Bog Child is about Fergus, a high school senior growing up on the border of Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland in the 1980s.  The Troubles, the conflict that rocked Northern Ireland between 1960 and 1998, colors the story: Fergus is being courted by the Provos*, a group that engages in terrorism, and his brother is in jail and participating in a hunger strike that will almost surely kill him.  While out cutting peat with his uncle, Fergus discovers the body of a child buried in a bog.  Archeologists are called, and research into the child’s origins shapes Fergus’ last summer before college.  As his own life descends into chaos, he imagines how the dead girl’s life must have been.

 
Bog Child is a really cool story about a guy who is trying to live a normal life in the middle of a crisis.  The story is well written, and Fergus has an authentic and strong voice throughout.  The many elements of the plot come together as Fergus tries to find peace with the decisions he has to make.  He struggles with balancing falling in love, getting the grades that will earn him a scholarship that will take him away from The Troubles, and trying to find a way to help his brother and his family.      


*Provos: Provisional Irish Republican Army

If you're looking for a book to read or recommend and all that's coming to mind are "classic" youth and YA books, here are some contemporary books that you might like!

The first book that members of the Middle School Book Club are reading is:

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

After the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own.

This book won the 2008 Newbery Medal!

If you would like to join the Club, please email Sarah at sludwig@darienlibrary.org. We meet on the last Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m and we serve pizza.

The Book Club is for rising 7th and 8th graders.

OMG Saturday is the day we’ve been waiting for!  The DVD! 

We’ll be watching it here in the community room (aka theatre, HUGE screen) at 2:00 on Saturday (21st).  There’s going to be snacks, drinks and did I mention the big screen with surround sound?

One thing though:  This movie is rated PG-13, so the event is for Teens 13+ only.

To get your Twilight fix before the big day, check this stuff out:

Twilight: The Complete Illustrated Movie Companion by Mark Cotta Vaz

Twilight by S. Meyer

New Moon by S. Meyer (or the Audiobook)

Eclipse by S. Meyer (or the Audiobook)

Breaking Dawn by S. Meyer (or the Audiobook)

Stephenie Meyer's non-Twilight book The Host (or the Audiobook)

Lords of Dogtown directed by Catherine Hardwicke (PG-13)

 Harry Potter: Goblet of Fire & Order of the Phoenix for some Robert Pattinson as Cedric Diggory

Image courtesy of flickr user i_heart_him

Capricorn Anderson has never seen television, never handled money, never worn synthetic fibers or eaten pizza.  Raised by his hippy grandmother Rain, on a rural commune that has slowly dwindled to a population of two, Cap can drive, do Tai Chi, and grow fruits and vegetables.  When his grandmother falls and breaks her hip, homeschooled Cap is totally unprepared for life at Claverage (dubbed C-Average) Middle School. 

Clearly a freak, Cap quickly becomes the butt of practical jokes, especially the longstanding tradition of electing the biggest nerd as eighth grade president.  Cap, with his total inability to understand the modern world, makes an especially ripe target, since he believes everything his classmates tell him—whether it’s that bullfighting is a school sport, or that he must learn the names of everyone in school.   Cap’s adventure to fit in at his new school is hilarious, as are the reactions of his classmates and teachers as they try to figure out how to deal with his unique perspective on life and the eighth grade.  

Schooled is a quick read, and highly recommended for a laugh.

The Aurora County All-Stars by Deborah Wiles
Reviewed by L.

The Aurora County All-Stars, written by Deborah Wiles, is an extraordinary book. This is Deborah Wiles' third book, after Each Little Bird That Sings and Love, Ruby Lavender and all three are set in the same small town ("Halleluia") and feature many of the same characters. Having loved the other two books, I truly enjoyed reading more about the people I'd come to love.

Savvy by Ingrid Law
Reviewed by: L.

Savvy, written by Ingrid Law is a truly incredible book, with a huge variety of emotions swimming all throughout the book. Mibs Beaumont is just about to become 13 years old. In a normal family, that would just mean a party and some presents. But in the Beaumont family, it means something completely different. You see, when a Beaumont turns 13, they develop a special power, or as they call it, a savvy.

Reviewer: A
Grade 7

Reviewer: K in 10th
Title: The Host
Author: Stephanie Meyer
Month/Year of Publication: 2008
Genre: Sci-Fi

Book: World of quest-adventures for dummies
Author: Jason T. Kruse
Rating(1-5): 5

---blog by katie99