Student voting will begin at Madison March 29th, and all votes must be sent to the Nutmeg committee by April 30. Go to the link below for Intermediate (Grades 6-7) and Teen (Grade 8) book lists.
Nutmeg Intermediate and Teen Nominees 2014
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This year the Nutmeg committee has done a great job selecting a wide range of genres for all students to read: realistic fiction, dystopian, humor, horror; there's something for everyone! Student voting will begin at Madison March 29th, and all votes must be sent to the Nutmeg committee by April 30. Go to the link below for Intermediate (Grades 6-7) and Teen (Grade 8) book lists. Nutmeg Intermediate and Teen Nominees 2014
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Mary Amato Guitar Notes is realistic fiction for all of those getting tired of reading the dystopian fiction and fantasy out there! The story starts in high-schooler Tripp Broody's room. He's mad and upset because he's been punished, and that means his guitar has been taken away due to bad grades. Tripp begins to lash out at his mother, trying to punish her in return. The other main character we quickly meet is Lyla, an award-winning cellist. She is a perfectionist who does what she is told, even if it doesn't necessarily make her happy. To play guitar in secret, Tripp signs up for a practice room at school, ans he gets to use the room on odd days. Unbeknownst to him, Lyla is signed up for the evens. On one of her practice days, Lyla notices the practice room has not been left up to her standards, so she leaves a note of complaint in the practice room for Tripp. The chapters zip quickly back and forth as the characters write hilarious notes to each other, and as they get to know each other better, the plot gets more involved. Tripp discovers Lyla doesn't love to play cello, and Lyla discovers Tripp has a real talent for songwriting. I enjoyed that the characters are realistic high schoolers with real problems: Lyla has a lot of conflict with her bossy best friend, and Tripp's battle with his mother rings true. The book is a funny and an engaging read you can't put down. I also loved how they included the characters' song lyrics and that there is a web link that shares the music they wrote! I always tell visitors to the media center that if they enjoyed The Hunger Games, they will love reading Divergent. Divergent takes place in a future where society is broken into five factions: the Dauntless, Abnegation, Amity, Erudite, and Candor. At 16 years of age, each person is tested so they find out which faction they have the aptitude for (and which faction they will belong to for the rest of their lives). However, the main character, Beatrice, (who was born into Abnegation) tests for three factions. She is, in essence, Divergent. Knowing that being a Divergent will shut her out of society, Beatrice makes a surprising choice and chooses to be Dauntless. She and the other 16 year-olds must then go through a harrowing initiation to be accepted into their factions. During the Dauntless initiation, Beatrice changes her name to Tris and meets her fellow 16-year old initiates. They are put through harrowing physical and mental tests so dangerous and fearsome, that many would never even attempt them. For Tris the stakes are even higher because no one can find out she is Divergent. The stages of initiation are exciting and keep the book running at a quick pace, and all of the characters bring different perspectives and personalities into the story. By the end of the novel Beatrice learns that she is not just a "Divergent": she has a bit of the candor, abnegation, amity, dauntlessness, and erudite in her, and having a mix of all of these qualities is what makes everyone unique, and human. Read the rest of the series, Insurgent and Allegiant, to find out what happens next! |
AuthorCorey Dwyer is a library media specialist at Madison Middle School in Trumbull, CT who views authors as rock stars. Her career began in marketing, working for companies in WIlton, CT, New York, and Los Angeles. Archives
January 2018
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