Test Preparation Resources

September 16, 2015September 14, 2015 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

School at all levels is rife with testing, as are some career paths. There are the GED, PSAT‘s, SAT’s ACT‘s, LSAT‘s, GRE‘s, TOEFL‘s, PRAXIS, and so many more tests that can set anyone into a flurry of practice tests and preparation work. I remember preparing for the SAT’s (more years ago than I care to share) and hunkering down in a store with a test preparation book to see if it was worth the price.

Thankfully, these days there are a number of online resources and classes interested test takers can participate in. There are also study guides and preparation books that you can check out or use here in the library. There are so many tests and corresponding guides available that I will only list a sampling of the helpful volumes here. If you do not see a test you need to prepare for, or want more options, please check out out catalog or ask our reference librarians for further assistance.

GED test 2015: Strategies, Practice & Review by Caren Van Slyke and Kaplan
How to Prepare for the GED Test by Christopher M. Sharpe, Joseph S. Reddy
PSAT/NMSQT: Strategies, Practice & Review by Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions
Barron’s SAT by Sharon Weiner Green, Ira K
Kaplan 2016 5 Strategies for the New SAT by Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions
Cracking the ACT by Geoff Martz, Kim Magloire, and Theodore Silver
LSAT Logic games Bible: a Comprehensive System for Attacking the Logic Games Section of the LSAT by David M. Killoran
GRE Graduate Record Examination Premier 2016 by Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions
Cracking the TOEFL iBT by Douglas Pierce and Sean Kinsell
Praxis Core: Reading (5712), Writing (5722), mathematics (5732) by Sandra Rush, Julie O’Connell
Barron’s ASVAB: Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery by Terry L. Duran
Police Officer Exam: Power Practice
Correction Officer Exam by Donald J. Schroeder, Frank A. Lombardo
CLEP Official Study Guide 2015: College-level Examination Program by CollegeBoard
Barron’s EMT: Emergency Medical Technician Exam by Will Chapleau, Peter T. Pons

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Young Adult Books Without Romance

August 31, 2015August 4, 2015 / Sharon Tyler / 2 Comments

Do you love young adult books but have found yourself bored with the love triangles and angst that comes with the almost constant presence of a complicated love interest? Well, I have gone in search of young adult books that entertain and are romance free! Here are some of the best young adult books that steer clear of the expected traps of young love. Some of these might have some flirting, or some hints of possible romance in the future, but I aimed for the books with no romance at all. This turned out to be a harder list than I expected to curate; so if you have additional titles to suggest please share them in the comments. I know I cannot be the only one to notice the lack in this area.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
After a family tragedy, Jacob feels compelled to explore an abandoned orphanage on an island off the coast of Wales, discovering disturbing facts about the children who were kept there.

Sabriel by Garth Nix
Sabriel, daughter of the necromancer Abhorsen, must journey into the mysterious and magical Old Kingdom to rescue her father from the Land of the Dead.

Here, There be Dragons by James A. Owen
Set in 1917, an undergraduate is given a special book that he is told was the reason for his professor’s murder and so must now protect it with his life as he goes on a journey like no other to places that are only supposed to exist in history and dreams.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
In 1943, a British fighter plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France and the survivor tells a tale of friendship, war, espionage and great courage as she relates what she must do to survive while keeping secret all that she can.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Leaving the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white high school, Junior struggles to find his place in his new surroundings in order to escape his destiny back on the reservation.

Going Bovine by Libba Bray
Dealing with an illness that will soon result in his death, 16-year-old Cam is intrigued by the stories told by an eccentric girl named Dulcie and so is encouraged to go on a wild road trip across America where their search for a special cure will lead them to the strangest places on the map.

For more romance free, or very light, here are some more suggestions; Deadline by Chris Crutcher, Katya’s World by Jonathan L. Howard, The Eye of Minds by James Dashner, The Alchemyst: the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott, The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde, Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, Monster by Walter Dean Myers, Butterfly by Sonya Hartnett, Orleans by Sherri L. Smith, The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, The Hobbit: or, There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Maze Runner by James Dashner,The Sky Inside by Clare B. Dunkle, Watership Down by Richard Adams, The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, Killer of Enemies by Joseph Bruchac, or Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.

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Books for the Clone Club – What to Read After Orphan Black

August 21, 2015August 12, 2015 / Louise / 2 Comments

I recently discovered the BBC America series Orphan Black, somewhat by accident. In my job as Social Media Coordinator at Cheshire Library, I spend a lot of time on various social media networks, where I’d see Orphan Black referenced regularly. The show has a very vocal online fandom, particularly on Twitter and Tumblr, and I guess this is a good example of social media effectively surpassing traditional advertising in getting the word out about something. After the fandom’s outpouring of joy when the show’s lead, Tatiana Maslany, was nominated (finally! they exclaimed) for an Emmy, I decided to see what all the fuss was about.

Luckily we own Seasons One, Two, and Three here at CPL, which allowed me to binge-watch my heart out, and guess what? They got me! It’s a really riveting show that, not being a huge sci-fi fan, I normally wouldn’t have thought to watch. I have joined the masses in my awe of Tatiana Maslany’s “heavy lifting” as an actress, playing multiple clones in each episode and making them all identifiable and unique.

Season Four won’t premiere until sometime in 2016; where to get our clone fix in the meantime? Fear not, Clone Club, I’ve found a few books to fill the genetically-engineered void until then. Surprisingly, to me anyway, most of these are considered YA (young adult) books, but they stand up to adult reading. So if you like fiction with a clone-y twist, might I suggest:

False Sight by Dan Krokos. Resolving to move past the disturbing truths of her clone origins to enjoy time with Peter and her other friends, Miranda is compelled to follow her genetically programmed instincts when a member of her team turns rogue and triggers a humanity-threatening war.

Project Cain by Geoffrey Girard. Jeff Jacobson learns that not only was he cloned from infamous serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer’s blood as part of a top-secret government experiment, but there are other clones like him and he is the only one who can track them down before it is too late.

Partials by Dan Wells. In a post-apocalyptic eastern seaboard ravaged by disease and war with a man made race of people called Partials, the chance at a future rests in the hands of Kira Walker, a sixteen-year-old medic in training

Falls the Shadow by Stefanie Gaither. When her sister Violet dies, Cate’s wealthy family brings home Violet’s clone who fits in perfectly until Cate uncovers something sinister about the cloning movement. Murder, morality, and a slow-burning romance fill the pages of this futuristic thriller.

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer. This modern classic takes on an iron-fisted drug lord, clones bred for their organs, and what it means to be human. Winner of the National Book Award as well as Newbery and Printz Honors.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. Kathy grows up at a peculiar English boarding school called Hailsham, knowing that she and her classmates are “donors,” clones raised for organ harvesting. Kathy has deferred her fate by becoming a caregiver for dying clones, including her close childhood friends Ruth and Tommy. This award-winning novel straddles the YA and Adult Fiction genres, and takes the reader on a real emotional journey.

Young Adult Spy Novels That Adults Can Enjoy Too

August 12, 2015August 4, 2015 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Do you have a young adult reader that loves detective and spy novels but has moved past The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and N.E.R.D.S.? Perhaps you love young adult fiction and a great spy novel. Well, whatever the case, here are some of the best spy and espionage books to be had in the young adult section of our library. Did I miss one of your favorites? Please mention it in the comments so that others can enjoy it as well!

1. Stormbreaker (Alex Rider, #1) by Anthony Horowitz
After the death of the uncle who had been his guardian, fourteen-year-old Alex Rider is coerced to continue his uncle’s dangerous work for Britain’s intelligence agency, MI6.

2. I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You (Gallagher Girls, #1) by Ally Carter
As a sophomore at a secret spy school and the daughter of a former CIA operative, Cammie is sheltered from “normal teenage life” until she meets a local boy while on a class surveillance mission.

3. H.I.V.E. Higher Institute of Villainous Education (H.I.V.E., #1) by Mark Walden
Swept away to a hidden academy for training budding evil geniuses, Otto, a brilliant orphan, Wing, a sensitive warrior, Laura, a shy computer specialist, and Shelby, an infamous jewel thief, plot to beat the odds and escape the prison known as H.I.V.E.

4. The Prisoner of Cell 25 (Michael Vey, #1) by Richard Paul Evans
Michael Vey, a fourteen-year old who has Tourette’s syndrome and special electric powers, finds there are others like him, and must rely on his powers to save himself and the others from a diabolical group seeking to control them.

5. Independence Hall (I, Q, #1) by Roland Smith
Teenagers Q (Quest) and Angela go on tour with married rockers Blaze and Roger and, while in Philadelphia, become submerged in a world of danger when they discover the identity of Angela’s real mother, who is a former Secret Service agent.

6. Code Name Verity (Code Name Verity, #1) by Elizabeth Wein
In 1943, a British fighter plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France and the survivor tells a tale of friendship, war, espionage and great courage as she relates what she must do to survive while keeping secret all that she can.

As always, I have trouble stopping with just a few. There are just so many great books out there. So, if you have already read the books on my short list, here are some more recommendations; Palace of Spies (Palace of Spies, #1) by Sarah Zettel, Spy Camp by Stuart Gibbs, All Fall Down (Embassy Row, #1) by Ally Carter, The Lab (Agent Six of Hearts #1) by Jack Heath, The Recruit (Cherub, #1) by Robert Muchamore, Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School, #1) by Gail Carriger, Alibi Junior High by Greg Logsted, Dancer, Daughter, Traitor, Spy (Dukovskaya #1) by Elizabeth Kiem, Two Lies and a Spy (Two Lies and a Spy, #1) by Kat Carlton, Also Known As (Also Known As, #1) by Robin Benway, A Spy in the House (The Agency, #1) by Y.S. Lee, Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, #1) by Robin LaFevers, Sekret (Sekret, #1) by Lindsay Smith, Fledgling (Jason Steed, #1) by Mark A. Cooper, SilverFin (Young Bond, #1) by Charlie Higson, and Spy High Mission One by A.J. Butcher.

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Read the book first or see the movie first?

July 17, 2015July 6, 2015 / Linda / Leave a comment

Some interesting books are coming to a theater near you soon. Are you the type who wants to read the book first to see if the movie would be worth going to, or do you look at who’s starring in the movie and see it first and then read the book later? Which one of the following movies do you think you’ll go see?

Book

Mr. Holmes (PG) – based on the book A Slight Trick of the Mind by Mitch Gullin. Starring Ian McKellen, Laura Linney. Release date July 17, 2015. “In 1947, ninety-three-year-old Sherlock Holmes lives out his retirement in a remote Sussex farmhouse with a housekeeper and her young son, Roger, who stumbles upon information about Holmes’s secret past and long-ago infatuation with Mrs. Keller, while the one-time master detective tends his apiary, writes in journals, and copes with the fading powers of his mind.”

Book

Dark Places (R) – based on the book by Gillian Flynn. Starring Charlize Theron. Release date August 7., 2015 ” After witnessing the murder of her mother and sisters, seven-year-old Libby Day testifies against her brother Ben, but twenty-five years later she tries to profit from her tragic history and admit that her story might not have been accurate.”

Book

Paper Towns (PG-13) – based on the book by John Green. Starring Cara Delevigne and Nat Wolff. Release date July 25, 2015. “One month before graduating from his Central Florida high school, Quentin “Q” Jacobsen basks in the predictable boringness of his life until the beautiful and exciting Margo Roth Spiegelman, Q’s neighbor and classmate, takes him on a midnight adventure and then mysteriously disappears.”

Book

Black Mass(R) – based on the book by Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill. Starring Johnny Depp and Benedict Cumberbatch. Release date September 18, 2015. ” A profile of FBI agent John Connolly and James “Whitey” Bulger, the godfather of Boston’s Irish Mob, describes how these two childhood friends, who grew up together on the tough streets of South Boston, conspired to bring down Boston’s Italian mafia in a scheme that spiraled out of control, leading to drug dealing, racketeering, and murder.”