Cambridge High School Library 2024

By: Barry Lyga Location: FIC LYG Genre: A dark psychological thriller "I Hunt Killers is an out-of-control hearse with one busted headlight, blood on the grille, a madman at the wheel and laughter pouring out of the open windows. Climb in, buckle up and go for a ride." Joe Hill My father is America's most notoriuos serial killer. My biggest fear is that they think Im like him. My second biggest fear is that I am... I wont be reading this book- it is too gory, and scary, but some of you might want too!! I like me sleep to much, and it seems a bit real... This book is based around the eternal arguement of nature vs nurture. Can you be different to how you are raised, or are the role models that shape you in your early years so infusive that you become what they create you to be. This is Jazz's question, and this book makes him discover the answer! Notorious serial killer Billy Dent,is  responsible for over 100 brutal murders, he knows his life will never

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By: Jeffrey Brown Location: Probably all over the library Genre: Star wars I love StarWars, my sons made me watch it. Tell me- what is cuter than an Ewok, or wiser than Yoda, this tell me, I know not. Jabberthehut is one of a kind and what kid did not want to be Luke Skywalker.. but would you want Darth for Dad, I mean really- I bet he snored real bad. This book is fantastic, it is so good, I am smuggling it home cause my big boys are home this weekend and I want them to know I am a force still to be reckoned with!

By: Christina Baker Kline Location: FIC KLI Genre: Family- or lack of it! NewYork Times Best Seller: I read Angela's Ashes - a story of hideous childhood poverty in Ireland, it was a book designed to wrench your guts out and buy any kid a pair of shoes that you saw down town that had none on! I get the feeling this one is going to do the same- hope it is not as bad as Bridge across my Sorrows   that was a tissue box grabber and far to much liquid escaping my face! But I think this book has more connection with Tomorrow their will be Apricots than any others. Both are about a relationship between  two woman who hurt, whose pasts have scarred them and together they journey for mutual healing and hope. Vivian, has survived almost unimaginable losses over her life. Orphaned at age nine, she is given over to the Children's Aid Society in New York, and sent to the Midwest on a train with other orphaned and abandoned children, with the intention of finding adoptive families

By: Oliver Bowden Location: FIC BOW Genre: Game into book based on  real history . I love Assassins Creed, I love the fact that books based on games based on history are getting you fellas to read and as you do- you are getting sucked into reading. It is so cool, so subtle and cunning, it makes me chuckle. Sucked in and perfect! So what is this little tempter got in store for you then, it is number 6 in the series and it is all about pirates arrr. As for me no pirate will ever be better than the Dread Pirate Roberts - why, because beneath his bravado, amazing sword swashbuckling skills, ability to kill rodents of unusual size- he was really a cute romantic- sold out on looove- as you wish! Lets see if Edward Kenway, the pirate in this novel- topples him. Bet not, it would be inconceivable. It's the Golden Age of Piracy - a time when greed, ambition and corruption overcome all loyalties - and a brash young captain, Edward Kenway, is making his name known for being one of

By: Shaun Tan Location: Picture Book Genre: Use your imagination and think! What are the rules of summer? Mine..... No blokes are allowed to wear speedo's Icecreams need to be double scooped Books are to be read and stolen by no-one else The beach is for swimming in and  not just sitting on All food is prepared by all people all day, I am reading or swimming! Steak and fish should be eaten, with nice salads. The steak should be medium rear, burning the steak breaks the rules. Strawberries need icing sugar. Music should be loud and happy A new adventure of unknown outcomes should be embarked apon Work shall not enter your mind, other things matter more Lastly- sun loving is acceptable, those who have a morbid fear of the sun should immigrate to Iceland or Scotland or the Yukon! Shaun Tan has his "Rules of Summer"- different to mine and very 'Tan"- did you like that!!! But one thing they have in common with mine- sharing summer with a good mate 

By: Jenny Wingfield Location: FIC WIN Genre: Family Drama's A PK. It means "Preachers Kid." That is something close to my world. Its a tough job being a PK. That is what Swan is, she is the daughter of Samuel Lake a fiery Methodist preacher from the south of the USA. Think -"The Help", think  - "Fried Green Tomatoes", - think "To Kill a Mockingbird". High praise- but that is what this book is getting! This family loved God, but when someone close commits suicide, you are found jobless, your father-in-law runs a pub called "Moses never Closes" and Swan meets a lad who is abused and afraid,  the jealousy's, loves and hates of a close knit rural community, then what you think  about God is put to the test. Is fiery preaching livable in action, does being a PK mean you cant explore the pain of a broken world for yourself? Funny thing really, I grew up is a very Christian rural part of New Zealand, and we had a family enter

If it is a competetion- who will win. Hobbit- desolution of Smaug OR Hunger Games- Catching Fire!!

By: Luke Scull Genre: Fantasy Location: FIC SCU The world is desperately in need of heroes. But what they get instead are a ragtag band of old warriors, a crippled Halfmage, two orphans and an oddly capable manservant: the Grim Company... Yes the world needs heros', what is a hero?  Is is a knight in shining armour who welds his swords and disposes of evilness that permits to root itself in society? Is a hero a whistle blower that reveals to the world all the deeds of corruption that undermine a safe secure world? Is a hero a sportsman who scores points in the dying stages of a gladiatorial game that determines national identity. Is a hero a soldier that rips open gunfire on men and woman to take precious land in the defence of liberty? What is a hero? The blab on this book says the world needs them because, The Gods are dead. The Magelord Salazar and his magically enhanced troops, the Augmentors, crush any dissent they find in the minds of the populace. On the other side o

By: Brandon Sanderson Location: FIC SAN Genre: Sanderson Never has an author caused so much dispute in the library. Students fighting over books as they come in, vicious rock, paper, scissors competitions. After school meetings to discuss Sanderson's worlds with expert sons coming in to facilitate, students begging on knees to take it before it has been processed. Students from the  Chiefs- Waikato country pledging eternal allegiance to the Crusaders from Canterbury. Love that! This book had them going and anything with the name Sanderson in it, a now automatic purchase! Steelheart is his latest, only complaint from those who have vied to get this book is that it was too short- just like me! Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills. Nobody figh

By: T L Costa Location: FIC COS Genre: Gaming turned into fiction Ok I confess, it was the name on the cover that got me. I know a Tyler and boy they sound similar!  So many reviews of this book say Tyler has "a huge heart" , "endearing"  " a likeable character", "virtous", "high intelligence and a kind heart makes him a lovely soul", "smart and caring", " a fighter", ... and he  has ADHD and Dyslexia. Hmmm!! Some of you will know where I am going with this! This book has a hero in it called Tyler, the Tyler I know is also a  genuine hero to me for several of the same reasons- but not all of them, his mum has not checked out mentally, not last time I noticed anyway! When is a game not a game? Tyler MacCandless can’t focus, even when he takes his medication. He can’t focus on school, on his future, on a book, on much of anything other than taking care of his older brother, Brandon, who’s in rehab for heroin a

By: Malala Yousafzai and Christina lamb Location: NF 920 YOU Genre: Heroines of the world who did real stuff with guts and courage! Ok this blog will get me going.. It is about education and it is about the power of education that changes lives and worlds, it is about the threat of education and knowing that knowledge empowers, and that empowering then can minimise the control forced over us by the powerful. Education destroys regimes and the regime knows it. Then- along comes a girl, a courageous young woman called Malala, who refused to allow to her her right to education be stopped by the Taliban, she stood tall, and she refused to be made to submit- she knew education and knowledge were the keys to her freedom, her creativity, and her future ability to provide for herself. She knew education allowed her to think, to ponder, to learn, to then use that to reach her potential, she knew education was a gift that would help her change her world.  She paid the ultimate price, the t

Ohhh can't wait!!! I know the book is the always the winner , and I was not allowed to marry until I had read The Hobbit . I know my imagination of what Smaug is like is my own wee minds version, and I know that I have painted Bilbo in the canvas of my mind and so why let a movie minimise the power of the word? Because it is going to be sooo good and if anyone can translate this classic to the big screen, then Peter Jackson can. The only problem I have being a New Zealander is reminding myself that the scenery is not where I went on holiday in 1995- but then again maybe it was... Bring this movie on- shatter my preconcieved ideas and let me fly with new ones! If you arent convinced check out this lattest trailer- and oh- read the book first!!!

It has been a great year with our Year 13's and I have to say I am a proud they chose the library as their prank for the year! You did a great job. As you know I am really intentional about this blog being about books- but for this, I will break the rules and share with my blogging world your awesomeness! Respect!

By: Elizabeth Wein Location: FIC WEI Genre: War and Poetry ! “Five years of destruction and mayhem, lives lost everywhere, shortages of food and fuel and clothing - and the insane mind behind it just urges us all on and on to more destruction. And we all keep playing.” 'Hope is the most treacherous thing in the world. It lifts you and lets you plummet. But as long as you're being lifted, you don't worry about plummeting." I like to write, I find writing  something that allows my being to figure out what I am, and what I think and what I am discovering. It kind of settles me, and discovers me. When I travel to places where I see stories in front of me, stories that hurt, stories I cant control- then it is writing that helps me make sense, or forever not make sense of what i feel and observe. Writing are the glasses into my soul. If I had to go to war- it would be the power of writing that would help me unravel the journey enforced on me. Rose had to go to war, an