The AHS Book Shelf

The Shame of the Nation

2006-04-04T07:37:00.000-06:00

Author: Jonathan Kozol

Category: Professional

Reviewer: Lindsay Donaldson

Department/Position: World Languages

Summary: The Shame of the Nation is what Kozol is calling "American Apartheid". He makes strong statements about how segregated schools are now, and how they are nearly as segregated as they were before Brown vs Board of Education. He visited schools in poor areas around the country, most of which are inner city and have very low enrollments of white students. He discusses the high teacher turnover and low student test scores in these schools which very often have neigboring schools with nearly all Caucasian enrollements. He points a finger at No Child Left Behind and the way its lack of funding is hurting these schools. He builds a good argument that segregated schools will not only lead to lower test scores (according to the way they're run now), but also that it's socially harmful to all students to attend schools in which they're not exposed to much diversity.

Recommended Audience: Teachers

Rating: 5

One Shot

2006-03-24T13:57:00.000-07:00

Author:     Lee Child

Category:     Fiction

Reviewer:     Jan Woodcock

Department/Position:     Library/Media

Summary: In the book's gripping opening, five people are killed when a shooter opens fire in a small unnamed Indiana city. But when ex-infantry specialist James Barr is apprehended, he refuses to talk, saying only, "Get Jack Reacher for me." But Reacher's already en route; having seen a news story on the shooting, he heads to the scene with disturbing news of his own: "[Barr's] done this before. And once was enough." Nothing is what it seems in the riveting puzzle, as vivid set pieces and rapid-fire dialogue culminate in a slam-bang showdown in the villains' lair,: a quintet of Russian émigrés, the stuff of everybody's worst nightmares, led by a wily 80-year-old who makes Freddy Krueger look like Little Lord Fauntleroy.

Recommended Audience:     Young adult and adults who enjoy mysteries and suspense stories.

Rating:     5

5th Horseman

2006-03-24T13:46:00.000-07:00

Author:     James Patterson

Category:     Fiction

Reviewer:     Jan Woodcock

Department/Position:     Library/Media

Summary: A young mother is recuperating in a San Francisco hospital when she is suddenly gasping for breath. The call button fails to bring help in time. The hospital's doctors, some of the best in the nation, are completely mystified by her death. How did this happen? This is not the first such case at the hospital. Just as patients are about to be released with a clean bill of health, their conditions take a devastating turn for the worse. Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer probes deeper into the incidents. Could these cases just be appalling coincidences? Or is a maniac playing God with people's lives? When someone close to the Women's Murder Club begins to exhibit the same frightening symptoms, Lindsay fears no one is safe. Lindsay's investigation reveals a hospital administration determined to shield its reputation at all costs. And while the hospital wages an explosive court battle that grips the entire nation, Lindsay and the Women's Murder Club hunt for a merciless killer among its esteemed medical staff.


Recommended Audience:     Young adult and adults who enjoy a good suspenseful novel.

Rating:          4

The Tenth Circle

2006-03-24T13:35:00.000-07:00

5th Horseman

Author:     Jodi Picoult

Category:     Fiction

Reviewer:     Jan Woodcock

Department/Position:     Library/Meida

Summary Comic book artist Daniel Stone is like the character in his graphic novel with the same title as this book—once a violent youth and the only white boy in an Alaskan Inuit village, now a loving, stay-at-home dad in Bethel, Maine—traveling figuratively through Dante's circles of hell to save his 14-year-old teenage daughter, Trixie. After she accuses her ex-boyfriend of rape, Trixie and Daniel unravel in the aftermath of the allegation. At the same time, wife and mother Laura, a Dante scholar, tries to mend their marriage after ending her affair with one of her students. Picoult has collaborated with graphic artist Dustin Weaver to illustrate her deft, complex exploration of Daniel and his beast within. Laura and Daniel follow their runaway daughter to Alaska. This story of a flawed family on the brink of destruction grips from start to finish.

Recommended Audience:     Young adults and adults. If you are familiar with Dante’s Inferno, this will be especially interesting to you.

Rating:     4

Templar Legacy

2006-03-24T13:29:00.000-07:00

Author: Steve Berry

Category: Fiction

Reviewer: Jan Woodcock

Department/Position: Library/Media

Summary The Knights Templar, a small monastic military order formed in the early 1100s to protect travelers to the Holy Land, eventually grew and became wealthy beyond imagination. In 1307, the French king, feeling jealous and greedy, killed off the Templars, and by 1311, the last master, Jacques de Molay, was burned at the stake. The whereabouts of the Templars' treasure--and their secrets--have been the subject of legend ever since. Ex-U.S. Justice Department agent Cotton Malone is intrigued when he sees a purse snatcher fling himself from a Copenhagen tower to avoid capture. Further snooping introduces him to the medieval religious order of the Knights Templar and the fervid subculture searching for the Great Devise, an ancient Templar.. The trail leads to a French village replete with arcane clues to the archive's whereabouts, and to an oddball cast of scholar-sleuths. Code-inspired anagrams, dead language inscriptions and art symbolism, debate inconsistencies in the Gospels and regale each other with Templar lore. Lively characters and action set pieces make this a readable version of the typical gnostic occult thriller.:

Recommended Audience: Older young adults and adults who enjoyed The DaVinci Code.

Rating: 4

Mary, Mary

2006-02-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

Author:     James Paterson

Category:     Fiction

Reviewer:     Jan Woodcock

Department/Position:     Library/Media

Summary: FBI agent Alex Cross is on vacation with his family at Disneyland when he gets a call from the Director. A well-known actress was shot outside her home in Beverly Hills. Shortly afterward, an editor for the Los Angeles Times receives an e-mail describing the murder in vivid detail. Alex quickly learns that this is not an isolated incident. The killer, known as Mary Smith, has done this before and plans to kill again. Right from the beginning, this case is like nothing Alex has ever confronted. Is this the plan of an obsessed fan or a spurned actor, or is it part of something much more frightening? And particularly baffling, how could a woman be capable of these vicious crimes? Members of Hollywood’s A-list fear they’re next on Mary’s list, and the case grows by blockbuster proportions as the LAPD and FBI scramble to find a pattern before Mary can send one more chilling update.

Recommended Audience:     Young Adult and Adult – A continuation of the Alex Cross series.

Rating:     4

This book is available in the AHS Library

The Eye of the Wolf

2006-02-21T13:14:00.000-07:00

Author:     Margaret Coel

Category:     Fiction

Reviewer:     Jan Woodcock

Department/Position:     Library/Media

Summary: Father John O'Malley is  alarmed on receiving a cryptic voice-mail message that leads him to a century-old battlefield and three newly slain Shoshones. Could these be revenge killings for the bloody battle that took place between the now co-existing Arapahos and Shoshones? When a client of Arapaho attorney Vicky Holden, Frankie Montana, is accused of the murders, Vicky's law partner and lover, Adam Lone Eagle, urges her to pass Montana to the attractive new lawyer in town. Past experience sets off her warning bells, and Vicky begins to wonder about Adam's interest in the beautiful blond newcomer. The wary familiarity between Vicky and Father John continues even as the two are drawn into an expanding circle of death.

Recommended Audience:     Young Adult and Adult An interesting read for those who enjoy Western and Arapaho Nation history.

Rating:     4

This book is available in the AHS Library

The Perfect Shot

2006-02-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

Author:     Elaine Alphin

Category:     Fiction

Reviewer:     Jan Woodcock

Department/Position:     Library/Media

Summary: Brian's girlfriend, Amanda; her sister; and their mother are shot to death in their garage. The girls' father is put on trial for the crime. On the day of the murders, however, Brian saw something that he thinks might affect the case. The story is told in flashbacks as he struggles for his life after being shot–as readers will suspect–by the true killer. What might have been a straightforward mystery grows richer as Brian compares Amanda's father's situation to the 1913 Leo Frank murder case he is researching for class. Another thread follows the arrest of Brian's friend and basketball teammate Julius, one of the few African Americans in their small Indiana town. Brian must also cope with pressure from his father to excel in basketball, and with his overwhelming grief over Amanda's death. Sports fans will enjoy the basketball elements throughout the story.

Recommended Audience:     Young Adult – A great read for those who enjoy a good mystery and a suspenseful tale.

Rating:     5

This book is available in the AHS Library

S is for Silence

2006-02-21T13:03:00.000-07:00

Author:     Sue Grafton

Category:     Fiction

Reviewer:     Jan Woodcock

Department/Position:     Library/Media
Summary:The daughter of a neglectful mother has been haunted by her mother's disappearance from a Fourth of July celebration when the daughter was only seven years old. Part of the intrigue from this case comes from Grafton's sensitive portrayal of the psychological consequences of neglect. Millhone doesn't have much hope for the case but starts digging. Grafton juxtaposes flashbacks to 1953, when the mother disappeared, with the current investigation, giving different points of view on the woman.

Recommended Audience:     Young Adult and Adult – The reader should be aware that there is some sexual content in this book.

Rating:     3

This book is available in the AHS Library

The Camel Club

2005-11-28T12:18:00.000-07:00

Author: David Balducci

Category: Fiction

Reviewer: Jan Woodcock

Department/Position: Library Media

Summary: Conspiracy theories--everybody has one. The difference with this conspiracy is that it's all too real. David Baldacci's The Camel Club takes readers inside the Beltway as four unlikely misfits struggle not only to survive, but to save their president and their country from a plot that will lead to nuclear disaster.

Recommended Audience: Young adults/adults

Rating: 4

This book is available in the AHS library.

First Things First

2005-11-22T07:33:00.000-07:00

Author: Stephen Covey, Roger Merrill, Rebecca Merrill

Category: Professional

Reviewer: Frasier

Department/Position: Business/Marketing

Summary: First Things First is about the life of a busy business person or any busy person for that matter. Those of us that are always busy and always have too much on our plates will do well from not only reading this book but putting the practices it suggests into practice. The authors have found a way for everyone to be able to reorganize their lives and set priorities. As you read through the book you will find a need to set it down and think about how you deal with people and problems. This book takes some time to get through. Instead of running our lives by the clock the author helps create individual compasses and direction for each reader. This is a great follow up to the reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People which is a great book!

Recommended Audience: This is a thick book…better suited for an older person, college or beyond. It will test your ideas and ideals. I recommend it to the older sort because you have to be wiling to agree that you don't have all the answers. The rating is due to the length, it definitely took awhile to get through.

Rating: 4

This book is available in the AHS library.

Flyboys

2005-11-18T07:56:00.000-07:00

Author: James Bradley

Category: Non-Fiction

Reviewer: Brian Hatak

Department/Position: Science/Teacher

Summary:
The book tells the story of pilots in the Pacific theater of WWII. The story concentrates on the lives of eight pilots who were involved in the fighting over Chichi Jima, a radio station on an island south of Japan. The story of these pilots is told from before and during the war up to their deaths. All were Prisoners of War or Killed in Action (except for George Bush). The story is about both sides of the war and the struggles that each part had. The fighting is described in detail, at least for the air war over Japan. The book can be difficult to read as the descriptions become graphic at times. The detail in this book is what caught my attention. I enjoyed the way that the men's home life was described so you knew a little about them. It was not only the Americans that were discussed in the book but the Japanese also. The war through the Japanese's eyes was very interesting along with the history of some of the islands involved. The history of these men is an important story to tell as the documents only recently became declassified. The fact that even some of the families of the pilots did not know what happened to them shows the struggle that the military had with getting the right amount of information out to the public. The book was difficult to read for any extended amounts of time since there was a connection to the individuals and the description of their deaths was sometimes very disturbing. I would even enjoy reading this book again.

Recommended Audience: Adult and high school readers interested in WWII history and its stories.

Rating: 4

This book is available in the AHS library.

Zorro

2005-11-16T13:36:00.000-07:00

Author:     Isabel Allende

Category:     Fiction

Reviewer:     Anne Smith

Department/Position:     Language Arts Teacher

Summary: Zorro is the story of Diego de al Vega's ascension into the role of Zorro.  It is a fictional tale of his birth to Regina and Alejandro, who are a mismatched couple from completely different backgrounds, but whose passion for one another leads to their marriage and conception of Diego.  We are also introduced to Diego's "milk brother" Bernardo.  We see the two boys grow up and apart through distance but still manage to maintain a wonderful spiritual connection through their Indian background.  The tale is set in early California, ventures down to South America, and across the ocean to Spain where Diego becomes a member of the secret society La Justicia.  From his membership, he manages to defeat several rivals who even follow him across the ocean back to America to seek revenge while Diego is trying to save his father's estate.  It is a very interesting look at the background of Zorro and is a creative interpretation of his history.

Recommended Audience:     This book is recommended for high school and adult readers

Rating:     3

This book is available in the AHS library.

The Patriots Club

2005-11-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

Author: Christopher Reich

Category: Fiction

Reviewer: Jan Woodcock

Department/Position: Library/Media

Summary:
Who would have thought that Thomas Bolden would become a successful Wall Street businessman, living the high life and about to become engaged to the perfect woman? Having grown up as "Tommy B from the wrong side of the tracks," Thomas Bolden is a bootstraps guy who managed to leave the past behind and carve out a nice life for himself as successful Wall Street businessman. His world turns upside down when he is inexplicably kidnapped. His captors apparently think he has valuable information about something--but Bolden has no idea what. He's released, but his problems are far from over. Soon he becomes mired in a manhunt that forces him to tap into the street skills he learned as an orphan. As he runs for his life--literally--he uncovers secrets involving a bizarre club of corrupt politicos with roots extending back to the Founding Fathers.

Recommended Audience: Young adult/adult and anyone interested in American history.

Rating: 5 (high)

This book is available in the AHS Library.

Carolina Way

2005-11-03T08:44:00.000-07:00

Author:     Dean Smith and Gerald D. Bell

Category:     Professional

Reviewer:     James Holman

Department/Position:     Math teacher

Summary: The book is written by the winning-est college basketball coach in the history of the sport.  The book does not have a focus on basketball but will draw interest from people who are interested in the sport.  The main focus of the book is how to apply the strategies of his coaching philosophies to applications in the business world.  At the end of each chapter is a summary and application of the philosophy from a former player who actually lived through an experience that they began to learn playing under Coach Smith.  The book has many practical applications for teachers, coaches and any one who assumes a leadership role.  I enjoyed it very much because of my interest in basketball and experiences in the business world, but I think that it is written in a way that anyone can find many useful applications from Coach Smith's experiences.

Recommended Audience:     Teachers, coaches, leaders and anyone interested in a future in business.

Rating:     4

Undaunted: Stories of Navy Life

2005-11-03T08:30:00.000-07:00

Author:     Anne Scott McElroy

Category:     Non-Fiction

Reviewer:     Barbara Stahlhut

Department/Position:     Math

Summary: This memoir by my 83 year old mother was published in May 2005.  Her life married to a 1943 graduate of the Naval Academy is eloquently conveyed.  The book spans her life from the early 1940's through the 1960's.  It is sometimes humorous but always accurate as to the trials and tribulations a military wife faces.

Recommended Audience:     Adult readers (and anyone who wants to know a little gossip about me)

Rating:     5 (high)

Flags of Our Fathers

2005-11-01T08:15:00.000-07:00

Author: James Bradley

Category: Non-Fiction

Reviewer: Alison McBride

Department/Position: Social Studies Teacher

Summary: For anyone who is interested in WWII, Flags of Our Fathers is a must read. Flags of Our Fathers brings a personal dimension to the famous flag lifting at the battle of Iwo Jima. The author, James Bradley, brings to light one of the most famous pictures in American history, by telling the individual stories both past and present of the 6 marines who took part in lifting the flag. One of the most interesting and captivating aspects of this book is that the author’s father, John Bradley, was one of the famous flag raisers, however, he never spoke to his family about this heroic act.

Recommended Audience: High School Students and Adults

Rating: 5 (high)

This book is available in the AHS library.

The City of Night (Frankenstein, Book Two)

2005-10-27T10:15:00.000-06:00

Author: Dean Koontz

Category: Fiction

Reviewer: Jan Woodcock

Department/Position: Library Media

Summary: The manufactured young man who went AWOL from Victor Helios-ne-Frankenstein's labs in Prodigal Son turns out to be not the only improved Frankenstein monster who is behaving strangely. Some of his "normal" fellows are mutating, none more spectacularly than Victor's body guard. Thus begins the second part of the Frankenstein series. Deucalion, the original monster, now greatly humanized realizes that the mutations portend a much larger wave of breakdowns among the so-called New Race. That bodes very ill for a New Orleans heavily salted with Victor's creations, all of them programmed to kill mere humans at Victor's command, which the mutants no longer obey. Meanwhile, NOPD detectives Carson O'Connor and Michael Maddison prepare to hunt Victor down, even as a couple of hit-person New Racers tracks them. And then there is Erica Five, Victor's brand-new "wife," learning to be a better spouse by exploring hubby's house and discovering a mysterious entity housed in a sealed clear container behind a hidden door. Look for part three early next year.

Recommended Audience: Young adult and adult

Rating: 4

This book is available in the AHS library.

Whiteout

2005-10-27T09:54:00.000-06:00

Author: Ken Follett

Category: Fiction

Reviewer: Jan Woodcock

Department/Position: Library Media

Summary: A bio-thriller which takes place over a wintry Christmas holiday in northern Scotland. Toni Gallo is the driven head of security for Oxenford Medical, a research facility working on a cure for Madoba-2, an especially virulent strain of Ebola. It is not until midnight on Christmas Eve that the plot kicks into high gear, as a band of desperate, violent thieves, led by Oxenford's wastrel son, Kit, lay siege to the well-defended facility in the midst of a terrible blizzard. Predictably, things go suddenly, frightfully wrong. A thriller, family drama and love story all rolled into one novel. This English novel will appeal to mature readers who enjoy suspense.

Recommended Audience: Young adult and adult

Rating: 3

This book is available in the AHS library

The Five People You Meet in Heaven

2005-10-19T09:49:00.000-06:00

Author: Mitch Album

Category: Fiction

Reviewer: Jess Moots

Department/Position: Business Department/FBLA Advisor
Summary: The Five People You Meet In Heaven is from the author of Tuesdays with Morrie. It is about an amusement park mechanic who dies trying to save the life of a little girl. The book begins by discussing the last hour of Eddie's life on earth. After his death, Eddie is greeted by five people who throughout his lifetime he has somehow affected. The five people he meets explain to him the meaning of life. A very thought provoking book and a quick read.

Recommended Audience: Young adult and up.

Rating: 4

This book is available in the AHS library.

Gandhi; His Life and Message for the World

2005-10-11T12:14:00.000-06:00

Author: Louis Fischer

Category: Non-Fiction

Reviewer: Roger Hess

Department/Position: Social Studies

Summary: By the end of sophomore year, most AHS students have seen Richard Attenborough's movie on Mohandas Gandhi's life and his role in India's movement to gain independence from Britain. This book provides an excellent opportunity to learn more about both Gandhi and India, and is necessarily more accurate than the movie. Part of the enjoyment from this biography comes from the comparisons one can make with scenes in the movie, many of which prove to be startlingly accurate. One also comes away with a good sense of what was left out of the movie or altered. Beyond the movie, however, the book provides an in-depth look at Gandhi's beliefs and techniques, many of which seem to be ignored or misunderstood in today's violent world.

Recommended Audience: Anyone interested in 20th century history or Gandhi in particular.

Rating: 4

The Next Accident

2005-10-11T09:36:00.000-06:00

Author: Lisa Gardner

Category: Fiction

Reviewer: Jan Woodcock

Department/Position: Library Media

Summary: Someone has set out to systematically murder FBI profiler Pierce Quincy's loved ones. The maniac has murdered Pierce's oldest daughter and ex-wife, setting Pierce up to take the fall for the death of his ex-wife. Now Kimberly, the younger daughter, and Rainne Conner, Quincy's new love, are being targeted to die next. The question is not why, since Quincy is an FBI profiler and has tracked down many killers, but who and will he and Rainne, ex-cop turned private investigator, be able to identify the killer before he succeeds in destroying Quincy's life.

Recommended Audience: Young adult and up

Rating: 4

This book is available in the AHS library.

Frankenstein: Prodigal Son

2005-10-11T09:31:00.000-06:00

Author: Dean Koontz

Category: Fiction

Reviewer: Jan Woodcock

Department/Position: Library Media

Summary: Did Mary Shelley get it wrong? Did Frankenstein survive his monster's attack? So it would appear according to Dean Koontz. Victor Frankenstein is alive after 200 years and living in (pre-Katrina) New Orleans. He has assumed the name Victor Helios, a highly respected and wealthy entrepreneur, and has improved his skills at creating "human" life. He also has a plan for a new world where all humanity will be replaced by his New Human Race. The only "person" who may be able to stop him is Deucalion, Victor's first creation. With the help of two detectives, the race is on to stop the invasion and save the human race. (First installment)

Recommended Audience: Young adult and up

Rating: 4

This book is available in the AHS library.

Bringing Out the Best in Others

2005-10-07T12:21:00.000-06:00

Author:     Thomas K. Connellan PH. D.

Category:     Professional

Reviewer:     Lindsey Frasier

Department/Position:     Marketing Instructor/DECA Advisor

Summary: An outstanding lesson for anyone!  This book discusses how people will perform better:  1.)  If the expectations are clear.  2.) If they are held responsible 3.)  If they are given feedback.  The book shows how and why this is so important.  The book touches on the Hawthorne effect (when we are watched we do better), it explain how to get the very best out of those you have contact with.  The points were relayed in a simplistic matter.

Recommended Audience:     This book would be great for anyone who has to deal with others.  The three components are not limited to just an authority figure.  They can be key for peers and spouses.  Great for coaches, teachers, bosses, spouses, and leaders of all kinds!

Rating:     5 (high)

Potter's Field

2005-10-06T13:19:00.000-06:00

Author: Ellis Peters

Category: Fiction

Reviewer: Amanda Crosby

Department/Position: Social Studies Teacher

Summary : This mystery novel is one in a long series of books set in and around an English Benedictine Abbey during the Middle Ages. Peters’ protagonist is Brother Cadfael, the monastery’s herbalist and resident detective. Cadfael’s duty in this story is to figure out who killed the woman whose body was accidentally discovered in a field donated to the monastery. Complicating the situation is the fact that the man who once lived on the donated property left his wife in order to take monastic vows at Cadfael’s abbey. Although Cadfael does not want to believe that a fellow monk could have committed murder, many clues point in that direction.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction because it provides the reader with an interesting look at medieval monastic life. For those accustomed to John Grisham and Dan Brown-style page-turners this book might seem rather slow-paced, but I think that nicely fits a novel set in 1143.

Recommended Audience: This book is recommended for high school and adult readers.

Rating: 3

Princess; a True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia

2005-10-05T12:07:00.000-06:00

Author: Jean Sasson

Category: Non Fiction

Reviewer: Krista Bretz

Department/Position: Math

Summary: This is an excellent true story. It is written by a ghost writer (Jean Sasson) for a female member of the Saudi royal family. She tells all the truths about what happens in this country as experienced by a female. It includes how sisters and brothers are treated differently, how woman must endure husbands with multiple wives, how the ability of women to educate themselves is mostly not permitted, and how men choose their wife. This is the first in a series of three books: Princess Sultana's Daughters and Princess Sultana's Circle. If you have ever wondered about how women are treated in other countries, this book really opens your eyes. It is a page turner that you cannot put down and will lead to many discussions on the treatment of women in other countries. It shocks you with some of its information. I caution you when you read this - many women over there do not realize all they are missing because that is all they have ever known. This book makes you extremely proud that you live in a country that allows so many options for women. If you like this book, I highly suggest the other two.

Recommended Audience: adult or mature teens - (reads at middle school level)

Rating:

This book is available at the AHS library.

The Devil in the White City

2005-09-29T14:05:00.000-06:00

Author: Eric Larson

Category: Non-Fiction

Reviewer: Anne Smith

Department/Position: Language Arts

Summary:
This true story is set during the World's Fair of 1893 and explores two men who had varying degrees of influence over the spectators and citizens of Chicago. Daniel H. Burnham was the architect in charge of overseeing the construction of the World's Fair that was to put Chicago on the map and demolish all records previously attained by the Paris exhibit which unveiled the Eiffel Tower. This was not an easy undertaking by any means! Weather, unions, deaths all influenced the outcome. H.H. Holmes, a serial killer, is the other main character who preyed on the innocent women that traveled great lengths to see the attractions of the fair. Holmes is a master manipulator who created a crematorium in his own apartment complex to dispose of the bodies. This story was highly intriguing to me especially considering I am not a "big fan" of non-fiction pieces.

Recommended Audience: High school and adult readers

Rating: 5 (high)

This book is available at the AHS library.

The Girl With a Pearl Earring

2005-09-29T14:02:00.000-06:00

Author:     Tracy Chevalier

Category:     Fiction

Reviewer:     Melissa McGarvin-O'melia

Department/Position:     Instructional Coach

Summary: This book is fiction but is about a true artist, Johannes Vermeer, and an actual painting of his called "Girl With A Pearl Earing". The artist is Dutch and did the painting sometime in the middle 1600's. The author writes the book according to who this girl could be. Her name is Griet and she is a 16 year old housekeeper for the artist and his family.  After reading this I actually Googled Vermeer and read more about his life and other paintings. At this time, no one really knows who this girl actually was but through the rich beautiful writing I felt like she really could be Griet.

Recommended Audience:     Recommended for high school to adult readers

Rating:     4

This book is available in the AHS library.

Time Traveler's Wife

2005-09-29T12:32:00.000-06:00

Author:     Audrey Niffenegger

Category:     Fiction

Reviewer:     Anne Smith

Department/Position:     Language Arts

Summary: A fascinating love story with a strange twist. Henry DeTamble and his wife Clare provide the reader with dual perspectives of their lives as they deal with Henry's "Chronodisplacement" disorder or ability to travel through time.  This disability puts constant strain and distance between the couple. Always it seems that Henry is disappearing and Clare is waiting for her love to return to her. There is no normalcy in this relationship!  The love story is one all can identify with as they try to find their soul mate, explore each other's past, get to know one another over and over again.  An awesome read about love, relationships, and time travel.

Recommended Audience:     High school students and adults

Rating:     4

This book is available in the AHS library.

The Mirror

2005-09-29T08:59:00.000-06:00

Author: Marlys Millhiser

Category: Fiction

Reviewer: Janelle Weems

Department/Position: Library Clerk

Summary: On the eve of her wedding in 1978, Shay Garrett peers into an antique family mirror and falls unconcious only to wake in the body of her own grandmother Brandy on the eve of her wedding in 1900. In turn Brandy awakes in Shay's body to discover herself pregnant. What follows is a fascinating look at how these two women learn to cope with the situation they have been placed in and how their families strive to deal with the instantanous change this mirror has placed on everyones life.

Recommended Audience: This book is intended for high school and adult readers.

Rating: 4

This books is available in the AHS library.

A Short History of Almost Everything

2005-09-29T08:02:00.000-06:00

Author:     Bill Bryson

Category:     Non-Fiction

Reviewer:     Steve Miles

Department/Position: Language Arts

Summary:  I picked up this book because I'm one of those people who wishes I'd pushed myself in the sciences more when I was in high school and college.  Now I find myself fascinated with the remarkable, often poetic truths of science.  Bryson tells the personal stories of scientific heroes and oddballs with careful research, and has the narrative touch of a good novelist.  His voice is inviting and his language accessible, even for someone as unscientific as me.  I found myself quoting passages to my family dozens of times over the summer as I came upon new startling ideas about my world.  This is a book to peruse slowly, to let it sink in.

Recommended Audience:     Adults, young adults & science nerds

Rating: 5 (high)

City of the Beast

2005-09-28T14:33:00.000-06:00

Author: Isabel Allende

Category: Fiction

Reviewer: Kendra Ackerman

Department/Position: English teacher

Summary: City of the Beasts provides an interesting example of magical realism, incorporating the fantastic along with the everyday. A boy whose mother has cancer is sent to live with his eccentric grandmother. While he stays with her, she takes him on an adventure into the Amazon forest to photograph and research native tribes. There, he discovers the value of friendship and the power of faith. This novel is a must read for anyone who enjoys adventure stories, coming-of-age dilemmas, and extraordinary occurrences.

Recommended Audience: 9th and above

Rating: 4

This book is available in the AHS library.

The Secret Life of Bees

2005-09-28T14:31:00.000-06:00

Author: Sue Kidd Monk

Category: Fiction

Reviewer: Kendra Ackerman

Department/Position: English teacher

Summary : What a beautiful book--one of my favorites. Set in the South during the Civil Rights movement, we meet Lily, a white child living with T. Ray, a bitter, abusive father and Rosaleen, her outspoken black housekeeper. Each character is on a quest: Lily searches for redemption and forgiveness--can she ever overcome the fact that she was responsible for her mother's death and her father's hatred? Rosaleen searches for freedom--can she ever be a true member of this society? During this quest, Lily and Rosaleen meet three sisters who pave the road to truth and recovery. This story wrestles with all the traits to define humanity--equality, family, love, acceptance, and forgiveness.

Recommended Audience: 9th and above

Rating: 5 (high)

This book is available in the AHS library.

The Rule of Four

2005-09-28T09:42:00.000-06:00

Author: Ian Caldwell

Category: Fiction

Reviewer: Jan Woodcock

Department/Position: Media Specialist

Summary: If you liked The Da Vinci Code, then this is a book you should read. Four brainy roommates at Princeton, two of whom have links to a mysterious 15th-century manuscript, the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, become involved in trying to solve an ancient mystery. This rare manuscript contains embedded codes revealing the location of a buried Roman treasure. It's a complicated, intricate and sometimes difficult read, but that's the point and the pleasure. There are murders, romances, dangers and detection, and by the end the heroes are in a race not only to solve the puzzle, but also to stay alive.

Recommended Audience: Serious teen readers and adults

Rating: 4

This book is available in the AHS library.

The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century

2005-09-21T10:44:00.000-06:00

Author: Thomas Friedman

Category: Non-Fiction

Reviewer: Karl Fisch

Department/Position: Director of Technology

Summary: Friedman is the foreign affairs columnist for the New York Times. In this book he talks about how the combination of political and economic reforms in the former Soviet Union, India, and China, combined with advances in technology, have “flattened” the world and made it a more level playing field for people around the world to join the global supply chain. He points to ten events as “flatteners” that have really changed the way the world operates. This book will appeal to anyone who is interested in business, foreign affairs, education or economics, as well as anyone who has someone they care about who will spend quite a few years in the 21st century. It has profound implications not only for business and politics, but for education as well.

Recommended Audience: 14 and up

Rating: 5 (high)

This book is available in the AHS library.

The Kite Runner

2005-09-20T09:53:00.000-06:00

Author: Khaled Hosseini

Reviewer: Jan Woodcock

Department/Position: Media Specialist

Summary: The Kite Runner is a novel about friendship, betrayal, and the price of loyalty. It is about the bonds between fathers and sons, and the power of their lies. The Kite Runner follows the story of Amir, the privileged son of a wealthy businessman in Kabul, and Hassan, the son of Amir's father's servant. As children in the relatively stable Afghanistan of the early 1970s, the boys are inseparable. They spend idyllic days running kites and telling stories of mystical places and powerful warriors until an unspeakable event changes the nature of their relationship forever, and eventually cements their bond in ways neither boy could have ever predicted. This book gives insight into Afghanistan and the cultural changes that have taken place there in recent times.
Audience: This book is intended for high school and adult readers.
Rating: 4

This book is available in the AHS library.