Library Loot ~ February 8-14

Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Story from China ~ by Ed Young, 1989, children's fairy tale (China)

Three sisters staying home alone are endangered by a hungry wolf who is disguised as their grandmother.

Between the time I first decide to read a book and actually have it in hand, I usually forget whose post or review got me interested in the first place.  This time, I kept track.  Stephanie @ Confessions of a Bookaholic recommends both this one and the one by Chris Crutcher that's next on this list.

"Ana actually brought this one home from school and we read it together.   The pictures are gorgeous and it is a great way to learn about fairy tales from other countries!  Definitely recommended for kids."

Deadline ~ by Chris Crutcher, 2007, YA fiction

Ben Wolf has big things planned for his senior year.  Had big things planned.  Now what he has is some very bad news and only one year left to make his mark on the world.  How can a pint-sized, smart-ass seventeen-year-old do anything significant in the nowheresville of Trout, Idaho?  First, Ben makes sure that no one else knows what is going on — not his superstar quarterback brother, Cody, not his parents, not his coach, no one.  Next, he decides to become the best 127-pound football player Trout High has ever seen; to give his close-minded civics teacher a daily migraine; and to help the local drunk clean up his act.  And then there's Dallas Suzuki.  Amazingly perfect, fascinating Dallas Suzuki, who may or may not give Ben the time of day.  Really, she's first on the list.  Living with a secret isn't easy, though, and Ben's resolve begins to crumble, especially when he realizes that he isn't the only person in Trout with secrets.

Stephanie again:

"Without telling ANYONE, including his parents or younger brother, he sets out to make his Senior year unforgettable.  Honestly, I'm having a hard time not tearing up just writing this paragraph.  It really is an exceptional book."

This is also the only book on my roommate's blog.  Donna taught mostly middle school English for twenty years, even though she hasn't caught the blogging bug.

"This is perhaps my favorite of Crutcher's young adult novels, and that is saying much since he is, in my view, one of the best young adult authors today."

Girl Meets God ~ by Lauren F. Winner, 2002, memoir

The child of a Jewish father and a lapsed Southern Baptist mother, Lauren F. Winner chose to become an Orthodox Jew.  But even as she was observing Sabbath rituals and studying Jewish law, Lauren was increasingly drawn to Christianity.  Courageously leaving what she loved, she eventually converted.  In Girl Meets God, this appealing woman takes us through a year in her Christian life as she attempts to reconcile both sides of her religious identity.  Here readers will find a new literary voice:  a spiritual seeker who is both an unconventional thinker and a devoted Christian.  The twists and turns of Winner’s journey make her the perfect guide to exploring true faith in today’s complicated world.

I read about one of her books on RevGalBlogPals, but it doesn't come out until the end of February.  I checked the library to see which of her books I could look at in the meantime and found this one.

Library Loot is a weekly meme co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library.  If you would like to share a list of the loot you brought home from the library, Marg has the Mister Linky this week.