The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade

Modo's life begins in a traveling freak show. After being rescued as an infant by the mysterious gentleman Mr. Socrates, Modo is raised in seclusion and trained as a first class secret agent for the Permanent Association. When he's fourteen, he arrives in London and is soon investigatin the mysterious disappearances of several street children. In his sleuthing, Modo relies on his ability to shape-shift, which allows him to traverse the rooftops of London with ease. He learns that the Clockwork Guild has set in motion a malicious plot against the government, just as an evil scientist is creating a monstrous army of altered children to further the goals of the Guild.

Book 2: The Dark Deeps

There are rumors of a sea monster and a fish as big as a ship. French spies are after it, and Mr. Socrates, Modo's master, wants to find it first. When something strikes his ship and Modo falls overboard, he uncovers an astounding secret in the depths of the ocean.

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

Most of us have seen the Wizard of Oz... and the Wicked Witch of the West who was melted by Dorothy and a little pail of water. But there is so much more to the Witch than just being mean and chasing Dorothy around. This book tells it all. Where she came from? How did she become evil? What was her life like?

While this book is a tough read- it is worth the extra effort. It is an amazing fantasy world and a very interesting tale.

The popular Broadway Musical Wicked, is based on this book. Let me tell you, after you read this book, you will never watch the Wizard of Oz the same way again.

Fallout by Ellen Hopkins

Simply put: if you liked Crank and Glass, this trilogy finale will not disappoint.

Hopkins shifts the point of view from meth-user Kristina to her three teenage kids; it's a brilliant tactic that shows just how deeply others are affected by a single person's addiction. Before it's over, the three kids-Hunter, Autumn and Summer- will experience anger, longing, loneliness, drugs, pregnancy, homelessness, and even, believe it or not, hope. Hopkins' free-verse stanzas are as engaging as always. An emotional, satisfying end ( and a new beginning, in a way) to Kristina's story. ( Booklist-July 2010)

Video book Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7htDQ4Zs0UY

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Who and why do we hate?

Five months agao, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saves the life of a classmate, but is implicated in the shooting because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things they hated... The Hate List. The list her boyfriend used to pick his targets.

Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school for her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.

Video book trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWNGIRTU2u4

Far From You by Lisa Schroeder

Alice thought she knew

what solitude was:

Her mother-gone.

Her father-remarried with a newborn

daughter.

Now...

Trapped

in the ice embrace

of a deadly snowstorm,

Alice faces the true meaning of loneliness.

But hope

may not be as far away

as she thinks...

Video Book Trailer: www.schooltube.com/video/b18c7ed1852070484d66/far-from-you

Golden Archer Nominees

What Books do you think should be nominated for the 2011 Golden Archer Awards?

If you agree with a nomination, please let me know that, because I actually turn in the number of times a book was nominated in my school.

Criteria: Books now in print and readily available.

Published in the last 5 years.

Fiction or non-fiction.

Individual book titles, not series name.

Golden Archer Nominees

These five books are the candidates for the Golden Archer award in the JH/HS division. The Golden Archer is an award awarded to a book based on votes from students all across Wisconsin. I would encourage you to read them all, we will be voting later this year and sending our votes to the state.

Battle for Skandia- John Flanagan
-After escaping slavery, Evanlyn is taken captive by a Temujai warrior, leaving Will to use his Ranger training to find her, despite being outnumbered by an enemy scouting party and the entire Temujai army.

Crocodile Tears- Anthony Horowitz
-Alex Rider's desire to return to life as a normal high school student must be put aside when he is asked to face his greatest avdersary yet, a con man who plans to use genetically modified wheat to release a deadly virus that will kill millions of innocent people.

Fang- James Patterson
-When Max and the Flock discover an unscrupulous scientist who is experimenting on humans in an effort to "improve" the human race, they decide that they must try to stop him, in spite of Angel's prediction about Fang dying.

The Hunger Games- Suzanne Collins
-Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen accidentally becomes a contender in the anual Hunger Games, a grave competition hosted by the Capitol where young boys and girls are pitted against one another in a televised fight to the death.

The Last Olympian- Rick Riordan
-The long-awaited prophecy surrounding Percy Jackson's sixteenth birthday unfolds as he leads an army of young demigods to stop Kronos in his advance on New York City, while the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster, Typhon