Abe Lincoln Book Award Winner

Crank is the Illinois Abraham Lincoln book of the year, selected by high school students in Illinois. Crank also won at Trinity with 3 votes. Such a Pretty Girl was the 2nd place winner both statewide and at Trinity. 3rd place in the state was The Lightning Thief.

Congratulations to the 13 Trinity "Abe Babes" who read at least 4 books and qualified to vote this year. These girls will be featured on the Library's photo wall of fame and will attend a "breakfast with the books" later this month.

Crank
The novel Crank by Ellen Hopkins is a close look at drug addictions and what the monster, called Crank, does to one’s body once it has been introduced. The main character, Kristina, is sent to her father’s house in Albuquerque, where she meets Adam. Kristina’s trip takes a wrong turn when Adam introduces her to the monster. The drug took control of every part of her body, even convincing her that she was someone else. When using the drug and meeting new people, Kristina becomes “Bree”. Crank is a phenomenal novel that teaches the reader what can happen if someone doesn’t think twice about becoming friends with “the monster”.

Crank is a remarkable novel that is a must-read for all ages. It is by far one of the best novels I have ever read. It was full of so much truth and dull moments never existed. The plot always kept me wanting more, and I never wanted to put the book down. Since I read Crank within a day, I never did put the book down. The author wrote specifically about her daughter, who is Kristina in the book. This is just one of the reasons the novel is so interesting because it is an honest and genuine story. Because Crank was such a great novel, I plan to the sequel Glass.

I recommend this novel to anyone who would like to read a fascinating novel involving real life situations. Crank is a great novel that keeps the reader on their toes with anxiousness to know what will happen next. It is a real page turner and is really interesting. If reading appears boring to someone, they obviously have not read Crank. For all readers out there, once this novel is picked up, it is hard to put down.

-Taylor

Such a Pretty Girl

Such a Pretty Girl is about a fifteen year old girl named Meredith. Her father molested her as a little girl. The court promised her that her father would be in jail until she turned eighteen but he ends up getting out three years earlier. Her mother does not see what her father did was wrong. Her mother thinks it was just a mistake, Meredith knows her father is a child molester. Meredith is dating Andy who was another one of her dad’s victims. Meredith feels like Andy is the only person she can count on. One day Meredith’s mother slaps her in front of Meredith’s grandmother. Her grandmother will not allow her to live with her mother so Meredith moves in with her. Meredith makes a plan, and moves back home. She hides cameras all around her house because she wanted her dad to get caught for good. Sure enough, he did. Meredith takes the tapes to court and her father gets put back in jail for life.

I loved the book. I think Meredith is a great character in the book and what she did was awesome. I would never be able to deal with the things she did. I found myself wanting to go in the book and kill her dad for her. I also wanted to talk some sense into her mother. I didn’t understand why she was in denial the whole time. Everyone saw his personality qualities except for her. I loved the book and I think Meredith is a great character. I’m so glad she stuck up for herself. She deserved it after all of that time. I felt really sorry for her at the beginning of the book but at the end I was really excited that her life was actually good.

I would definitely recommend this book to others. It showed me all the good things I have in my life and how lucky I am. I learned how great my family is. If you like reading darker books this is the book for you. I think girls should read it because it is not the usual love story. This book is actually real and believable. I think it was one of my favorite books.

-Rachael

Recommendations from Our Readers

Sold
The award winning novel, Sold, is a moving tale by Patricia McCormick. It is a depressing story of a thirteen-year old girl named Lakshmi who lives with her mother, stepfather, and baby brother. Laskshmi’s best friend is a white and black spotted goat. Later her stepfather finds her a job as a maid for a rich woman, which turns out to be a prostitution house. She was there for a very long time and is living in a nightmare. Lakshmi must endure the torture of being used for months before she is able to return home. Her life is both devastating and destructive to her future.

It is really distressing how a thirteen-year old girl gets sold into prostitution and she has sex with men she doesn’t even know. Lakshmi’s life is very scary. This was an exceptional book because it’s about the controversial issue of prostitution. It gave its readers a glimpse of culture in Nepal, India.

My opinion about this book is to have older students read it, not grammar school students. The issues mentioned are too graphic for immature readers. I would recommend this book for a health class because it focuses around the topic of sex at young age. The book would be good to start discussions and debates about this issue.

-Daphne

The Girls

The Girls by Lori Lansens is about two girls that are caniopagus twins named Ruby and Rose. They were born connected at the head in the middle of tornado. Lovely Darlen, the nurse who delivered the girls, instantly became in love with them. When the mother and father disappear, Lovely and her husband adopt the girls and raise them as their own. The girls try to live the most normal life possible; as the girls develop their own personalities they learn how to overcome their weakness and to help on another out as much as possible.

The Girls is an extraordinary and heart-breaking book that really gets you to appreciate the things you have in life. Lori Lansens does an excellent job really showing difficulties the girls go though. Within the first page the reader sees the suffering and pain the girls go though. Lori Lansens beautiful writes the chapters with points of view from Ruby and Rose. Throughout the chapters you see utterly compelling bits of poetry such as “I have never looked into my sister’s eyes. I have never bathed alone. I have never stood in the grass at night and raised my arms to a beguiling moon. I’ve never used an airplane bathroom. Or worn a hat. Or been kissed like that. I’ve never driven a car. Or slept though the night. Never a private talk. Or a solo walk. I’ve never climbed a tree. Or faded in a crowd. So many things I’ve never done, but oh, how I’ve been loved. And, if such things were to be, I’d live a thousand lives as me, to be loved exponentially.”

I would recommend this book to anyone loves books about kindness, love, and the mishaps and miracles of life. This book is perfect for anyone loves a heartrending but, blissful story filled poetry and different views on same topic. I would say that this book is defiantly in my top five favorite books because the book is so well written and intriguing.

- Brittany

Crank

Crank by Ellen Hopkins tells the life of a teenage girl, who is trapped in the spell of drugs, crank. In this journal of poems, Katrina writes about her life and about the year that she would never forget. Katrina is controlled by her dangerous, cocaine loving alter ego Bri. Bri falls in love with Buddy who makes her addicted to drugs while visiting her sorry excuse for a father. When Katrina returns home she notices how Bri is taking over the perfect life that she once had. Every thing is disappearing and “the monster” takes control of her, her grades, her relationships and friend-ships. Mistakenly, Bri becomes pregnant with her close boyfriend Chase. When Kristina finally comes back and notices the destruction she put on herself, with a baby and a runaway father that is similar to her dad, she could only hope for a better tomorrow.

This book was very different. I have never read such book that tells from a person who is going through all of the destructive things while I am reading it. As I became addicted to this novel, I saw how Bri was taking over Katrina’s life even when she didn’t. I witness all the crazy things Katrina and Bri had experienced. It is very edgy and sometimes scary. So scary that I couldn’t put the book down, pages just kept turning. I can’t wait to read this next book “Burned” by Ellen Hopkins.

I recommend this book to any one who maybe had experienced drugs, or have boy problems or just eager to be hooked, because in this novel Bri/Katrina experienced it all, and if your curious to what ‘it all’ is then this is the book! This book will get you hooked once you read the first page. It is told from a teenager; therefore she is going through all of the same things we are. She is so funny (both sides of her), and her diary of poems will have you teary eyed, gaping, mad as ever, and with a colossal smile on your face. This is the book for any teenage girl who has been under pressure; this book relaxes you down because it shows you that some one is maybe going though the same thing, even worse! This book is one- in-a-million.

- Pariz

Such A Pretty Girl

Meredith was sexually abused by her father for many years. Once her Dad got caught they locked him up and told her that he would be out in five years, so she would be 18 and legally would not have to live with him. Unfortuantely they changed their minds and let him out three years early because they saw progress. Meredith's Mother has been in denial throughout the whole thing and is willing to let her husband back into the family. The only way Meredith was going to make sure her Dad wasn't going to get away with molesting her again was to make her own plan. She was going to get her father gone, and this time for good.

The book Such A Pretty Girl got my attention just from the summary. I really enjoyed reading this book. This was one of those books i couldn't put down, and finished in just days. I couldn't relate to the book, but I liked putting myself in Meredith's place and thinking about all her situations. Her life is so different from mine, so reading the book was being in like a new life. Meredith is such a carefree person, just living her life the best she can, even with everything she has gone through. I admired that in her, and I loved reading about her everyday life and comparing it to mine. This book is one of those books I would most defiantly read again.

I would recommend Such A Pretty Girl to others. I think this book is an easy read and it never stops getting interesting. I would mostly recommend this book to teen girls because it could help if this situation relates to a girl. It also awares the readers of one of the many things going on that not a lot of people are aware about. This book keeps getting better as you go on with the chapters. I can honestly recommend this book, because after reading it, it become of my favorites.

- Marina

Such a Pretty Girl is an extraordinary book that is impossible to put down. Laura Wiess does an amazing job of really recounting Meredith’s determination. With every word one becomes more and more engulfed into reading it. The book is suspenseful and filled with bitter humor. Thoughout the book Meredith’s narrations keep the intensity high and the reader on the edge of her seat. Laura Wiess has such vivid descriptions that you feel as if you are there. For example “No! I twist and kick, but he pins me down, relentless, pulling me into the abyss and I know I’m losing, cracking, breathing in the impossible scent of roses and dark, rich soil as the golden baseball dances above me, flashing, mocking, and the Madonna stands steadfast and serene, a savior still within reach.”

I would definantly recommend this book because it keeps the reader wanting more. This book is perfect for anyone who loves to read heart-rending and realistic novels. I have to say by far this has been the best book I have ever read, simply because the way the author, Laura Wiess, writes keeps you reading until the end.

- Brittany S