Mengle Memorial Library
phone (814)
265-8245
Recommended Reads
Please send your review to menglereads@gmail.com
Include: Title of book, Author, a brief description of the book, and a rating between 1-5 (1 being the worst, 5 being the best)
Adults
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Eugenia Skeeter Phelan is just home from college in 1962, and, anxious to become a writer, is advised to hone her chops by writing about what disturbs you. The budding social activist begins to collect the stories of the black women on whom the country club sets relies and mistrusts enlisting the help of Aibileen, a maid who's raised 17 children, and Aibileen's best friend Minny, who's found herself unemployed more than a few times after mouthing off to her white employers. The book Skeeter puts together based on their stories is scathing and shocking, bringing pride and hope to the black community, while giving Skeeter the courage to break down her personal boundaries and pursue her dreams. Assured and layered, full of heart and history, this one has bestseller written all over it.
Teens
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
This is the first book of The Hunger Games Trilogy. 16 year-old Katniss Everdeen, lives in a post-apocalyptic USA where a powerful government called the Capitol is in charge. The Hunger Games are an annual televised event where the horrible Capitol picks one boy and one girl from each of the twelve districts, who are then pitted against each other in a game of survival and forced to kill until only one remains.
I was really surprised that I liked this book because I usually can't stand futuristic books. This was great though.
Marked by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
This is the first book in the House of Night Series. Zoey Redbird lives in a world where vampyres not only exist but are also tolerated by humans. Those whom the creatures "mark" as special enter the House of Night school where they will either become vampyres themselves, or, if their body rejects the change, die. Zoey never fit in at home, and she doesn't at the vampyre school either. When she was Marked the Goddess Nyx gave her very strong powers that no one else has. At the House of Night, Zoey finds true friendship, loyalty, and romance as well as mistrust and deception. She realizes that all is not right in the vampyre world and that the problems she thought she left behind exist there as well.
This story moves at a fast pace and is easy to read in one day. At first I was kinda disappointed with it (it wasn't as great as Twilight), but after a few chapters it got really good. I've read two of the other books in the series, and it just keeps getting better!
39 Clues: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan
This is the first book in the series. Amy and Dan Cahill's grandma has died. Everyone in the family is given a choice: 1 million dollars or a hunt for the 39 clues that will make them the most powerful person in the world. Amy and Dan (whose parents died a long time ago) feel like their grandma wants them to find the clues. So they are off on a quest filled with mystery, adventure, and danger.
This whole series is great! They are fast to read and really fun. The best part is the online game which you can win all sorts of prizes, and the grand prize is $10,000 if you solve the same mystery Amy and Dan are trying to figure out in the book.
Children
Valentine Mice by Bethany Roberts
Recommended by Pendleton Child Care Kids
It was fun to see all the valentines the mice delivered and see them rescue their friend.
This is Betsy by Gunilla Wolde
Recommended by Jaden A. age 3
Follow Betsy as she dresses herself, eats, plays, and gets ready for bed.
Christmas in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wildern
Recommended by Natalie S.
Long ago, a little girl lived in a little house in the Big Woods of Wisconsin. Winter was just around the corner, and Laura worked hard to help make the little house ready for the cold days ahead.
Now a Major Motion Picture!
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barret
The tiny town of Chewandswallow was very much like any other tiny town except for its weather which came three times a day, at breakfast, lunch and dinner. But it never rained rain and it never snowed snow and it never blew just wind. It rained soup and snowed mashed potatoes. Life for the townspeople was delicious until the weather took a turn for the worse. The food got larger and larger and so did the portions. Chewandswallow was plagues by damaging floods and storms of huge food. The town was a mess and the people feared for their lives. Something had to be done, and in a hurry.
