Favorite Authors

We all have one author who just speaks to us. That author may phrase words in a way that just gets us thinking. Or they may develop amazing characters that leave us wanting more. Whatever the reason having a favorite author is a delightful experience. Searching out other books they have written and then discovering a hidden gem can be exciting. Two authors that I have grown to admire over the last few years are James Patterson and John Green.



I admire John Green because of the amazing way he can turn a phrase. He writes edgey books that never fail to leave you wanting more. People who read his books read all of his books.

James Patterson is amazing to me because of the sheer volumn of books he produces. He has managed to capture an audience of children and adults with his vastly eclectic range of works. There truly is something written by James Patterson that would satisfy any reader. He is that prolific.

How Many Books Can you Name That Have Been Made Into Movies?

I am going to see how many I can name off the top of my head- here goes!!!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2, Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn Part 1 and 2, Chronicle of Narnia- Lion, Witch and Wardrobe, Narnia- Prince Caspian, Narnia Voyage of the Dawntreader, Percy Jackson, Where the Heart Is, DaVince Code, Angels and Demons, Carrie, Pet Semetary, Shining, Hobbitt, Two Towers, Lord of the Rings. Return of the King, Joy Luck Club, Amistad, Schindler's List, One Flu Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Lovely Bones, Last Song, Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, Message in a Bottle, The Guardian, A Walk to Remember, Freedom Writers, Angela's Ashes, I am Number Four, Beastly, Cold Mountain, Misery, Dolores Claiborne, The Help, I Know what You Did Last Summer, The Road.

and.........The Hunger Games

That was 50 in 5 minutes.
Wow!! I know there are many more I missed but I think you get the point- So many of the movies we love were based on books first. Many, many times the books are so much better than the movies. Why don't you check one out and read it to see for yourself.

If you Love Books You Will Love This

Books of the Month January

Don't Look Behind You

by Lois Duncan

If you like a good action adventure- then this book will appeal to you. After April's father turns witness against a drug ring- she and her family must go into the witness protection program. But April's mistakes will lead the killer straight towards them- who will survive?

The Eleventh Plague

by Jeff Hirsch

Did you ever wonder what the world would be like after another world war? What if biological weapons were unleashed? Who will the new enemies be? In the Eleventh Plague Jeff Hirsch takes the reader on an adventure of survival in a very unhospitable new world. Follow Stephen as he tries to survive and comes to terms with the realities of his life after the collapse and the eleventh plague.

Video Book Trailer Challenge

Accelerated Reader Book Trailer

Challenge: To create a video trailer for a book you have read- the trailer should make people want to read the book without spoiling the ending.
Requirements:
1-2 minute trailer
No more than 2 in a group
School appropriate
Load trailer to Animoto or Youtube- tell Mrs. Kruger to load it to the library webpage and blog
The trailer should be neat, well made, and contain accurate information about the book and author.
Mrs. Kruger and your English teacher will determine if the trailer is worthy of AR points.
You may create no more than 2 trailers for points during a 9 week grading period.
All trailers due no later than 1 week before your AR deadline.
Rewards:
A good trailer can earn you 5 AR points
An excellent trailer can earn you 7 AR points
You may also take the AR test on the book you have created a trailer for.

Any questions or if you need any help with video or Animoto issues please see Mrs. Kruger

Envy by Gregg Olsen

Envy by Gregg Olsen is the first in his new Young Adult series An Empty Coffin Novel. This book is about a teeenage girl who dies a tragic death. Just the title and cover art alone are enough to make me want to read this book. However by looking at a few pages I become even more intrigued.

Page 1 " At fifteen, Katelyn knew something about hurt. Promises had been made... and broken. Things change. People let you down- even those closest to you. Promises she realized, were very, very hard to keep."

Page 56 "As they walked through the alleyway toward home, neither Taylor or Hayley was aware that a pair of eyes was riveted to their every move. Studying them. Wondering from a dark place just what the twins' rekindled relationship with the dead girl's family was all about."

This book has a lot ot twists and turns that will leave you on the edge of your seat. The characters are real and well carried out. Although this book is the beginning of a series,it can be a stand alone. But the intensity and drama of the book make you want more by this author.

The Last Thing I Remember by Andrew Klavan

Sometimes the first line of a book can be enough to entice us into reading it. For example in Andrew Klavan's series The Homelanders the first line is:

"Suddenly I woke up strapped to a chair"

Now I don't know about you but I am curious as to what has happened. So next I look at page 56. Just a random page number but a quick way to see if the book holds my interest.

"It all seemed to happen fast and slow at once. I could sense and see that I was moving with unstoppable speed, but my mind was so focused on every moment that it felt like slow motion somehow, like a slow motion movie unfolding frame by graceful frame. Every kick and blow and step carried me farther and farther........"

Well after reading those lines I want to read more- and the cover helps as well.

Turns out this book is an exciting survival story about a boy who wakes up one morning not in his own bed and not even in his house. He must escape and survive to determine how his whole world turned upside down and everyone: terrorists, police, ordinary people see him as a dangerous enemy. When yesterady he was just an ordinaryhigh school kid.