In My Mailbox

Here's the total sum of the past two weeks...awesome meme created by the Story Siren!

Al Capone Shines my Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko

Moose's family moved to Alcatraz so his father could work as a guard and his sister could attend a special school in San Francisco. Living on an island with a few hundred no-name hit men, con men, and mad dog murderers (and a handful of bank robbers, too) has its challenges. Like Officer Darby--who seems to have it in for Moose; Jimmy--who's jealous of Moose's baseball friend Scout; Annie--who demands that Moose fess up to a secret that could get his family kicked off of Alcatraz; and Piper, the warden's cute, danger-loving daughter--who is as mad at Moose as often as she is sweet on him. By comparison, Willy One Arm and Buddy Boy, the cons who work at the warden's house, and Seven Fingers, the ax murderer who helps his family out when their toilet is stopped up, don't seem all that bad.

But the line between good and bad is much clearer than Moose realizes. And if he doesn't figure it out soon, he could be in a world of trouble.

I love, love, LOVED the first book, Al Capone Does My Shirts, so the second I heard there was a sequel coming out, I preordered it right away. Can't wait to begin!!

Ice by Sarah Beth Durst (October 6, 2009)

When Cassie was a little girl, her grandmother told her a fairy tale about her mother, who made a deal with the Polar Bear King and was swept away to the ends of the earth. Now that Cassie is older, she knows the story was a nice way of saying her mother had died. Cassie lives with her father at an Arctic research station, is determined to become a scientist, and has no time for make-believe.

Then, on her 18th birthday, Cassie comes face-to-face with a polar bear who speaks to her. He tells her that her mother is alive, imprisoned at the ends of the earth. And he can bring her back--if Cassie will agree to be his bride.

That is the beginning of Cassie's own real-life fairy tale, one that sends her on an unbelievable journey through the brutal Arctic, through the Canadian boreal forest, and on the back of the North Wind to the land east of the sun and west of the moon. Before it is over, the world she knows will be swept away, and everything she holds dear will be taken from her--until she discovers the true meaning of love and family.

I'm SO excited to start this one. I am a HUGE fan of Sarah Beth's first two books, Into the Wild and Out of the Wild, and I'm sure this one will be just as good. It sounds amazing!

Trading Faces by Julia deVillers and Jennifer Roy

On the first day of seventh grade, twin sisters Payton and Emma have been assigned entirely different schedules--for the first time ever. Without telling anyone, the twins switch places: cool Payton goes incognito as quiet Emma, while mathlete Emma impersonates fashionista Payton.

No one--from their new teachers to their clueless classmates--realizes they've made a switch. The twins quickly find out that playing a different role in life can be a lot of fun--and that no one is exactly the person the rest of the world thinks they are.

This one looks so fun that I decided to give it a try when I saw it at a used bookstore! I'll pick it up when I have a break from all of my review books! (: Plus, how cool is it that the authors are real twins, too?!

Fat Cat by Robin Brande (October 13, 2009)

Cat is smart, sassy, and funny--but thin, she's not. Until her class science project. That's when she winds up doing an experiment--on herself. Before she knows it, Cat is living--and eating--like the hominids, our earliest human ancestors. True, no chips or TV is a bummer and no car is a pain, but healthful eating and walking everywhere do have their benefits.

As the pounds drop off, the guys pile on. All this newfound male attention is enought o drive a girl crazy! If only she weren't too busy hating Matt McKinney to notice...

This book sounds awesome and really funny! Hopefully I'll be starting this one soon, so expect a review in the near future!