Swamped

It's going to be an exciting week here in the media center! The 8th grade students are back from their trip to the swamp, and we are ready to start the 8th grade research paper. Our topic is the novel The Weirdo, which all 8th grade students have just finished reading. Students will get to pick any topic from the novel that they would like to research, from hypnosis to black bears to swamp ecosystems.

The Quest team will start the project today, and the Phoenix team will start on Thursday -- I'm quite interested to see this big research project from start to finish!

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Pranks are a long standing tradition at boarding schools, and Alabaster Prep is no exception. You wouldn't think that a secret society called The Loyal Order of the Bassett Hounds could cause any real hoop-la on campus...and you'd be right. Until Frankie Landau-Banks arrives for her sophomore year, having grown into a beautiful young woman over the summer. Frankie wants nothing more than to be in The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, but she can't. She's a girl.

Could a girl come up with a plot to hang bras all over campus in the middle of the night? Could a girl mastermind the Doggies in the Window prank? Could a girl organize the Canned Beet rebellion to protest the digusting and inedible cafeteria food? And how on earth could a girl be responsible for throwing a thousand pound guppy statue in the lake? The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds certainly don't think so, especially Frankie's new boyfriend, who is a member.

Frankie Landau Banks will not sit and watch the Loyal Order of the Bassett Hounds pass her by just because she is a girl. They don't even see it coming, but the joke is about to be on them...

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks is more than just a book with a feminist edge. It is a book that will make you laugh because panks are ridiculous and Frankie has a great sense of humor. Frankie is a very realistic main character, even though sometimes you want to shake her and say, "don't do it!" If you are looking for a good book, a good character, and a good laugh, The Disreputable History is for you.

The Third Eye by Lois Duncan

I decided to read this book over the weekend, mostly because we do have a class set of it here in the media center and I have always liked Lois Duncan books. Lois Duncan writes suspense novels for young adults, and this book was full of suspense!

The story centers around Karen, a high school senior who has visions she doesn't understand. Karen loves children. She earns money by babysitting and working at a local daycare center. However, her visions are always about children. Trapped children, drowning children...and missing children. Can Karen use her visions to help these children, or is it all too much for her to bear?

If you like a story with suspense and mystery, this is the story for you. Of course, there is a little bit of romance as well. I found this book to be a quick read -- once I started, I couldn't put it down! I give it four stars.