join now| sign in| help
Search advanced search
 
Books
Search:

Request Friendship
Send Request Cancel

Donna B

Donna B

Hi! I'm a reference librarian and teen liaison at the Niles Public Library. What does that mean? Well, I sit at a public service desk and answer people's questions, select non-fiction books for ages 12-18, and work on programs for teens. I also work with area schools to provide library services to teachers and students.
  • Niles, IL, USA
  • member since February 21 2008

Reviews

  • Sort by:
 
 1  2  3  4  5  Next  Last 
Displaying 1-10 of 67 reviews
  • Fire
    • Rated 3 stars

    “Fire is a beautiful woman who can manipulate people's minds. She is at once loved and feared, and (desiring to do only good) is torn when asked to use her abilities against enemies of her kingdom. I liked the prologue about the monstrous boy who can control minds, but then it took me a long time to get into the rest of the novel because I kept waiting for that boy to reappear. Eventually, I did get into the story enough to care about Fire and the other main characters. The ending was good, but it took too many pages to get there.”

    Donna B wrote this review 3 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Mission Control, This is Apollo: The Story of the First Voyages to the Moon
    • Rated 4 stars

    “Good introduction to the Apollo space program and it's mission to land on and explore the moon. It's full of cool paintings created by former astronaut Alan Bean, who took part in Apollo 12. I was intrigued by the interesting textures of the paintings and then learned in a note at the end that Bean infused the paintings with space dust and bits of debris that had been recovered from Apollo 12! Along with Bean's paintings, the many sidebars on subjects like space food, peeing in space, and things that astronauts left behind on the moon are the best parts of the book.”

    Donna B wrote this review 11 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Marcelo in the Real World
    • Rated 5 stars

    “Marcelo is 17 and has a mild form of Asperger's Syndrome. Even though he could attend a regular school, he's been at a special school since first grade. He's looking forward to a summer job training the school's therapy ponies, and then completing his senior year. His father wants him to attend a regular school, though, to learn about the "real world." To compromise, he makes a deal with Marcelo. If Marcelo will work at his law firm over the summer, then he can choose where he goes to school in the fall.”

    Donna B wrote this review 12 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Marni
    • Rated 3 stars

    “Marni tells the story of her somewhat dysfunctional family and how stress led her to begin plucking her own hair as a teenager. She's thrilled to eventually learn that her nervous disorder has a name, trichotillomania. Far from being a "disease of the week" story, this is really the story of a teenage girl dealing with middle and high school horrors the best she can. Marni takes a humorous approach to her life, making it a fast and entertaining read.”

    Donna B wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Life As We Knew It
    • Rated 5 stars

    “This is a gripping tale of survival set in the days before and months after a meteor hits the moon and changes it's orbit. The moon's new orbit has devastating impacts on the earth and its inhabitants. Miranda, a high school junior, tells the story from her viewpoint as she struggles to adjust to the cold weather, gray skies, and frightening storms that follow.

    Highly recommended for all teens, fans of apocalyptic books like "The Stand"; and fans of disaster movies like "Deep Impact" and "The Day After Tomorrow." ”

    Donna B wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • A Savage Thunder: Antietam and the Bloody Road to Freedom
    • Rated 4 stars

    “I wish I knew more about Civil War history, and maybe if I read a few more books about individual battles like this one I will be able to piece together a more comprehensive picture in my head. This book does a good job of explaining why Antietman mattered. Other than being the bloodiest single day of fighting in U.S. history, it was also a turning point in the war. Other main points I gleaned are that General McClennan messed up big, and war as a whole is confusing and horrible.

    There are a lot of interesting details, like many Union soldiers were attacked by angry bees, and there were several women (disguised as men) fighting that day. The pages are packed with many interesting historic battlefield photos and portraits.”

    Donna B wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Dead and the Gone
    • Rated 4 stars

    “This sequel to Life As We Knew It follows the same catastrophic disasters from a different perspective. Teenage Alex takes responsibility for his younger sisters after their parents disappear. Survival in New York City is tough because of flooding, rats, and bodies piling up. Just as gripping as the first book, with a little more grit.”

    Donna B wrote this review Thursday, October 15 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland (Exceptional Social Studies Titles for Intermediate Grades)
    • Rated 5 stars

    “Fascinating true forensic & historical mystery. Forensic anthropologists discover long lost Colonial-era graves and dig them up. They study the skeletons of people of different ages and walks of life who lived and died along Chesapeake Bay. The photographs and illustrations show you what scientists look at and how they learn about bones' identities, lives, and deaths. Enlightening & never dull!”

    Donna B wrote this review Thursday, October 8 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Catching Fire
    • Rated 4 stars

    “Like Hunger Games, this is an engrossing scifi adventure story. I really wondered what Collins would do with the characters that could compare to the action of the games in the first book. I would have liked a little more action, and I was a little disappointed with the way it ended. Still, it was enjoyable reading and I will definitely read the third book.”

    Donna B wrote this review Tuesday, September 29 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Crank
    • Rated 4 stars

    “What happens when the perfect girl meets the wrong boy and gives in to her darker side? I liked this one, because the well-written poems struck me as genuine (makes sense, since the book is based on the real-life meth addiction of Hopkins' daughter). The story is riveting and I got through it very quickly.”

    Donna B wrote this review Tuesday, September 29 2009. ( reply | permalink )
 1  2  3  4  5  Next  Last 
Displaying 1-10 of 67 reviews

Missing a review?



© 2006-2009 Shelfari | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy

Close