Patron Reviews

Chicken Chicken is a story about two siblings named Crystal and Cole living on a rural chicken farm. Crystal explains how her parents have always dreamed of leaving the urban city and going to a rural area to farm chickens, but Crystal and Cole hate chickens for being filthy. They seem to frequently argue about whose turn it is to feed the chickens or other tasks related to chickens. One day Crystal is told to watch Cole and finds Cole hanging out with his friends Anthony, Franky, and Jeremy. Cole has dared Franky and Jeremy to put water in a woman named Vanessa's mailbox. Vanessa is a strange woman who dresses in all black and tends to be solitary. Many kids call her a sorcerer and claim she practices witchcraft. Eventually Franky and Jeremy escape without being spotted, but Vanessa gives Anthony, Cole and Crystal dirty looks as they run away. The siblings are scared and Cole teases Crystal about being scared of Vanessa for the next days. One day Crystal sees Cole and Anthony fighting over an egg toss. Cole and Anthony bump into Vanessa carrying her groceries. Anthony apologizes and runs away with Cole and Crystal, but not before Vanessa points at Cole and Crystal in a sinister manner and mutters the words, "Chicken, chicken". Cole and Crystal find themselves slowly morphing into chickens, which interferes with normal activities such as eating and talking. Finally, after realizing that Vanessa must have cursed them, Cole and Crystal go to Vanessa's house to apologize in hopes that the spell will be reversed, but Vanessa is not home. Crystal sees books through a window that look like spellbooks, so Cole and her creep inside Vanessa's house to try to find a spell that will cure them. They try a spell but accidently make themselves bigger, then they do it again which makes them smaller. Suddenly Vanessa returns home and laughs at them. You'll have to read the book to find out what happens next! This book uses elements of mystery and horror to create a suspenseful experience. R. L. Stine's style is best for people who are younger teens, as many of them will relate to the characters in this book. The events associated with the characters are smoothly connected. This book is written in clear language and is easy to read. The word choice makes for a climatic feeling in some places in the book. However, the ending may not be what you expect! I recommend this book for anybody who is around the ages of 12-14 and is looking for a horror-mystery style book.

First of all, there are 4 main characters, Lucy Bertel, Nicky Gibson, Pigeon, and Nicky's Grandma, Grandma Zelda, and the book takes place in New York. Lucy believes every handwriting has a secret to it and has a heart for examining people's handwriting and signatures and just moved from Savannah. Nicky spends most of his time in his time in his room because of the time-outs his father gave him. He knows his father isn't a nice man and suspects that he has done something wrong. Pigeon can talk and is a pie eating pigeon. Grandma Zelda makes delicious Zeldaberry pie and is very adventurous. But later, Zelda goes missing, and Nicky, Lucy, and Pigeon join forces to find her, and the only clue they have is a note that Grandma Zelda left, that says "Help Me". http://nmlbookblog.blogspot.com/2012/07/signed-by-zelda.html Check link out for picture of the book.

A collection of short stories woven together with a common character, sometimes a few more, “The Beach at Galle Road” gives voice to experiences in Sri Lanka during its civil war. Melancholy and madness hang over many of the characters including the westerners there to teach and do aid work. Perhaps the impact of the shifting people prevents you from becoming too attached to anyone as the book accelerates its pace toward its tragic end.

While in South Korea to teach English, author Katherine Jenkins meets a Buddhist monk and begins to take his mediation class before work each morning. A friendship develops between the two and later a romance. In “Lessons from the Monk I Married,” the reader will learn basic Buddhist principles along with the author as you follow the development of their relationship. If you are new to Buddhism, this is a great way to learn about its approach to life. Although I have heard many of the ideas many times, I find that I can’t be reminded of them enough. It strikes me how often I seem to reach for the right book just as I need to read it. I suspect this book, will be that right book, for almost all of you.

In the late 1950’s, Michael Carroll and a friend travelled through Iran. A couple years after returning, Carroll published a summary of their experiences in “From a Persian Tea House: Travels in Old Iran.” The memoir beautifully captures a glimpse of an Iran that no longer exists. Carroll spends days lounging around a tea house in Isfahan developing relationships with locals that will help him the rest of his journey. He and his friend boldly drive through the country in their Land Rover, many times into areas even locals won’t go. In some communities they are welcomed and feted while in another they are chased out by an angry mob. Carroll also gives a master class in bargaining, in Chapter 4, where he discusses their efforts to purchase the rugs of their dreams as well as other vintage and antique items. Reading about the wonderful people and incredible destinations of Iran makes me hope for a day when I will also be able to visit safely.