Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

"A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows."

Wow! Loved it. It was so original. The photographs are so creepy (and real!). The first half of the book is a little spooky, but with Jacob's (and the readers') realizations of what is really happening, it becomes very interesting. I love authors that create a truly new concept in a story and this one is it.

I Promise...

I am so sorry that I have been remiss at updating my book blog. I've actually been so busy trying to keep up on my reading of my new shipments and then preparing for Read Across America, I haven't been posting.

As soon as the Battle of the Books competitions are over this, I promise, to update my reviews!

What's Mrs. U reading now?

Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret was just made into a move Hugo. I didn't see the movie, but my understanding (AS USUAL) was that it wasn't as good as the book. Big surprise!

His next one, Wonderstruck, just arrived in the library. Can't wait, although the book looks huge and kids are intimidated, it's half pictures!

The Best Bad Luck I Have Ever Had by Kristin Levine

"While most of the residents in the tiny, World War I–era Moundville, Alabama, are shocked that their new postmaster is African American, Dit is simply surprised that said postmaster’s child turns out to be a girl, not the boy his own age he was expecting. Bookish, timid Emma can hardly fill the role of fellow adventurer and baseball player that easygoing Dit, with more than a trace of a Huck Finn–like charm, had his heart set on. In unexpected ways, though, the unlikely twosome cross each other’s paths and slowly build a partnership of complementary strengths. When Jim Crow rears its ugly head in the person of the menacing and blatantly racist sheriff, Emma and Dit embark on a risky adventure to save the life of a man sentenced to hang on trumped-up charges. Levine’s story treats racism frankly and with no mincing of words. The highlight of this coming-of-age journey comes from watching the two kids learn about the world and come to care about each other in the way of 13-year-olds." ~Booklist

I enjoyed this story very much. It is becoming a bit cliche...white character and black character become friends in an unlikely time, but many students still don't understand why that was once taboo and unheard of. Lots of interesting characters and few interesting twists. I will probably still have trouble talking some kids into it, but if they would give it a shot, I think they would really like it.