series.

Check out Delirium by Lauren Oliver, author of Before I Fall,

on display in the US Library's fiction section now!

Ms. Dickinson's Purple and Gold Pick of the Week: Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

2011-10-24T15:42:00.000-04:00

In celebration of Halloween next Monday, we restocked out displays with a variety of spooky, scary, and supernatural books. Vampires have surged in popularity as supernatural creatures/romantic leads of choice in the last few years so it only seemed appropriate for this week's Pick to feature them--however, this particular vampire tale stands out somewhat from the abundance of romances about the tall, dark, and fanged. Jessica Packwood had very simple goals for her senior year of high school in rural Pennsylvannia: do well at her mathlete competitions, practice riding her horse for 4-H, and maybe even get a date with cute and very nice farmer Jake. But suddenly Jessica's simple plans are thrown totally out of whack by the appearance of gorgeous European exchange student Lucius Vladescu. Lucius may be hot but he is also obviously insane: he sweeps into school and informs Jessica that she is in fact a Romanian vampire princess and he is in betrothed vampire prince. As if such craziness weren't enough, her vegan anthropologist parents (who adopted her from Romania as a child) say that he's telling the truth. But Jessica has always depended on logic--and vampires simply aren't logical. By the time she's convinced that her whole family and Lucius haven't lost their minds and that she might in fact be a vampire princess in waiting, it might be too late.

Although I have now read my fair share of vampire-related romances, they have never been my favorite supernatural creatures. However, Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side is not your average love story with bite and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed reading it. While the love-hate, bickering romance between Jessica and Lucius drew me in quickly, the story is not only about their relationship with eachother. Instead, the novel focuses on Jessica's and Lucius's developments of individual adult identities, separate from the past or other peoples' expectations. Plus, the great drama is balanced by a decent dose of humour, which is a nice change from many paranormal romances.

So for a spooky and romantic read with a bit of bite this Halloween weekend, check out Beth Fantaskey's Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, on display in our fiction section along with a bunch of other scary and supernatural books! The sequel, Jessica Rules the Dark Side comes out in January 2012.

Books! Food! Fun!: Teen Read Week 2011 @ NCS Library

2011-10-18T15:40:00.000-04:00

Don't forget to stop by the library this week & check out

our Teen Read Week activities,

celebrating the joys of reading for fun!

There is a book cover makeover contest running all week; your entry gets your name entered in a raffle for a Starbucks giftcard and the display of your redesigned book cover image on campus!

Swing through the library anytime this week to enter your name in our book raffles!

We'll be giving away one copy each of:

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Matched by Ally Condie

We're also running another easy activity with a tasty reward!

Come by the library to pick up one of our Reading is Sweet templates and decorate it with words and/or pictures about what, when, where, or why you read for fun. When you turn your answer back into a librarian, you get a coupon to trade in on

Friday Oct 21 for a baked good made with love by your librarians!

Since the theme for Teen Read Week this year is Picture It @ Your Library, the library book displays are featuring fiction and nonfiction about all kinds of visual arts!

Ms. Dickinson's Purple and Gold Pick of the Week: Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me by Kristen Chandler

2011-10-11T10:25:00.000-04:00

For some reason, wolves seem to be some of the most frequently appearing animals in literature. From Jack London's White Fang and The Call of the Wild to Jean Craighead George's Julie of the Wolves trilogy, wolves are recognizable and powerful characters in many novels. Kristen Chandler's debut novel continues this trend by combining an appealing coming of age story with a very real current issue related to wolves in the United States.

When Yellowstone National Park was first established in 1872 wolves--specifically Northern Rocky Mountain wolves, a subspecies of the gray wolf--were native to the area. More and more humans settled into the area and slowly killed off many of the wolves' original food sources (such as bison) while bringing with them a new potential food source: domesticated livestock. The ranchers and farmers responded simply and swiftly to any livestock killings by wolves: they eliminated the wolves. By the 1930s, there were no more wolves left in Yellowstone. In the late 1980s, a plan was developed to reintroduce wolves to Yellowstone (as well as parts of Idaho and Montana). And the battle began as big game hunters, farmers, and ranchers all vehemently opposed the reintroduction of wolves while wildlife and environmental activists strongly supported the reintroduction. While a compromise was reached and the wolves were brought back into the area, neither side was satisfied and the issues remains a sensitive one today.

Growing up in a tiny ranching town on the edge of Yellowstone National Park, KJ Carson has perfected the art of minding her own business. She is a helpful and obedient daughter to her single father, working at his wildlife/fishing supply store and assisting him as a hunting and fishing guide. She is an unremarkable tomboy, living a generally invisible life at school. KJ is much more comfortable rowing on a lake or navigating through a forest than confronting other people. Then she decides to join up with Virgil Whitman, new kid in town, to create a column in the school newspaper about the town's very hot topic: wolves. As KJ learns more and more about the wolves, she becomes increasingly fascinated by and protective of them. But most of her neighbors and friends do not feel the same. Suddenly KJ finds herself in the center of an intense and dangerous debate and a confusing new relationship with Virgil. Now KJ must decide whether both the wolves and the boy that now mean so much to her are worth the very real risks of standing out from the crowd and standing up for an unpopular opinion.

I was initially drawn into this book by its catchy title but I stayed interested for the enjoyable way that Kristen Chandler combines great characters with overarching themes and specific current topics. KJ is a relatable and unique heroine; her father, Virgil, and Virgil's mother are all equally interesting and attractive characters. I really enjoy watching KJ's relationships with her father, Virgil, and the town as a whole develop and shift as she gains a larger understanding of the world. The wolves themselves are also compelling characters and I felt as invested in their future as I did in KJ's. Overall, Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me lives up to its fun title; it is a great story with humour, romance, action, and (of course) wolves.

To learn a little more about wolves in Yellowstone and the surrounding controversy check out the National Park Service webpage about the topic and a great article on the Yellowstone Insider website.

Ms. Dickinson's Purple and Gold Pick of the Week: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

2011-10-03T12:01:00.000-04:00

There is no denying that dystopian or speculative fiction are very popular areas of writing and publication right now; since the explosion of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins over the last year, fiction set in some potential (and usually frightening) future has been filling the bookshelves at a nearly unprecedented rate. However, since much of this fiction is both thrilling and thought-provoking, I cannot complain!

Wither by debut author Lauren DeStefano may be one of many new entries into this subgenre but it still stands out from the masses of recently published dystopian sagas. The best speculative fiction usually grounds itself in issues and questions of the present day and Wither is no exception. For this novel, the potential devastation of the human race comes from our own attempts to improve the world--in this case through medical and scientific engineering and manipulation of human biology.

About 70 years ago, science at last succeeded in creating perfect children; a generation of babies were born to be nearly indestructable, immune to diseases and with unpredicatably long life spans. However a development that seemed to be a marvel of genetic research has turned out to be the downfall of the humanity. Every generation since that first, miraculous one is stricken with an inexplicable flaw; females die of a mysterious virus at age 20 and male die of the same illness at age 25. Most of the globe has been destroyed by war and the United States has become a nation of desperate people. While scientists work to discover a cure and orphans flood the country, young women are frequently snatched from the streets and sold into polygomous marriages with weathly men in an attempt to prevent the population from dying out.

Sixteen year old Rhine Ellery is unlucky enough to be one of these unwilling brides. Suddenly Rhine finds herself in an unfamiliar world of luxury as one of Linden Ashby's three new wives. Athough she now wear custom designed gowns and never goes hungry, Rhine remains entirely focused on escaping her beautiful prison and finding her way back to her twin brother. Even as she connects with her sister wives and begins to feel pity and affection for their equally imprisoned husband, Rhine never fully allows her determination to waver; she will live her last four years in freedom or die trying.

The premise is intriguing and DeStefano's prose is lovely and evocative; however, the real strength of this novel lies in the characters. Rhine's conflicting emotions and increasing complex relationships with the people surrounding her are the core of the novel. Her changing emotional connections with her husband, her sister wives, and the servant Gabriel are fully fleshed out and delicately developed over the course of the plot. There are no simplistic 'good guys' and 'bad guys'. The most obvious villain is Rhine's father-in-law, a First Generation scientist whose obsession to find a cure that will save Linden before his twenty-fifth birthday has pushed him into very murky ethical territory. However, even he is a three dimensional character whose motives remain sympathetic and understandable even as his actions become more and more terrifying.

For fans of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Matched by Ally Condie, and The Adoration of Jenna Fox, this first book in the Chemical Garden trilogy will be a must read. Wither is a thought-provoking and emotional resonant dystopian novel; if you're looking for a new absorbing, intense, and provocative vision of our possible future, look no further than Lauren DeStefano's Wither!

Interested in NCS Notables, Our Middle School Book Club?

2011-09-30T12:13:00.002-04:00

Do you like to read?

Do you enjoy talking about books with friends?

Do you want to eat snacks and learn creative ways to share books?

YOU might be interested in joining NCS Notables, the Middle School Book Club! We will meet during the Tuesday morning clubs/structured free time period every three weeks to share the books we're reading for fun with each other.

If you want to learn more about NCS Notables, stop by the library Tuesday October 11 at 9:30am for cookies and information!

Ms. Dickinson's Purple and Gold Pick of the Week: Star Crossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce

2011-09-26T10:29:00.000-04:00

Recently, many novels with magical or supernatural elements have been set in some version of our world rather than in very different, completely invented universe. For example, paranormal romances such as Maggie Stiefvater's Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy (Shiver, Linger, and Forever) have magical elements but are grounded in present day America while popular fantasy adventures such as J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series create a magical world existing as a hidden part of the ordinary world. Even most dystopian novels such as The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins or Matched by Ally Condie take place in a potential future of Earth and the United States as we know them. I find these stories exciting and intriguing, frequently because they tie so clearly into our lives now. However, I first fell into love with the fantasy genre through books that fit into a specific type of "high fantasy": stories in which our known world does not exist and instead the author creates an entirely new universe for the novel. Some of my favorites in this subgenre include Tamora Pierce's Tortall books, Sherwood Smith's Crown Duel, and Malinda Lo's Ash and Huntress. So, I was very excited to enter a new magical world with Elizabeth C. Bunce's Star Crossed, an imaginative novel that Tamora Pierce has listed as one of her "Picks for Cool New Books" on her website.

As a thief and spy for hire on the street of the busy city Gerse, Digger knows the rules of survival. When a job goes horribly wrong, Digger is desperate to obey the first two rules to the letter: stay alive and don't get caught. Through street smarts and luck Digger falls in with a group of young nobles leaving the city and so Digger the criminal becomes Celyn Contrare the lady's maid. Along with her new identity, Digger gains new friends and new home with the generous Nemair family. However, the peaceful mountain estate turns out to be full of hidden passages, illegal magic, and high stakes secrets--including Digger's own. Suddenly Digger finds herself breaking her last and most important rule: don't get involved. Now this professional liar must try to handle her most dangerous job yet: deciding where her loyalties truly lie.

Since I greatly enjoyed and admired Bunce's first novel, A Curse As Dark As Gold, I was very excited to read Star Crossed. Bunce brings the same rich character development and elegant plot creation that she displayed in Curse to her second novel. The world of this novel is fully developed and exciting to inhabit as a reader; drawing on diverse aspects of the Western European Renaissance, the fictional world has an established culture and complex political and religious structure that intensifies the drama and the suspense of the story's plot. Digger is a great main character; she is a strong and smart survivor with a complex past and hidden vulnerabilities. Also, as a sneak thief and an outsider, she is a perceptive observer and interesting narrator. However, the supporting characters are also strongly developed and equally complicated, a fact that makes the novel even more enjoyable. The story is exciting and Bunce reveals the intriguing complications slowly, pulling the reader in more and more as the plot enfolds. Occasionally, the complexities of the plot and cast of characters can become a little confusing and, while the novel has plenty of suspense and action, it might feel slow at times to readers who might be used to the more non-stop pace of sci-fi/fantasy adventures like The Hunger Games.

Overall, Star Crossed is well-crafted and enjoyable entrance into a new fantasy universe. I was very pleased to see that the sequel, Liar's Moon, will be published in November; I can't wait to see where Digger's adventures take her next! If you're a fan of rich fantasy adventures such as those written by Tamora Pierce, Sherwood Smith, Malinda Lo, or Shannon Hale, then check out Star Crossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce!

Ms. Dickinson's Purple and Gold Pick of the Week: Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

2011-09-19T09:27:00.000-04:00

Here's one thing you might not know about me yet: I love fairy and folk tale retellings. When I read the inside flap of a new book and notice that it's based on a fairy or folktale, I am immediately interested. Some tales are retold more often than others. For example, Cinderella stories exist in many cultures and provide some of the most frequent fodder for novelists; a few of my favorite titles include Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine and Ash by Malinda Lo. On the other hand, the Norwegian folktale known as "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" is less frequently adapted in novel form. I think that this fact can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. Since readers might be less familiar with this tale, it remains fresh; there are no widespread versions of the story (as there are for tales like Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, or Snow White and the Seven Dwarves--all stories that have been adapted by Disney, for example). But, since it is a more unfamiliar folktale, writers might be able to get away with being less creative in their adaptions. This particular retelling,however, manages to strike a good balance. Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow is a lovely and very enjoyable retelling that both keeps most of the original tale's plot and makes the story feel fresh and new. Jessica Day George also embraces the tale's cultural origins by incorporating Norwegian language and folklore traditions into the novel.
In a land covered by unending winter, there lives a girl without a name. Known only as "the pika" (the girl) or "the lass," she appears to have very little to offer her poor family. As a girl, she cannot earn money and marriage--her primary choice for the future-- will eventually cost her parents the amount of her dowry. However, when a white bear appears at their cottage door, the lass' special gift of speaking with animals gives her a chance to help her family. She agrees to travel with the bear back to his strange castle across the ice and remain with him there for a year. In exchange, the bear promises that her family will receive untold riches. But nothing is what it seems in this land of ice and snow and there is dark magic at work. Suddenly the lass must go on a journey east of the sun and west of the moon to save the man she has only just begun to love.

Even though the main character remains nameless for almost the entire novel, she is sympathetic and interesting. The reader learns a great deal about the lass and her past experiences within the first few chapters and so when she leaves on her strange journey, the readers are happy to follow her. The story moves along quickly with steady action and the mystery is revealed slowly, keeping the reader hooked through the final chapters. The romance is sweet and satisfying and the villains are powerful and frightening. The conclusion feels a little rushed but overall, Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George is fun pick for lovers of fairy and folktale retellings or romantic fantasies. If you enjoy this novel, you also might want to check out Edith Pattou's East, another amazing retelling of East of the Sun and West of the Moon.

Ms. Dickinson's Purple and Gold Pick of the Week: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

2011-09-12T08:53:00.000-04:00

When I first picked up Stephanie Perkins' Anna and the French Kiss, I looked at the shiny cover image of the coy girl and the Eiffel Tower and felt pretty doubtful about my chances of enjoying the novel. Despite glowing reviews from magazines and from some of my favorite authors (like John Green, Maureen Johnson, and E. Lockhart), I thought that the blurb inside the front cover sounded like an overused cliche: girl likes boy but boy is taken.

But then I started to read and quickly found out that my expectations were very wrong. Stephanie Perkins' first novel is far from cliche. It is, in fact, one of the most refreshingly realistic yet romantic novels I've read in quite some time!

Anna has been sent off to Paris by her Hollywood sell-out father who suddenly decided that his daughter should send her senior year at an international boarding school instead of at an average American public school. So Anna is forced to leave behind her little brother, her best friend, and her crush on the verge of becoming more to start a whole new life in Paris. And she doesn't even know French! Anna is not pleased. But then she meets Etienne St. Clair--part British, part American, and all around gorgeous. However, St. Clair has a serious girlfriend and so Anna pushes her attraction to the very back of her mind. As the year goes on, Anna finds herself whirling through Paris with a quirky new group of friends and suddenly St. Clair has become her closest confidant and friend. The world of friendship, attraction, and love is full of confusions and misunderstandings that even the magic of Paris might not be able to untangle.

Anna and the French Kiss is a great love story, pure and simple. It is about two people who are stumbling from a strong friendship into something new and different. Anna and Etienne both feel an intense mutual connection but both also remain afraid to take the leap into unknown territory. Stephanie Perkins has given us a great gift: a romance grown from an intimate and real friendship between two strongly developed characters. But the detailed character development goes beyond the main pair; there a great cast of equally interesting and believable supporting characters. While the story is unashamedly a romance, Anna's growth over the course of her senior year is widespread, involving her best friend at home, her family, and her new friends in France.

This novel is witty, well-written, and full of great three-dimensional characters and complex human relationships. It is the best kind of romance: sweet but not sappy or fluffy. So, if you're a fan of Sarah Dessen or Maureen Johnson or if you're just looking for a fun new romance to kick off the school year, check out Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins!

What's Happening in DC: Exciting New Exhibit at Museum of Natural History!

2011-09-08T20:16:00.000-04:00

Trying to think of something interesting to do this weekend? Maybe you should check out the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History's newest exhibit, Race: Are We So Different?. This fascinating special exhibition was created by the American Anthropological Association and the Science Museum of Minnesota and is currently touring around the country. It will be here in DC at the NMNH until January 8, 2012. The RACE Project explores the idea of race from three different perspectives: history, science, and lived experience. The project's website has a whole range of interesting videos, interactive activities, and information about race from these three perspectives. The History section of the site has a huge, interactive timeline and the Human Variation portion has articles and videos about genetics, skin color, and many other scientific topics related to race. The Lived Experience area of the site has a bunch of quizzes about the different ways race affects how people are perceived in cultures and societies.

The NMNH is open everyday of the year except December 25 from 10am to 5:30pm. The museum is located on the National Mall at the intersection of 10th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW. You can see exactly where it is on the Mall here on a map the museum created. The nearest Metro stop is Smithsonian Station on the Blue and Orange line. While you're there, you might want to check out the preview of the new exhibit Eternal Life in Ancient Egypt ; the full exhibit opens in November.

My Summer in Books: Greetings from Your New Assistant Librarian

2011-09-06T13:10:00.001-04:00

Welcome back to NCS! Your friendly neighborhood library staff hope that you had a wonderful summer full of great adventures, especially some adventures in reading! One of my favorite parts of summer has always been the sudden freedom to read whatever I wanted without worrying about homework or school requirements. This summer, I had homework and very little extra free time but I still found time to read a bunch of great books. Here are a few of them!

I kicked off the summer in the best way--with zombies! In May and June, I speed through Carrie Ryan's thrilling zombie apocalypse trilogy. Mary's world is governed by a few basic rules: listen to the Sisterhood, obey the village traditions, and stay inside the fences separating the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Following these rules has allowed Mary's small community to survive in the uncertain world following the Return, when a strange disease spread throughout the country killing people and then causing them to rise again after death and become the Unconsecrated, who exist only to grow their ranks. But when Mary discovers that the village's ruling religious order the Sisterhood is hiding secrets about the Unconsecrated and the world beyond the fences, she must decide between her past and an uncertain future in The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Mary's tale is exciting and scary and romantic and I absolutely could not put the book down! If you like zombie flicks and/or fast-paced dystopian romance, this novel is for you! The thrilling story then continues in The Dead Tossed Waves and The Dark and Hollow Places.

In June and early July, I was excited to read new books from a couple of my favorite authors, Libba Bray and Maggie Stiefvater. Libba Bray, whose other books include A Great and Terrible Beauty and Going Bovine, always creates really interesting characters and stories and her newest book, Beauty Queens is no exception! A plane full of contestants in a teen beauty pagent crashes on a mysterious island, leaving the girls stranded without food, shelter, or lipgloss. Faced with a sudden reality of survival, this group of very different young women learn about themselves and connect with each other in ways that might never have happened back in the pressure-cooker of civilization. This book is both completely hilarious and deeply thought-provoking.

Meanwhile, I was thrilled when, after months of waiting, I finally got my hands on the last book in Maggie Stiefvater's Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy (which began with Shiver): Forever. In the ongoing debate of werewolves versus vampires, I usually have been more of a werewolf fan and this trilogy has pretty much sealed the deal on my loyalty. Since her survival of a wolf attack as a child, Grace Brisbane has always felt a strange connection to the wolf pack living in the woods behind her home in Mercy Falls, Minnesota, especially a particular wolf with yellow eyes. Then she learns that 'her wolf' is in fact not a wolf at all but a boy named Sam who turns into a wolf when the temperature drops. Grace and Sam's connection strengthens as they struggle to save Sam from losing his humanity forever in Shiver and their relationship is tested further when Grace must face her own unpredictable link to the wolves in Linger. I love Stiefvater's lyrical writing and her three-dimensional characters; I feel completely immersed in the world and emotions described when I read these novels. In Forever, we follow Grace, Sam, and the rest of the pack as they discover more secrets behind the werewolves' transformations and face serious danger from the people of Mercy Falls.

This summer I also fell in love in with Stephanie Perkins' first novel Anna and the French Kiss and since we just got our copy in the NCS library, I'll be posting a review later this week!

~ Ms. Dickinson

Where did books take you this summer?

Choices

2011-03-04T09:13:00.006-05:00

There have not been many books that I have read lately that have stayed with me quite like Dark Water, written by Laura McNeal. The sense of loss and injustice is so present in this book, that it stirred some deep reflections about the way I now see the loss of a loved one and the ramifications of that loss on everyone as it ripples through your life. The circumstances of the tragedy in this book make me wonder how people can move on sometimes - the unfairness of it all. The bad choice and misguided instinct to hide the truth, cost the main character, Pearl, so much. Mind you, nothing Pearl decided to do was out of the ordinary, just a little self absorbed and instictively cautious in protecting someone she cared deeply about, and her life came tumbling down.

The essence of the book, through the way the author had the narrator tell the story, is ultimately what was so successful. The narrator told you just a few tidbits that carried you through, pacing the events carefully, but you knew it was not going to end well for her. Redemption was not going to be easy to come by, either, as she caused so many people so much pain, so you feel such sorrow. The loss of love and loved ones carried the reader through a short time in her life that changed everything. She lived in her life, moving forward, and it all seemed so real. The story began with such hope and a glimmer of young, true love, but ultimately, the way life sometimes turns out to be, it rolled away with a sadness that really hits home. But, also a determination, on her part, not to have lost everything in vain.