BOOK REVIEW: Forever reviewed by K. Perry

Judy Blume is a famous author who has written many novels. One of her books, Forever, tells of the ultimate love/tradegy. Foever tells of a girl's confusion. The main character believes she is in love with a boy named Michael. However, this love is tempted when she leaves for the summer. I like that Judy Blume wrote about very honest characters and didn't try to fake anything. She wanted people to understand how Katherine really felt about Michael and how he felt about her.

I really like the book because I was interested in it from the very beginning. My attention was toward the book the whole time because of the constant involvement of all the characters and the events that took place. Forever is an interesting book that I would recommend to anyone and especially girls who love romantic books.

BOOK REVIEW: Sisters of the Sword reviewed by T. Estrada

Sisters of the Sword is a very good book with a lot of twists and turns. The book was written by Maya Snow in 2008 and was a pretty well known book. She has also written two follow up books to Sisters of the Sword, Chasing the Secret and Journey through Fire. Her books are filled with exciting twists and turns that will leave you wanting more until the very end.

The first book in the trilogy, Sisters of the Sword, is about a young girl named Kimi whose father is the Jito of the land. One day her uncle comes to visit and kills her father and everyone else close to her heart. By the end of the battle, the only people alive are her brother, mother and sister. Together Kimi and her sister set out towards Master Goku's school to train to fight as samurais. Since girls are not allowed to be samuaris, they have to disguise themselves as boys. Will Kimi and her sister be able to defeat her uncle and his people? Find out by reading the book...

BOOK REVIEW: How Do I Love Thee reviewed by R. Camarillo

Lurlene McDaniel is genius. She combined three great love stories into one really good book. The first story deals with a boy who falls madly in love with a girl who is allergic to the sun. Some circumstances lead her to fall asleep in the sun, which puts her life in danger. The second story is about a girl who can't choose between two brothers whom she loves. When one brother who she dated her freshman year, returns with a disease while she is dating the other brother, Lana must make a choice between the two brothers. The last story is about a a girl with a heart condition who meets a male nurse who she falls in love with. All three stories have a tragic element to them, but all three are really great stories. Highly recommended.

BOOK REVIEW: The Book Thief reviewed by Ms. Kellar

The Book Thief is set in Germany during the time of Hitler's reign. It is a story about a girl named Leisel Meminger who is taken to live with strangers because her mother cannot afford her. On the way to her new home her little brother dies which starts a series of events in Leisel's life that help shape her life. At her brother's funeral she steals her first book. Throughout the story, Leisel finds solace in taking books, learning to read, and spending time going through books with her new father. The Book Thief explores the feelings of the Germans who were not on board with Hitler's plan or with annhilating the Jews. While I felt the book started out slowly, and I had a hard time getting through the first half of the book, I truly loved the rest of the book and was glad that I stuck with it. Leisel's story is both sad and triumphant and altogether very touching. The story is told by death, which adds an interesting touch. I would recommend this book to anyone, but be warned, you have to stick with it for awhile before it gets really interesting.

BOOK REVIEW: Twisted reviewed by Ms. Kellar

Twisted is a fast-paced novel about a high school boy who can't seem to keep himself out of trouble - even when he's innocent. After working custodian detail for a past bad deed, Tyler has really matured physcially, and he starts to get noticed by girls for the first time. When he catches the eye of Bethany, the most popular girl in school, Tyler can't believe it. He feels like he's the luckiest guy in school until some naked photos of Bethany show up and Tyler is blamed for it. Struggling to get people to believe him, including his teachers, friends, and family, Tyler faces jail time, school suspension, and complete rejection from everyone in his life. Twisted is a great novel for people who easily get bored with most books. There never seems to be a dull moment in Twisted.

BOOK REVIEW: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants reviewed by Andrea Delossantos

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is about four girls share a pair of pants that seems to bring them good luck. They create 10 rules about what to do when wearing the pants. The jeans are used to keep them in touch with one another as they all go off to different places over the summer. While all they are apart, all four girls experience life, love, and loss. I would recommend this book because its funny, sad, about friendship and about finding out about themselves. It is a book that you will always remember.

BOOK REVIEW: Healing Foods: A Practical Guide to Key Foods for Good Health reviewed by Lance M.

Are you interested in your health? If so, Healing Foods is a great read for you. This book, by Miriam Polunin, is interesting in the sense that it gives you insight into nearly everything you eat. You can look inside, find what you're planning to eat today, and figure out whether it's good or bad for you. You can find out what individual ingredients do for you nutritionally, and how the things tyou are eating will affect you in the long run. For example, by merely looking at the coer you are informed that shellfish support the immune system, ginger stimulates circulation, and broccoli raises cancer resistence.

The first part of the book gives historical insight on food, demonstrating how food was used as medicine in the old days. The next section presents a person's basic diet. It lists the main food groups and what each conssits of. The next section deals with with ways to improve your health. It shows you the diverse parts of your body's living system and the ways you can affect each one by your daily intake of food.

The last part, and one of the most interesting, is the seciton containing recipes. It lists recipes, sorted by course, and the nutritional value of each. The recipes are tasty-looking and provide the reader with a sense of hunger.

After flipping thorugh the recipes you'll definitely be hungry and itching to eat away at each page. It's a great book for cooks who want to maintain a slim figure. You'll learn the basic vlaues of foods and the different ways you can stay healthy. I highly recommend this book, and promise you'll enjoy reading it.

BOOK REVIEW: Back-Up Quarterback reviewed by Lance C.

Back-Up Quarterback by Eleanor Robins is a book that grabs young readers' attention. It is a story about a small town high school football player named Dan who worked hard for three years to earn the quarterback slot on the football team. Just when Dan thinks he has the position locked up, a new guy moves to town to challenge Dan's role. Knowing that the new guy, Clay, is better than Dan at the quarterback position, Dan must decide what is more important - the team or himself. This book is an outstanding tale of a guy who sacrificed his own wishes for a greater team goal. It shows that doing the right thing will pay off in the end.

BOOK REVIEW: Tale of the Cryptids: Mysterious Creatures that May or May Not Exist reviewed by Lance M.

For an all around great read I definitely recommend Tales of the Cryptids: Mysterious Creatures that May or May Not Exist, by Kelly Milner Halls, Rick Spears, and Roxanne Young. By using colorful illustrations and mind-boggling factual evidence onthe existence of mysterious creatures, the book interests all types of readers. The authors all combine their writing abilities and knowledge to make this book one of kind. If you've ever wondered wither Bigfoot, the Lochness Monster, or even chupacabras exist, you really need ot check this book out.

Before reading this book, I thought it was just another book talking about the idiotic myths of folktale creatures. However, after I read a few pages I found this book to be very informational and actually persuasive. You begin to think more in depth about he actual chance of a real life Bigfoot hiding out somewhere or Nessie lurking around at the bottom of Loch Ness. On top of this, Tales of the Cryptids also introduces lesser known cryptids that are more cultural and region-specific. For example, the Yeti of the Siberian region has only been witnessed north of China, and has been part of their culture as far back as cavewall engravings. Furthermore, Tales of the Cryptids introduces you to the uncommon firld of cryptozoology. I found out how interesting this science actually is and what it involves.

By providing evidence on hidden but existing "cryptids," Tales of the Cryptids makes your mind wonder. It goes past just asking questions and actually provides answers. Don't pass up this book just because you think it's for weirdo Bigfoot-obessessed freaks only. It actually is extremely interesting and leaves you with a sense of wonder and adventure. It's a must read for science-fiction buffs, mysterious creature fanatics, and bored readers alike. Put down your Harry Potter and Twilight and run straight to the nonfiction section. You won't be disappointed. All in all, Tales of the Cryptids is one of the most interesting books in teh Gonzales High School library.

BOOK REVIEW: Exposure reviewed by Lance C.

Exposure is a book that grabs a young reader's attention. The author, Patricia Murdoch, writes about problems, issues, and concerns that ordinary students can relate to. I found the book to be an easy read. In Exposure, the main character, Julie, is constantly being bullied by a very popular girl named Dana. The book explains the difficulties Julie has with her confidence and the negative effect that Dana's teasing is having on Julie's self esteem.

The book takes an interesting turn when Julie's older brother gets involved with a rowdy group of kids. When Julie's brother mentions Dana's name, Julie quickly decides to seize the opportunity to get back at Dana for all of her past tormenting. The author keeps the readers attention through a series of of events and interesting scandals. When Julie gets the opportunity to get back at Dana, she has to decide whether revenge is worth it. The author, Patricia Murdoch, produces a suspenseful story that will continue to keep readers' attention. Exposure is an easy read about topics that young students can easily relate to.

BOOK REVIEW: Twilight reviewed by Carrisa G.

In the Twilight series there is romance, secrets, blood sucking, fighting, and characters that go to extreme ends to protect their families. When Bella Swan moves to the small town of Forks, Washington, she doesn't expect much excitement. She's moving in with her father, who is the chief of police in Forks so that her mom can move on with her life with her new husband, and not be tied down to a teenage daughter. Bella's low expectations for Forks prove to be completely untrue when she meets the mysterious and heart stopping Edward Cullen at school. What Bella doesn't realize is that Edward is hiding a dark secret; he and his family are vampires. Bella and Edward find themselves falling for each other despite the danger it poses for each of their families and to each other. This action-packed book and series is a must read for everyone!

Sequels to Twilight are New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn.

BOOK REVIEW: Glass reviewed by Kaylyn P.

"Just one more hit!" That was the thought process of Kristina, the teenage girl in teh book Glass. Her mind and her actions were damaged due to the drug, crank. She forgot her family, her schooling, and most importantly her baby boy. Seh didn't care about anything in her life. Her main goal was to find crank and get it at any cost. No matter how horrible the consequences were, she always went back to crank. You never expect what's going to happen, because something always ends up going wrong. So, what happens in teh end? I guess you're going to have to read and find out. The book had me hooked from page one because of the abrupt beginning. After being hooked by the beginning, I read the entire book in two days.

I liked the book because it makes you feel like you are personally involved in the situation because you start feeling all the emotions Kristina and her mom are going through. This book takes you on a journey through the life of a teenage girl who continually makes poor decicions. I like that it was written in verse because it helps the reader get a better understanding of how the character is feeling and what she is really thinking. It also helps readers understand how drug use can completely take over your life. No matter what you read, you will never find a book as indulging as Glass. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys suspense and tragedy.

NOTE: Glass is the sequel to the book Crank.

BOOK REVIEW: Love, Cajun Style reviewed by Ryan B.

Love, Cajun Style is about friendship and love. When Mary Jordan falls in love quickly, her friend Lucy rushes to help out Mary Jordan so that she won't get hurt. Mary Jordan and Lucy also have another friend, Evie, who is skeptical about love since her father walked out on her family when she was younger. This story revolves around the friendship of these three girls and discoveries about life and love.

I would advise anybody to read this book if they like anything to do with life; it helps you to realize that you're not the only one going through tough situations. This book also keeps you on the edge of your seat because you want to know whats going to happen next. I really enjoyed this book, and I'm not a fan of reading, but this book makes me want to read and finish it just to find out what's going to happen.

Banned Books Week

Banned books week was September 27th through October 2nd. The library had a banned or challenged books display with books from our collection that have been challenged or banned in other schools around the nation. The reasons for banning varies by book; for example, Harry Potter has been challenged because some feel that it promotes sorcery and witchcraft, while The Catcher in the Rye has been banned because of the language in the book. Banned books week seeks to promote the freedom to read without censorship, and we demonstrated that our library does not seek to infringe on that freedom by displaying all of the books in our collection that have been previously challenged in other schools. Please enjoy the picture of the display that was set up for banned books week.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Gonzales High School Library Blog. This blog was created to keep students and faculty informed of upcoming events in the library, entertained with occasional trivia posts, and abreast of the best reading in our library with reviews by the librarian and the students. I hope you will enjoy this blog and find it useful. Please feel free to comment on any posts