Going to Nova Scotia this summer?

http://novascotia.aemma.org/

Interested in being trained in Medieval warfare?  AWESOME.

The Last Day

Well lovelies, this is it.  Your last day of school for the year (woo hoo!), my last day as HHS Librarian (not so woo hoo).  It is with a heavy heart I leave my beloved post here as your Guild Master, but I trust you will carry the torch in my absence.

I leave you two more Medieval models to complete (the village and cathedral!), dueling swords (ahem! pool noodles), some rotten fruit (styrofoam balls covered in dyed sheep fiber), our crest, and this blog.  It is not much, but it is ours, and so it is wonderful.

Thank you for sharing your time, thoughts, reading recommendations, frustrations, fears, laughter, and boredom with me.

Stick together.  That's what matters in life: people.

I'll be seeing ya.

Happy Reading.

Ms. Carson

~HHS Librarian



The Undead Next Door

by Kerrelyn Sparks
Review by Amber Morehouse, grade 11

This is a vampire love story.  It's about the vampire fashion designer Jean-Luc, who is being stalked by a vampire serial killer, and Heather, a mortal.  They meet in an event in which Jean-Luc thinks Heather is stealing his designs.  She isn't, but Lui, the serial killer, sees them together and wants to kill Heather, who he thinks is Jean-Luc's girlfriend.

For her protection, Jean-Luc convinces her to temporarily move in with him.  When Heather finds out Jean-Luc is a vampire she freaks out momentarily and then still stays with him because he is safer than Lui.  In the end, Lui is destroyed and Jean-Luc convinces Heather to marry him.

Funny Misshapen Body

by Jeffrey Brown
Review by Ms. Carson, HHS Librarian

Holy crap (literally)!  This fun graphic novel made me snort and giggle until way past my bedtime.  If you like poop jokes and awkward angsty teenage moments...this is for you!  Jeff Brown, a shy, artistic, not-exactly-popular lad, chronicles his teen and college years dealing with Crohn's Disease, weight gain from steroids, losing his virginity (finally), and dabbling with drugs and binge drinking.  But mostly, you get a real flashback (to those of us past high school and college) to the sheer embarrasment of living under the self-imposed microscopic navel-gazing of those years.  Those still going through it will definitely relate (even if you don't work at a wooden shoe factory or have to change your underwear a few times before lunch).  You also get to see the hours and hours of work and obsession that go into making art and the often skittering trajectory (and harsh rejection) those who pursue their dreams suffer under.

A hilarious romp through one man's journey to adulthood, one bathroom emergency at a time.  Definitely recommended, but not for the easily offended.

Stealing Water

by Tim Ecott
Review by Ms. Carson, HHS Librarian

Let me just say that I always thought I came from a pretty weird family.  A loving, but slightly deranged group of misfits (myself included).  Well, honey, my family and your family have NOTHING on Ecott's.  His mum runs a pawn shop in the bowels of South Africa that regularly hides hot goods and criminals (of all varieties).  His dad has the kind of temper that involves molotov cocktails at midnight.  It isn't unusual for his home to contain more animals than people.  Money, water, and food are in short supply, but never gin or Valium.  The adults seem less responsible than the children.  And no one knows each other's real age.

A truly engrossing read, almost entirely without self-pity or affectation.  The real-life version of Coupland's All Families are Psychotic.  Just great.

Angel Without Wings

Here's a little excerpt from a novel being written by grade 10 student, Jeff Cramm.  Check it out and leave a comment for him!

Once upon a time there was a world not quite like ours. This world is called Neo Terra. Neo Terra is home to many different kinds of beings; like werewolves. These werewolves were quite powerful and were bipedal. Some were bounty hunters while others tried to live with the humans. There were also vampires in this mystic world. The vampires loved their solitary confinement, and would kill almost anyone. Though their bite doesn’t turn you to a vampire, it’s been said it’s deathly fatal. There are plenty of different creatures in this world. In this world there was a kingdom of great renown known as Anivestis. Anivestis was located on the western continent of Flow......

As I finished, I looked to the class, then turned to the teacher to see a look of distaste.

 “This is a pretty farfetched story; where did you get this from again?”

“I dreamed it up last night,” was my answer.

The class burst into laughing and suddenly I felt like getting back to my seat. English class came to an end, and so did the school day seeing as this is my last period. I went to my locker and opened it and got my books ready to go home.

            My name is Vincent Nekosame, and I am a 17 year old high school student in Kyoto, Japan. I have chestnut hair that is down an inch below my ears. My eyes are a deep green and I am 5 foot 10 inches in height. I was never a popular kid in school for several reasons, but the latest reason would have to be that I have been having dreams of another world. Ever since I can remember I have been having them, but lately they have been coming more frequently. The place is apparently called Neo Terra, and this kingdom known as Anivestis. As I closed my locker to leave for my house, a couple of boys came towards me.

“Hey, Vincent!” one boy called out.

I recognized the voice as if it was my closest friend. His name is Kida, one of the bullies at my school. He is a blockhead that is barely passing any of his classes. This guy looks like your usual big, thick-headed guy except that he is a ginger.  Kida thinks he can get away with anything because his father is a lawyer.

“Where are all you fairy friends, out for a stroll?” Kida started, “it’s not like you got any other friends, right?”

I was not going to take it this time; I put my bag down and made my first mistake.

“Stop it Kida,” I said in a stern voice, “or you will regret it.”

Kida looked to his friends and started to laugh, “Oh, I’m sorry Vincent. Did I hurt your feelings?” He said in a demoralizing tone, “I think I have just the fix for this, how about a little beating to take your mind off of it?”

 He started to come towards me clinching his fist. I backed off a bit preparing for the pain when I saw a broom come down of Kida’s head.

“Leave Vincent alone!”

Then this person kept beating the guys with the broom till they left. I noticed who it was after they left. Her name is Koyiko Koromiko. She is one of the cutest girls in my school.

Pictures from the FEAST

 Chainmail is all the rage.

 Mark the Monk

 Tina our wonderful medieval chef!

 Bread plates and bowls and stew and beef, oh my!

 Helen was a stealth elf in a past life.

 Queen Amber receives her 1st place prize.

 Brynn Hayley 2nd place Blog Contest!

 Mac Galbraith 2nd place for hours logged!

 We dine!

 Zoe Jardine 3rd place Blog Contest!

No forks during the Dark Ages!  Dominic manages just fine...

Remember, tomorrow we FEAST!

Awards!  Archery!  Silliness!  Yipee!

All Guild members to meet in the Library at the beginning of working period to get into costume and then we DINE!  Roast beef and pudding and wine (ok, sparkling juice), oh my!

and the winner is.........

ZOE JARDINE!!!  Last Class Story Bash 2011

Last Class Story Bash!

Would you like to be the next David Adams Richards or J.K. Rowling?  This is a shout-out to all aspiring creative writers.  Come on down to the library TODAY at noon hour and bring your lunch; we are having a LAST CLASS STORY BASH.  We are starting at 12:45 SHARP, no one will be permitted to join the contest after this time.  Come have fun with your fellow writers and have a chance to win the PRIZE: a copy of the awesome book by Karen Benke called: Rip the Page, Adventures in Creative Writing! 

Think you are too old for fairy tales?

This week at the Hampton High Library our Huskies in Ms. Spurr-Mackay's English class are learning all about MYTHS, LEGENDS, FOLKLORE, and yes, FAIRY TALES!!

Come check out our excellent collection of books on the subject, on display this week only.  We have BEASTS! Book One drawn by some of your favourite comic/graphic novel artists.

We also have four books in the "ology" series: Monsterology, Vampireology, Wizardology, Oceanology.

Maybe we'll even be lucky enough to have one of Ms. Spurr-Mackay's students share their own fairy tale on our little blog!

Happy reading.

~Ms. Carson
HHS Librarian

All I Want for Christmas is a Vampire

by Kerrelyn Sparks
Review by Amber Morehouse, grade 11

This is a vampire love story between Ian, a vampire bodyguard, and Toni, a mortal bodyguard for vampires.  Toni is protecting vampires in their day sleep so she can get proof of their existence and free her best friend from the psych ward.  Ian is a vampire that was turned when he was 16, and is taking an experimental drug that allows vampires to stay awake during the day.  The side effect is aging a year every time he uses it.  Ian wants to look older so he took the drug and is now uber hot.

Ian finds out about Toni's plan to prove the existence of vampires and doesn't like it, but will help Toni help out her friend.  Throughout all this Toni and Ian fall in love.

I would recommend this book if you like supernatural romance.