Reach for the Sky!

Last Friday was the great skyscraper building contest. Budding architects built their own structures out of popsicle sticks, glue and tape. The team with the tallest building won amazing prizes (and there was a pretty great prize for those who came in a close second).

Lessons we learned:

1) The stronger the base, the more solid the building

2) But sometime you have to take a risk and just build big

3) Tape was mightier that glue.

4) But in the long run, the glue lasted forever

Stay tunes for the next project...

Paper Planes!

Converting Kate

Converting Kate by Beckie Weinheimer

Before her father's death, Kate's entire life could be defined by one thing; the Church of the Holy Divine. After her father, a non believer dies, Kate and her deeply religious mother move to her father's hometown in Maine and it is there that Kate starts to question the authority of her mother's church and what she truly believes in.

It would be very easy for a book to handle the idea of religion in a clumsy way. But Weiheimer takes care to show the many different sides of religion in the United States and shows how very personal it is to each person. This is a very good novel, especially for readers who are interested in faith and self discovery.

If I Stay

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Before the accident, 17 year old Mia had a lot of choices to make. But she had a lot of help. She had her cool, supportive parents. She had her adoring little brother Teddy. She had the love of her life, Adam. And she had her music.

After the accident, Mia only has one choice to make. Should she stay, and live her life grieving to loss of her family. Or should she let herself go?

You know a book is fantastic when you find yourself crying in subways, at work, or telling friends about the book. Luckily you also want to laugh out loud when you read about Mia's family or sigh over her relationship with Adam.

I read this book in less than a day, but I'll be thinking about it for awhile.

Check out the book trailer!

Shiver

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Grace has always felt a deep connection to the wolves that she can see in the woods. Especially one wolf, that saved her from an attack when she was young.

Sam has been watching Grace from the forest, helplessly in love since the moment he saved her. He has resolved to stay away from her, until they meet by chance during his last summer as a human.

Once they've found each other, they will do anything to stay together.

This is a great story, especially for readers who love romance with a supernatural element (Twilight anyone?). I liked how the story was told with both perspectives (Grace and Sam), and dealt with issues other than romance like family and friendship.

Craft!!!

The Mission: Build the tallest "skyscraper" in the library

The Supplies: Popsicle sticks, glue, and paper

The Prize: To be announced!

Friday, July 24th at 4 PM

Swish: the quest for basketball's perfect shot

Swish: The quest for basketball’s perfect shot

by Mark Stewart and Mike Kennedy


I've never been a very athletic person, and because of this, I left the sports books to other kids while a read a lot of Fear Street. I’m not a huge basketball fan, but I was still very interested and entertained in this book. Swish starts with the history of basketball in the United States. Then it talks about famous last minutes shots which is pretty exciting. Then it talks about different kinds of shots used in basketball like the jump shot, slam dunks, the bank shot, and the fadeaway.

She's So Money

She's So Money by Cherry Cheva

Maya is a overachieving high school senior who's only goal is to go to Standford. Against her better judgement, she agrees to start an underground homework cheating ring with her school's most charming bad boy in order to save her family's Thai restaurant.

This book is very very funny. Maya says all the stuff that you want to say to stuck up, lazy, popular people, but you don't have the guts. Maya is great, her family is great, and I love how the story doesn't have a easy ending.

Did I mention that the book is really funny?