Books for Sports Fans
Carl Deuker Thomas J. Dygard Perri Klass Bob Krech Charis Marsh Alfred C. Martino Walter Dead Myers Mal Peet Randy Powell
Unique Books for March
First up is GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE, by author Andrew Smith. It is Smith's newest novel, and has gotten critical acclaim from the New York Times Book Review, School Library Journal, and Kirkus Reviews. This is a violent, honest, insane love story. GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE is a history. This is all true. All roads converge at the point of Austin Szerba's pen poised at the top of a blank page in a leather-bound log-book from the 70s, courtesy of McKeon Industries. "And that was my day. You know what I mean." Austin Szerba, a cigarette-smoking Lutheran boy, narrates this post-apocalyptic journey of self-discovery and disaster. He is accompanied by his best friend, who he is completely in love with, Robby Brees; occasionally his girlfriend, Shan Collins, tags along for the ride. He is in love with her, too. It's all very confusing. Except it's not for the reader. The reader perfectly understands Austin's confusion, because we all experience it, too. This is not a cookie-cutter story about the end of the world and/or being in love. This is a story about how everything can be completely screwed up, but you just have to deal with it. "What am I going to do, Ingrid?" Austin asks his beloved golden retriever. By the end of the story, Austin still has no idea what to do. And that is real. That is honest. That is how real life works. The rest of the story has nothing to do with how real life works. Some scientists at McKeon Industries try to create Unstoppable Corn to fuel the demand during the 70s. Then they try to create Unstoppable Soldiers for the government. They succeed, and proceed to be almost completely destroyed by their [...]