Children's & Young Adult book reviews by a rather odd duo.
Posts by Ruby
Celebrate Earth Day!!
April 22, 2013
by Ruby
Earth Day by Jane Yolen
I am the Earth
And the Earth is me.
Each blade of grass,
Each honey tree,
Each bit of mud,
And stick and stone
Is blood and muscle,
Skin and bone.
And just as I
Need every bit
Of me to make
My body fit,
So Earth needs
Grass and stone and tree
And things that grow here
Naturally.
That’s why we
Celebrate this day.
That’s why across
The world we say:
As long as life,
As dear, as free,
I am the Earth
And the Earth is me.
Poem from http://bit.ly/Z4WHIw
Earth Day Image from http://bit.ly/11iXi98
Everything Is Not What It Seems
March 1, 2013
by Ruby
XVI by Julia Karr (Book 1 XVI Series)
Every girl gets one. An XVI tattoo on the wrist—sixteen. They say they’re there for protection. Some girls can’t wait to be sixteen, to be legal. Nina is not one of them. Even though she has no choice in the matter, she knows that so long as her life continues as normal, everything will be okay. Then, with one brutal strike, Nina’s normal is shattered; and she discovers that nothing that she believed about her life is true. But there’s one boy who can help—and he just may hold the key to her past. But with the line between attraction and danger as thin as a whisper, one thing is for sure…for Nina, turning sixteen promises to be anything but sweet.
The year is 2150 and women’s rights and the freedoms we enjoy today (at the moment) are just a memory. The world that 15-year-old Nina Oberon lives in is frightening to me. Frightening because it’s all too plausible. The Governing Council controls the populace through the Media. Through the Media girls are “trained” to become a sex-teen when they turn sixteen. There’s even a guide for this transition. How to dress and act to attract guys. Girls become adults at sixteen, identified by a tattoo on the wrist – XVI. This becomes an invitation (unwanted or not) that girls are ready for sex. Girls don’t have many choices, they either marry above them or get accepted into the FeLS (Female Liaison Specialists) program. (more…)
March Events!!
March 1, 2013
by Ruby
Never Mind March
Never mind, March, we know
When you blow
You’re not really mad
Or angry, or bad;
You’re only blowing the winter
away
To get the world ready for April
and May. (more…)
“If you had one day left to live, what would you do?”
February 20, 2013
by Ruby
Fracture by Megan Miranda (Book 1 Fracture Series)
By the time Delaney Maxwell was pulled from a Maine lake’s icy waters by her friend, Decker Phillips, her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. But somehow Delaney survived—despite the brain scans that show irreparable damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be fine, but she knows she’s far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can’t control or explain, Delaney now finds herself drawn to the dying, and when she meets Troy Varga, a boy who recently emerged from a coma with the same abilities, she is relieved to share this strange new existence. Unsure if her altered brain is predicting death or causing it, Delaney must figure out if their gift is a miracle, a freak of nature—or something else much more frightening….
The plot of this novel is very similar to The Body Finder Series by Kimberly Derting, but has thrilling psychological aspects that make it unique. The story is told from Delaney Maxwell’s POV as she tries to navigate the ups and downs of life after death, literally. Fracture is an apt title in many respects. Throughout the story we see the fracturing of Delaney’s home life, friendships, and her own sanity. (more…)
February Events!
February 1, 2013
by Ruby
There are some great events in our area this month, especially with young-adult authors! We hope to see you around town. As always, happy reading!
Saturday, February 2nd @ 11 a.m. University Bookstore Mill Creek
- Teen Book Brunch with Kristin Halbrook, Nobody But Us
Tuesday, February 5th @ 6:30 p.m. Secret Garden Books
- Cory Doctorow, Homeland (sequel to Little Brother)
Tuesday, February 5th @ 7 p.m. Seattle Public Library Central Branch
- Cory Doctorow, Homeland (sequel to Little Brother)
Saturday, February 9th @ 2 p.m. Fairwood Library
- Young Adult Book Authors Discussion and Signing:
- Jennifer Shaw Wolf, Breaking Beautiful
- Helen Landalf, Flyaway
- Carole Estby Dagg, The Year We Were Famous
- Jillian Anderson Coats, The Wicked and the Just
- Kimberly Derting, The Essence (sequel to The Pledge)
- Megan Bostic, Never Eighteen
Wednesday, February 13th @ 7 p.m. University Bookstore
- Richelle Mead, The Indigo Spell (Book 3 Bloodlines)
January Events!
January 3, 2013
by Ruby
Wednesday, January 16th @7pm Seattle Public Library Central Branch
- Kadir Nelson, I Have a Dream
Thursday, January 17th @10am Barnes & Noble Alderwood
- Kadir Nelson (illustrator), I Have a Dream - Nelson will be presenting his new book on Martin Luther King, Jr., aimed at elementary and middle school students. He will be reading and signing at Meadowdale Middle School in Lynnwood.
Thursday, January 17th @7pm Third Place Books Lake Forest Park
- Kadir Nelson, I Have a Dream
Friday, January 18th @6:30pm Third Place Books Lake Forest Park
- Melissa de la Cruz, Gates of Paradise (Blue Bloods 9)
Saturday, January 26th @2pm Seattle Public Library Northgate Branch
- Clare Vanderpool, Navigating Early; Moon Over Manifest (more…)
Happy Holidays!!
December 25, 2012
by Ruby
Once Was a Shining Christmas Tree
There once was a shining Christmas tree
Standing out where all could see.
Its brilliance captured every eye
And seemed to cheer each passer by.
Happy Holidays from Our Time in Juvie! Have a wonderful rest of the year and we’ll see you back here in 2013!
Poem from http://bit.ly/Tn1As0
December Events!!
December 4, 2012
by Ruby
It’s hard to believe that it’s December already! As you can see there aren’t many author events for this month. I guess everyone has something else to do 
) I hope everyone has a great December and happy reading!
Monday, December 17th @7pm Third Place Books Lake Forest Park
- Lish McBride, Hold Me Close, Necromancer, Necromancing the Stone
Storytimes…
Tuesday, December 4th @10am Barnes & Noble Northgate
- Special Guest Celebrity Reader Karen Robbins! – Be sure to join us as we welcome local children’s author Karen Robbins, author of Care of Our World and Shoe Print Art. This will be a fun “active” storytime.
Friday, December 7th @7pm Barnes & Noble Downtown; Bellevue; South Center; Woodinville
- Polar Express Storytime
Saturday, December 8th @10am Barnes & Noble Northgate
- Polar Express Storytime – Come in your PJs! Treats and activities will be included.
Saturday, December 8th @11am Barnes & Noble Alderwood Mall
- The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition – Chanda Bell will read and sign new Elf on the Shelf books and gift boxes. (more…)
November Author Events!!
November 4, 2012
by Ruby
Tuesday, November 6th @6:30pm Barnes and Noble Northgate
- Obert Skye, Leven Thumps and the Ruins of Alder (Book 5 Leven Thumps Series)
Thursday, November 8th @7pm Barnes and Noble Alderwood
- Margo Lanagan, The Brides of Rollrock Island
Friday, November 9th @4:30pm Seattle Public Library Northeast Branch (hosted by University Bookstore)
- Margo Lanagan, The Brides of Rollrock Island
Saturday, November 17th @1pm Barnes and Noble Bellevue
- Jack Prelutsky Sings! Recites! Reads! and Signs Books! – Meet America’s first Children’s Poet Laureate! Author of over 70 books of poetry!
Saturday, November 24th @10am Barnes and Noble Northgate
- Megan Bostic, Never Eighteen
- Kendare Blake, Anna Dressed in Blood, Girl of Nightmares (Books 1 & 2 Anna Series)
- Carole Estby Dagg, The Year We Were Famous
- Gwen Hayes, Falling Under, Dreaming Awake
- Helen Landalf, Flyaway
- Daniel Marks, Velveteen (more…)
October Author Events (Part 1)!
October 2, 2012
by Ruby
October is a huge book month! Because of the plethora of events, we’ve split this month in half to make it less overwhelming. (We already have our own calendars marked, and we couldn’t be more thrilled.) With great excitement and anticipation, we present to you: October Author Events (Part 1)! (Keep an eye out at the bottom of the post for special Star Wars Reads Day! events as well as events by authors of children’s and YA books who are in town for their adult publications.) Keep in mind that some of these events have limited entry and/or ticket prices, so be sure to call ahead and check.
Thursday, October 4th @ 7 PM Elliott Bay Book Company
- Sean Beaudoin, The Infects
Saturday, October 6th @ 1 PM Bellevue Barnes & Noble
- Toby Davis, The Ever Part of Always: Keely Tucker’s First Adventure
Sunday, October 7th @ 2 PM Secret Garden Books
ADVENTURES IN TIME TOUR
- Marissa Moss, Mira’s Diary: Lost in Paris
- Jordan Jacobs, Samantha Sutton and the Labyrinth of Lies
Monday, October 8th @ 6:30 PM University Bookstore Bellevue
A YOUNG ADULT READING BLOWOUT!
- Megan Bostic, Never Eighteen
- Marissa Meyer, Cinder
- C.J. Redwine, Defiance
- J. Anderson Coats, The Wicked and the Just
- Marissa Burt, Storybound
- Jennifer Shaw Wolf, Breaking Beautiful
- Daniel Marks, Velveteen (more…)