Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau

This is  the second installment of the Testing Series.  Cia's brutal testing experience is now over and forgotten, due to the government issued memory wipe.  She moves on to the Commonwealth's elite University along with Tomas, the boys she loves.
Their bright futures are threaten by the past when violent nightmares force Cia to question reality and the true motives lurking behind the friendly faces of her classmates.
As Cia embarks on the forbidden course of study that could get her killed, Cia delves into the Commonwealth's darkest secrets.
What she learns changes everything.  Little does she know The Testing was just the beginning.

Courage Has No Color:  The True Story of the Triple Nickles
by Tanya Lee Stone

This fascinating book looks at the role of African Americans in the military through the lens of the untold story of the Triple Nickles as they become America's first black paratroopers and fought a little-known World War II attack on the American West by the Japanese. The 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, in the words of First Sergeant Walter Morris, "proved that the color of a man had nothing to do with his ability."
-2014 Tayshas Reading List

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Juliet Moreau is now sixteen and has pieced here life back together after her father deserted the family and her mother passed away.  She has been trying to forget the scandal that ruined her life.  Rumors are still just rumors and it was never proven that her father, Dr. Moreau actually did the gruesome experiments that he is rumored to done.

Now through her father's handsome lab assistant,  she learns he is alive and is continuing his work on a remote island.  Juliet must get to the bottom of the the tales regarding the awful experiments.  To do this, she travels with Dr. Moreau's lab assistant to this remote island with the hope of proving that her father is not the dreadful man that he is accused of being.  When Juliet gets to the island, she finds out that everything her father was accused of is true.  He is doing experiments on animals so that they resemble, speak and behave as humans.  Juliet knows she must end her father's madness and get off the island for her own safety.  But, will she be too late for those who inhabit the island and for herself as well.

Texas Tayshas 2014 Reading List for high school

Out of the Easy by Rupa Sepetys

It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer. She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street.
Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.

I received this as a pre-pub book and was not disappointed.  I was fascinated by the time period in NOLA and love this author.  This book has it all:  murder, gangsters, love, intriguing and believable characters.   It will not disappoint. 

The Night She Disappeared by April Henry

Gabie drives a Mini Cooper.  She also delivers pizzas part-time.  One night, Kayla, another delivery girl at Pete's Pizza, goes out with an order and never comes back.  To Gabie's horror, she learned that the man who called in the fake pizza order had asked if the girl in the Mini Cooper was working that night.  Was Kayla's fate really meant for Gabie?  Obsessed with finding Kayla, Gabie teams up with Drew, who also works at Pete's.  Together they set out to prove Kayla isn't dead, and to find her before she is.

Another fantastic thriller by April Henry.  Fast paced and intense read!

Don't miss out on the convenience of ebooks!

Download free eBooks and audiobooks now using your student ID number! Simply visit http://friscoisd.lib.overdrive.com or download the free OverDrive app.

The Raft by S.A. Bodeen

 Robie lives on a remote island just off the mainland of Hawaii, but far enough to make life uninteresting.  To socialize and get a taste of culture, Robie often goes there by supply plane to visit her aunt.  Her current visit is cut short when her aunt needs to suddenly leave town.  Robie begs to stay alone, and for once, her aunt agrees.  It's only for a week and even though Robie has never stayed alone overnight, she is has been responsible in the past.  Robie heads out one day from her aunt's apartment and has a freaky encounter with someone that leaves her totally shaken. This leads Robie to head back to the supply plane and home.  But she never makes it home, as the supply plane crashes in the ocean and only she and the co-pilot survive.  Her biggest challenges are yet to come.  No one knows where Robie is, and time is running out.
If you are a fan of survival books, you will love The Raft.  It is a quick read, with some predictable moments, but one that you won't put down until you find out what happens to Robie. 

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 to survive while keeping secret all that she can. Fantastic book that is one of the top ten books on the Tayshas High School Reading List.

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Burn for Burn is all about girls getting revenge.  Kat, Lillia, and Mary have all been wronged and this time they won't let it go. 

Kat is the mastermind of the three.  She has been treated horribly by most of the students at her school and she isn't going to take it any more.   Lillia would put up being treated badly, but she won't allow her sister to be treated that way.  Mary left the island and is back to seek revenge.  She was treated unfairly by one person and is not OK with just letting this person slide.  She will get back at him and Kat and Lillia are more than happy to help.

Kat is the loner of the three and has been jilted
more than once, because she just falls for the wrong guy.  Her reason seems the most petty, but she is also the most driven of the three.  Lillia is really a sweetheart, and even though she has been wronged along the way, she is out to protect her younger sister.  Out of the three, Mary is the most wronged and probably has a right to seek revenge, but she is also confused and easily influenced and desperate for friends. 

The revenge methods would probably be typical of teens, but some of the planning methods seem to border on illegal, crazy and just funny. 

Worth the read for the dynamics among Kat, Lillia and Mary as well as those they want to revenge.   This is a departure for Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian, but I thoroughly enjoyed Burn for Burn.  Could their be a sequel?

The Diviners by Libba Bray

The Diviners is a standout book among those authored by Libba Bray.  Set in during the roaring twenties, Evie O'Neill has been shipped off to New York City from rural Ohio because her gossip got her in trouble with the locals.  Evie can't wait to cut loose in NYC, thinking she will experience speakeasies, the Ziegfeld girls and all NYC has to offer.  The only catch is that she must live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.  Evie worries that her uncle will discover her darkest sercret:  a supernatural power that up till now has only brought her trouble.  But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer. 
Libba Bray has written a fantastic historical book where the glittering surface of the Roaring Twenties hides a mystical horror creeping across the country.  This book is not to be missed.
www.libbabray.com

Top Ten Titles @ FHS LIbrary

Don't forget that this week is Teen Read Week.  Stop in and vote for your favorite book title from among the top ten favorites in our library.  You have ten nominations to vote from or write in your own.  Also check out the entries in our 'artwork inspired by a book' contest.  We have tons of entries from CTE students.  There is some awesome art to look at, so don't miss it.

Teen Read Week-- October 14-20. Don't miss it!

It Came from the Library! Is the theme of this year's Teen Read Week! Stop in to the library and pick up agraphic novels, horror books, fantasy titles and more. 
Stop down and vote for your favorite Teens' Top Ten.  Ballots are in the library.  Check out the display of FHS horror and fantasy titles and find out how you can enter our FHS book inspired art contest.  Your artwork can be any type, incuding photo, drawing, paining, sculpture, manga.  We want to see it all!
See Mrs. Bivins for more details. 
Keep checking the blog for more information about our top ten voting and to see artwork entries in our own FHS book inspired art contest. 


 

Banned Book Week

This is Banned Book Week, celebrating the freedom to read.  It brings together librarians, teachers, booksellers, authors, publishers  and others who value free and open access to books.  To celebrate this important event, The FHS Library has a display of some of the commonly banned books and other materials highlighting the importance of this annual event.   

Stop in at the library and look at the display of banned books.  You might be surprised at some of the titles on the list.

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

This is a fantastic story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up.  In the woods of Neverland, Tiger Lily meets the teenage Peter Pan and before she knows it, she has fallen under his spell.  She is willing to risk everything and I mean everything just to be with him.  Soon Tiger Lily has a nemesis who threatens to tear apart the romance she has with Peter.  Little does Tiger Lily know that Peter could be the most dangerous enemy she has met or have the most loyal and loving heart.  Would you risk everything for the love of your life?  This book is not to be missed.

Teens' Top Ten for 2012

It is time to vote for your favorite YA books for 2012!  YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) now has voting open.  You can vote now through September 15th for your 3 favorite books!  The Teens' Top Ten will be announced during Teen Read Week, October 14-20, 2012. 

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

Monument 14 is an action packed, dystopian novel that will keep you turning the pages.  This novel follows sixteen young people from elementary age through high school as they are hold up in a discount store after their bus driver plows through the entrance in an effort to shelter them from a horrendous hail storm.  At first they  act like most teens and are thrilled that they have all the junk food available to them that they could possibly want.  The hail storm is just the beginning as they are exposed to a massive chemical spill that could change their world as they know it.  Realizing they are in for the long haul, the kids step up to accept daily roles. Because there is such a wide range of ages among these kids, they start to get to know each other on levels they never would have through just sharing a bus ride. 

At the end, Monument 14 will leave you waiting to find out if there will be another book and will this be a series.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Ca't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

Explores how introverts have been overlooked in our society while extroverts have become the ideal in the twentieth century and discusses the research that has been done in the fields of psychology and neuroscience which reveals the differences between these two types of people. Includes chapter notes and an index. 

I found this book so fascinating!  If you are an introvert, you will probably relate.  If you are an extroverts, it will help you to understand and get along with others who are introverts.

Prepare and Cease the Moment

To help you on your road to college and eventually a career, I am always looking for information that I feel can benefit you.  In reading my daily blogs, I came across a post by Darren Hardy, publisher of Success Magazine, in which he shares information about the diversity that is happening the workplace.  This is a diversity of gender and generations. 
In a blog post I did on Teenspeak last spring, I talked about how to prepare to work with people from multiple generations currently in the workforce.  In Mr. Hardy's blog post, he states, "today because people are living and working longer we will soon have five generations in the workplace, all at once".   If you have a part-time job, you are probably already working with people from multiple generations.  What does this mean for you?  To fit in, contribute and stay competitive, you will need to be able to adapt to fit in and work with many personalities to help shape the culture, productivity and profit of your chosen company. 

Help us celebrate!

This is National Library Week and a great time to use the resources of your local or school library. If you haven't been down to the FHS Library lately, stop in and use our resources, read or just kick back and relax. We are also online 24-7 @ www.friscoisd.org/ly/schools/fhs/fhslibrary.htm

Are you a texting walker?

If you are like most young people, you probably have found yourself walking and texting. Hopefully you haven't come face-to-face with a wall, rail or post because you were so into texting that you lost track of where you were. All you have to do is check youtube videos on 'texting walkers' and you will find all kinds of videos that you should find real entertaining, but show the hazards of doing this. To avoid any mishaps, keep your eye on your path since you are probably one of the 'texting walkers'.
Do you want to hear some other interesting statistics about your generation?
You are now known as the iGen.
You are in one of the fastest-growing generations who have your smartphone attached to your hand.
Amazon has always been a store with free shipping.
Sadly, the most important book is not in the school library, but for you of course, it is Facebook.
September 11, 2001, is taught in history class.
You have seen your parents struggle to find a new job in an unstable economy.
You are in the most diverse generation in U.S. history.
Other generations your age have not spent nearly the time looking at screens (computer and phone) as you have.
With all of this technology you have and know how to use, take advantage of learning how to be use it to prepare for college, to be successful in college and then how to make an impact for your future employer as well as society and the world.