Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Chasing the High: A Firsthand Account of One Young Person's Experience with Substance Abuse, by Kyle Keegan.

"I drifted in and out of consciousness for most of the night, not sure where nightmares left off and reality picked up. Several times I hallucinated, thinking someone was calling me from the courtyard down below. I would find myself teetering on a ledge stories up, yelling into the darkness of the cold rain. If I'd had the nerve I would have just hurled myself of the edge and put an end to this sanity."


Now in his 30s with a sucessful job, wife and kids, Kyle Keegan relates in his book the gritty reality behind his drug addiction, which began in his teens, and how he managed to climb out of it to become the successful man he is today. Keegan writes a blunt, truthful, account of his addictions, providing readers with an unsettling view into a world that our media often overlooks. But this is more than just an addict's journal. Chasing The High is cowritten by a physician, and contains valuable information about the different drugs being sold on the streets today, and the reality of being addicted to them.


Monday, November 24, 2008

Car Trouble, by Jeanne DuPrau


"It's every high schooler's dream: finish up school and immediately peel out of town in your car to head to your new high-paying job somewhere (Anywhere!) else! And Duffy Pringle did it! Straight out of school he's been offered a hot computer job across the country in California. With visions of a great adventure in mind he takes part of his life savings, buys a used car, and drives off . . . only to end up with a broken car. But hope is not lost as Duffy discovers another way to get there - driving a big chrome-edged '57 Chevrolet Bel Air to it's new owner in St. Louis, Missouri. What follows is definitely not the adventure Duffy was looking for!"

"While not exactly The Great American Novel, Car Trouble is entertaining. I found the characters a little two-dimensional at times, and it took the book several chapters before it really got going. Aside from that, it was pretty good! Reviewed by Robbie

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Maniac Magee, by Jerry Spinelli

"This book has been heart touching. Maniac Magee's unbelievable characteristic has been the most exciting "make-of-the-book. I suggest this book to everyone that is literate! I give it five stars (out of five)!" Reviewed by Haejin, Jamestown Middle School.
Magic Steps, by Tamora Pierce

"This book was an exciting fantasy book, but parts of it were sad. I enjoyed the excitement and mystery. The book is well-written and intriguing." Reviewed by Hannah, loyal Hemphill Branch teen reader!

Quick plot summary: "When drawn into the investigation of murders perpetrated on a powerful family in Summersea, Sandy and her student Pasco undertake the dangerous mission of entrapping the invisible killers."