Day 43: 45 Days of Summer

Disenchantments by Nina LaCour

All summer long I've been making a list of "Road Trip" books so that I could do an entire post listing all of my favorites. 

Um, well, summer is almost over and I never really sat and wrote the post. But I have LOTS of great books for the list. Alas, I guess I will just save it for next summer? 

But I didn't want to let the entire summer go by without highlighting one or two. This is one of my favorite books from the past couple of years. And, even though the cover doesn't look like it, it is actually a great road trip story with a boy main character. (Sometimes I wonder about publishers...). So, if you're a fan of road trips, musicians, roadies, adventure, music, and maybe a little romance, this is an enjoyable book on so many levels!

Perfect for: high school and up...adults, too!

Day 13: 45 Days of Summer

Road Trip by Gary Paulsen & Jim Paulsen

Summer is the time for family road trips, and what better reason for a father/son trip than to rescue a dog from an animal shelter. 

A quick read that packs a humorous punch, Road Trip will appeal to all ages and readers.

Best for: 4th - 8th grades.

Books I've Been Recommending This Week

I've seen many of my 7th grade classes in the library this week, simply to be able to say "hi" and give them a good starting list of books they should be reading this fall.

Here are some of the titles I've been recommending that are getting the most "buzz" from the students:

A trio of sports titles, two of them by BIG. NAME. SPORTSWRITERS.

A new book by the writer/director by some big-time classics such as "The Goonies" and "Gremlins" teams up with another wild and crazy writer for this new series starter.

 I really like this new survival/post-apocalyptic/road trip story. I hope that it is the beginning of a series.

And for a much more light-hearted road trip story, this is a quick one about a father and son on a quest to rescue a dog.

Two series that I love...and love to promote.

And two books that are "quiet gems" looking for just the right reader. I loved them both, and hope just the right student finds them and adores them also.

Review: Thou Shalt Not Road Trip (John)

Title: Thou Shalt Not Road Trip
Author: John
Genre: Fiction, Road Trip, Family, Friendship, Love, Religion
Pages: 329
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Ages: 7th-11th grades

This is not a new title but somehow I missed reading this when it came out. (That could have something to do with the neighbor girl borrowing it and maybe not getting it back to me right away). This is a definite must-read for summer, especially for anyone that will be traveling by car...with your crazy family.

From the publisher:
When sixteen-year-old Luke's book, Hallelujah, becomes a national bestseller, his publishing house sends him on a cross-country book tour with his older brother, Matt, as chauffeur. But when irresponsible Matt offers to drive Luke's ex–soul mate, Fran, across the country too, things get a little crazy. On the trip, Luke must loosen up, discover what it truly means to have faith, and do what it takes to get the girl he loves.

This book should resonate with teens, especially ones looking for an upbeat read this summer. Luke thinks he has all the answers but quickly finds out that he is in over his head (and who doesn't feel like that all the time?!). There is humor, adventure, and a little romance thrown in for good measure. The settings are great, and the quirky characters they encounter along the way add to the fun.

Review: How My Summer Went Up in Flames (Doktorski)

Title: How My Summer Went Up In Flames

Author: Doktorski
Genre: Fiction, Summer, Road Trips, Love gone wrong, Friendship

Pages: 302

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars
Age: 7th grade and up

From the publisher:

Rosie’s always been impulsive. She didn’t intend to set her cheating ex-boyfriend’s car on fire. And she never thought her attempts to make amends could be considered stalking. So when she’s served with a temporary restraining order on the first day of summer vacation, she’s heartbroken—and furious.

To put distance between Rosie and her ex, Rosie’s parents send her on a cross-country road trip with responsible, reliable neighbor Matty and his two friends. Forget freedom of the road, Rosie wants to hitchhike home and win back her ex. But her determination starts to dwindle with each passing mile. Because Rosie’s spark of anger? It may have just ignited a romance with someone new…

I really liked this book. And I LOVE Rosie's snarky personality, especially her observations of her male road trip companions. In addition to snark, Rosie is honest, sassy, and impulsive. Some of this clearly gets in the way of her common sense. But all of it makes her an endearing narrator that you can't help but root for. 

This book is a great ride from start to finish!

Free Audiobooks for Summer!

Are you like me and like listening to audiobooks?  Or, are you traveling this summer via plane, train, or automobile and will be confined to this small space with family members that might make you a little crazy? 

Then check out this FREE source for downloadable audiobooks. Each week of summer, SYNC offers 2 free audiobooks that you can download to your smart phone, iPod, computer, etc. And once you download them, they are yours to KEEP!

Click here to find out the calendar of titles. Two new titles are available each week, from May 30th- August 15th. Text "syncya" to 25827 to receive a text when new titles are released. There are some GREAT TITLES this year...many are my favorites that I've been recommending to students all year!

Anyone can participate, there's no required sign-up or personal info or credit card needed, the titles are in MP3 format compatible with ANY digital player or computer.  The choices each week are one top Teen book (like "The Raven Boys," "The False Prince," and "Enchanted"), and one top Classic ("Frankenstein," "Hamlet," and "Through the Looking Glass.")  All the directions on how to download the files are on the website, including a "how-to" video.

If you take advantage of this, let me know what you think!