Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks

Check out Mrs. Gumtow's first PowToon creation!

Wheels of Change

Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way)

by Sue Macy

Synopsis:


Who knew that a history of bicycles would be so entertaining?

When they first came out, bicycles changed:

A. The Medical Field

B. Transportation 

C. Fashion

D. The Advertising Industry
E. Entertainment
F. Women’s Rights
G. And tons of other aspects of society...

When the bicycle craze first began (in the 1980s!), doctors began attributing all sorts of new illnesses to “the riding of the bicycle:”

Quick Quiz--Define each of the following (answers on pg 41):

Bicycle Eye
Bicycle Face
Bicycle Fright
Bicycle Hands
Bicycle Heart
Bicycle Wrists

Think this is way off base?  The other day, I was listening to a radio show where the djs were talking about a new phenomenon called “Smartphone Face.”  

http://theweek.com/article/index/228103/smartphone-face-is-your-cell-phone-making-your-face-sag

So, what will people be thinking of us 100 years in the future??

This is a really entertaining and totally relatable read.  When I was younger, my family lived in the country, so other than riding our bikes, my brothers and I really had no way to get anywhere.  So, I could relate a lot to the idea of bicycles giving people freedom!  I learned a lot while reading this book (for example, one young biker rode 5 centuries--500 miles--in 58 hours) and really enjoyed all of the pictures and photographs that are on EVERY SINGLE PAGE of this book.


Genres & Keywords:
Nonfiction, Quick Reads, Women's Rights


Reviewed By:
Ms. Gietzel

It's Official!!!

As promised, next year's Battle of the Book List has been released before summer break this year. There are some AWESOME titles here, so even if you are not interested in joining the Battle of the Books team, this would make a great summer reading list! Each of the title we have in our collection (the others will be here by the fall) is linked to our Destiny catalog. Just click on a title to learn more about it, read reviews, and, in many cases, gain access to the first chapter.

Some of these titles were recommended by members of our own team.  

WEMTA Battle of the Books

Senior Division

2012-2013

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition by Karen Blumenthal
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Divergent by Veronica Roth
The Fault in our Stars by John Green
House Rules: A Novel by Jodi Picoult
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
Legend by Marie Lu
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
A Monster Calls: A Novel by Patrick Ness
Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper
Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard
Pink by Lili Wilkinson
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures by Caroline Preston
Things a Brother Knows by Dana Reinhardt




For more information on the Battle of the Books program, check out the WEMTA website: http://www.wemta.org/programs/battle_of_the_books.cfm.  The BHS Battle Team will hold our informational meeting in the fall during the first couple weeks of the school year.  Listen to the announcements for more specifics.  


Until then, Happy Reading!

One Moment

Isn't it funny how everything can change in one moment?  One Moment by Kristina McBride is the perfect summer read!  It will make you think twice before you head to the quarry over summer break...

Synopsis:

One moment, Maggie and her friends are hanging out at the “Jumping Hole,” their secret gorge they've been visiting since they found it in 8^th grade.  They are listening to Kid Rock’s “All Summer Long,” sharing a beer, just chilling.  When they are at the hole, the guys always take turns jumping off the cliff into the water below.   It’s always just the guys.  But not today.  Today, Shannon dares Maggie to take a jump, and Maggie isn’t sure why she even accepts.  Maybe it’s because Joey offers to jump with her this time.  Maggie and Joey have always had a strange relationship...they've been dating for over a year and a half but have agreed to never say those special three little words to each other.  

One moment Maggie is holding Joey’s hand, ready to take a running leap off the top of the cliff.  The next?  She wakes to screams bouncing off the sides of the gorge and Maggie is at the top of the cliff, alone while Joey is laying at the bottom of the gorge…and she cannot remember what happened in the moment before she and Joey were going to jump.

Genres, Themes, & Keywords:

Mystery, Realistic Fiction, Guilt, Secrets, Friends, Betrayal

Reviewed by:

Ms. Gietzel

**This book will be published at the end of June 2013...look for it at the public library this summer or at the beginning of the next school year!