What Mrs N's Been Reading - George Washington Spymaster

I'm a bit behind on my reading (a bathroom remodeling project has taken up a bit of my reading time) but I just finished Thomas B. Allen's George Washington, Spymaster. It's not terribly action-packed, but if your American history teacher gave you the typical version of the Revolutionary War, you may be surprised to learn how much of the outcome was really determined by spies, double agents, and deception. Many of the spies and double agents were names that will be familiar. It's a quick read and it includes examples of some of the codes that were used.

New YA Books Include Fantasy Series

A few new things have trickled in, including the first 3 books in the Chronicles of Cheysuli series and a new It Girl installment. For more detail see New YA Books: New Fantasy Series and More Enjoy!

Thought for the Week

If you're still recovering from a massive overdose of food from Thanksgiving weekend, especially pie, this one's for you:

“Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.”

Jim Davis

Thought for the Week

If part of your Thanksgiving tradition is to share what you are thankful for, that's a good start, but keep this quote in mind:

" Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving."

WT Purkiser

Enjoy your turkey!

Assortment of New Books Just In

Just got a small pile of new books in. There's a little something for just about everyone - a few chick books (Nothing But the Truth, CC Cape Cod, and Introducing Vivien Leigh, Daughter of the Diva) the latest fantasy in the Farsala Trilogy (Rise of a Hero) and an extreme sports/survival book (Peak Survival.) For details see New YA Books: Batch of New Books In - Something for Everyone

Video Game Tournament Update

Yesterday's tournament for middle schoolers was another great one with 45 in attendance. It looks like splitting into 2 age groups is definitely the way to go. Everyone had plenty of chances to play, and the food and sodas held out longer. In the future we'll be doing one for each age group, a week apart. The next ones are scheduled for February. Watch this space for details.

Thought for the Week

As the last of the leaves are falling off of the trees in this part of the country, for those of us who don't do cold weather, the following seems appropriate:

"Autumn is a season followed immediately by looking forward to spring. "

Doug Larson

Newest Warriors: The New Prophecy Installment Now In

If you're a fan of Erin Hunter's Warriors: The New Prophecy series, check out the latest installment, Twilight. For more info see New YA Books: Latest in the Warriors:The New Prophecy Series In.

Video Game Tournament Reminder

Remember, this Sunday, November 12, 2:00-4:00 is the video game tournament for 6th-8th graders. The EBGames guys will be here with 3 systems, and it looks like we may have some retro systems at this one as well. See you then!

What Mrs. N's Been Reading - The Forensic Files of Batman

I just finished Doug Moench's The Forensic Files of Batman. Very cool! If you're looking at the Batman part of the title and expecting lots of action you'll be disappointed. However, if you're a CSI fan and really get into the forensic science part, this book was great. It's written as a series of journal entries written by either Batman, Alfred, or Commissioner Gordon. The chapters alternate between a short one that describes a particular forensic technique and a longer one that gives the details of a particular case and how it was solved. The forensics part was done extremely well. There was enough detail that you really understood the science, yet it didn't get bogged down in heavy-duty technobabble that would make you scurry for a dictionary. I'm a fan of the original CSI (not the NY or Miami ones) and even having seen every episode, there were some forensics that I had never heard of before. If you enjoy CSI and the nuts and bolts of forensics, I highly recommend this one.

Operation Typhoon Shore is Now on the Shelf

Fans of Joshua Mowll's Operation Red Jericho, rejoice! The sequel, Operation Typhoon Shore just came in. For details see New YA Books: Operation Typhoon Shore Now In .

Thought for the Week

With tomorrow being Election Day, here's a thought for those of you old enough to vote:

“If you have been voting for politicians who promise to give you goodies at someone else's expense, then you have no right to complain when they take your money and give it to someone else, including themselves”

Thomas Sowell

If you're old enough, get out there and vote!

High School Video Game Tournament

Yesterday's video game tournament for high school students only was a big success, even with the technical difficulties we had along the way. With 38 kids in attendance and 5 systems available, everybody had plenty of opportunity to play whatever they wanted. A big thank you to Josh and Brandon from EBGames, and also to Ben R. and friends who brought in the retro systems and TVs. Duck Hunt - yes, that great classic for the original Nintendo system - was a big hit. I was too relaxed and was having too much fun to bother taking pictures, so sorry, no photos from this one. However, for Harrisburg Academy students, two of your peers were there taking photos and getting quotes and info for an article for your school paper, so you can look for pics there. Remember, middle school (6th-8th grades) is this coming Sunday, November 12, so see you then.

Video Game Tournament Reminder

Just a quick reminder - video game tournaments are this Sunday, November 5 and next Sunday, November 12, both from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. Remember we're splitting by age group, high school on the 5th, 6th-8th graders on the 12th. This should help alleviate our overcrowding problem and provide a better experience for everyone. Don't try to sneak into the wrong one. I'll be spot-checking for school IDs, so remember to bring yours along. Again, a big thanks to both the guys at EBGames at the Capital City Mall for providing games, systems, and prizes, and to the Friends of the Fredricksen for providing sodas and snacks. See you there!

Mississippi Trial, 1955 Now In

The latest new YA book to hit the shelf is Chris Crowe's Mississippi Trial, 1955 about the Emmett Till murder. For more info go to New YA Books: Mississippi Trial, 1955