Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

The pages of "Water for Elephants" will draw you into the world of the circus through the memories of 90 or 93 (does it really matter when you are that old)year old Jacob Jankowski.

The book opens with a day of disaster at the circus and Jacob admitting he kept a secret about that day for over 70 years old. "Water for Elephants" moves between the story of a struggling traveling circus in 1930 to the story of the older Jacob just trying to hold onto his sanity. You can't help but be drawn into Jacob's life, from losing his parents and the veterinary practice his father had... to jumping aboard the Benzini Brothers Circus train and becoming the vet for the circus. The head trainer is a brutal man named August, who abuses animals and the people around him. Jacob begins to care about Marlena, August's wife, and some of the other circus workers and will do just about anything to protect them. Ms. Gruen does an amazing job of re-creating the circus world in this book. You will be drawn into Jacob's world and root for him in his efforts to save Marlena, and Rosie the elephant from August's cruelty.

This video is the trailer for the movie that was created based on "Water for Elephants"

http://youtu.be/d0DbfQaentM

Everything I Was by Corinne Demas

Irene's father loses his job. Her family's lifestyle- and her mother's spending- quickly catches up with them. The are forced to move from their Upper West Side penthouse to Irene's grandfather's farm in upstate New York. Irene feels like she has lost everything. But what begins as the most disastrous summer of Irene's life takes a surprising turn, and Irene's life takes a surprising turn, and Irene must decide what she wants for herself after losing everything she was.

Available at the Wonewoc Public Library or through inter-library loan.

Susan Beth Pfeffer

Susan Beth Pfeffer has written some really interesting books. They are the kind of books that you just can't put down. They are fiction, but are so well written, I found myself really living in them, afraid that it could happen in real life, worried about Miranda, worried about what would happen to her and her family, worried about Alex and his sisters, wondering what could possibly come next. I wonder if I would be strong enough to live through it...
What would I do if the world as I knew it came to an end?

"Life As We Knew it"
This clip gives you an idea of what the book is like, but is no where near as good as the book. Miranda's journal makes you feel like you are right there in a small town in Pennsylvania, trying to survive the world coming to an end.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Un3mOgtWJ18

"The Dead and The Gone"

Same natural disaster...different family, different town, different fight. Read about Alex, and how he and his sisters fight to survive in New York City.

http://youtu.be/qKnuYXfUkXY

"This World We Live In"

It's been a year since the meteor collided with the moon, catastrophically altering the earth's climate... Life for Miranda is a whole lot different than before. But she is alive. The struggle to survive intensifies when her father and stepmother arrive with a baby and three strangers in tow. One of the newcomers is Alex... could Miranda find love and happiness in all of this??? A devasting tornado changes their lives once again...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OxRwgN_Q1M