A Black Hole Is Not a Hole

Black holes have always been one of those mysterious, too weird to be true, but really it is true kind of things.  As a fan of science fiction, black holes show up in storytelling fairly regularly, so I was excited to read this book and get to the truth of this mysterious phenomena.

This book is funny, informative, and highly readable.  Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano explains the science of black holes, how they are formed and how they work (as far as we know).  She also provides excellent source notes and links to websites with some amazing images!  I am going to put them here because you should go to some of them and be amazed!

Chandra X-Ray Observatory

Hubblesite:  Black Holes

NASA's Imagine the Universe!

StarDate's Black Hole Encyclopedia

Starship Asterisk*

The Reluctant Assassin

Fans of Artemis Fowl rejoice!  Eoin Colfer is back with a new series opener that will knock your socks off!

Riley is an orphan living in Victorian London.  He has been apprenticed to Albert Garrick, assassin and magician, since he was a small child.  Riley has been putting off the moment of his first kill for a long time, but the moment has come.  He doesn't want to be killer, but he also knows Garrick will kill him if he doesn't follow through.

Chevron Sevano is a disgraced teenage member of a defunct FBI recruiting program.  The bureau managed to get rid of everyone else, but Chevie is determined to stick with it until she is old enough to become a full fledged agent.  As punishment, she's been sent to London as an assistant in the W.A.R.P. (Witness Anonymous Relocation Program) where she is guarding a pod.  She doesn't know what her purpose is only that she is bored out of her mind with way too much time to work out.

All of that changes when the mysterious pod comes to life sending a dead man and his supposed killer into the 21st century.  Riley and Chevie become reluctant partners as they are quickly pursued by the nefarious Albert Garrick who has finally discovered something that will allow him to rule the world with his new intelligence and skills.

In this fast paced thriller, our heroes will fight for their lives across the London of the present and the past.  They must find a way to stop Garrick before the ruthless killer destroys everything!  But is there something more going on than a simple game of cat and mouse across time?  Read the book to find out!

UnSouled

In book three of the Unwind dystology, Connor and Lev are on the run after the destruction of the Graveyard, but for the first time since that fateful day in Akron, Ohio, they are not just running away from unwinding but running toward answers they hope will make in a difference in the battle against unwinding.  Even though he has taken on the role of revolutionary, he still sometimes longs for the days when he and Risa could be together every day.

Cam, the rewind, has turned against Proactive Citizenry.  He's just biding his time until he can escape and take down the people who made him.  If he can do this, he hopes Risa will take him seriously.

Risa is now hiding from everyone.  The Juvenile Authority and parts pirates have always been a threat, but everyone is against her since her forced public support of unwinding.  No one knows the truth, that she was blackmailed into that support to save the Whollies at the graveyard.  Even while she struggles for survival, she longs to see Connor again, but she fears he died in the graveyard.

Starkey is still at large with his gang of Storks that grows larger every day, and if there's one kid who shouldn't have worship and adoration, it's him.  The more power he gets, the more he craves, and his violent tendencies grow out of control.

As always, Neal Shusterman peppers this exhilarating and disturbing tale with real life news reports that only add to the reader's unease.  This is a fast paced thriller of a tale that takes the story even deeper.  With each revelation, the plot and the conspiracy thickens.  I can't wait for book four!

Counting By 7s

Willow Chance is a twelve year old genius who doesn't fit in anywhere but home.  She was adopted as a baby, and she and parents seem to have the perfect family.  Despite her eager anticipation for her new school, things don't go well.  The kids don't like her, and even her teachers are put off by her intense intelligence and inability to understand social situations.

But things are about to get a lot harder for Willow when she returns from school one day to find police officers waiting to tell her that her parents died in a car accident.  Willow has never been more alone in her life.

She will have to create a new life for herself with the help of people she barely knows.  Her ineffectual school counselor, her new friend Mai, and Mai's Vietnamese family, even a cab driver.

Willow is numb from her tragedy, but this odd and broken little girl will inspire and connect everyone around her and maybe even create a new family for herself along the way.

I loved Holly Goldberg Sloan's book and its wonderful message of finding hope in the face of tragedy!

Ship Out of Luck

Antsy Bonano is back in a new book that takes him into international waters.  Old man Crawley wants to celebrate his 80th birthday in style and not alone, so he has invited (commanded) Antsy's family to join him in the best suite on a new and fabulous cruise ship.

Things will never go as planned for our hapless hero starting with a case of missing luggage, but that's the least of his worries.  Antsy quickly gets involved with beautiful stowaway, Tilde, and her plans to help some Mexican immigrants in a not so legal way.

Join the Antsy and company on another funny and thoughtful adventure from one of my favorite authors, Neal Shusterman!

The 9 Lives of Alexander Baddenfield

Alexander Baddenfield is the last in a long line of Baddenfields, each one worse than the one before.  This means Alexander is pretty terrible.  The Baddenfields always die young but appropriately.  For example, the Baddenfield trying to hunt wild and endangered animals was trampled to death by them.

The only reason the Baddenfields live as long as they do is the Winterbottoms.  Winterbottoms have be taking care of Baddenfields for as long as anyone can remember, and Alexander and his Winterbottom are no exception.

But Alexander has come up with a new plan to do all the terrible and dangerous things he's ever wanted to do with no consequences.  He just needs to find a mad scientist doctor to take his cat's extra eight lives and transfer them to him!  It's a brilliant plan really.  Shaddenfrood just lays around sleeping and purring all day.  Alexander could be those lives to much better use.

This book is the story of how Alexander stole and used those lives, but beware, this is not some touchy-feely-becoming-a-better-person book.  Alexander is definitely bad to the bitter end.  Make sure you keep reading past "The End" for a glimpse of what will happen in his tenth and final existence!

John Bemelmans Marciano's story is funny, sinister, and disgusting, and Sophie Blackall's illustrations really take this story from bad to worse!

R.J. Palacio in Houston!