Book Review: Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton [Plus Movie Trailer]

On April 8th the movie Soul Surfer came out in theaters.  It tells the story of fourteen year-old Bethany Hamilton after she was attacked by a shark while surfing.  It is an inspiring story of her struggle to get back to the sport she loves so much.  In 2004, Bethany wrote a book about her experience and her struggle.  The library owns the book Soul Surfer,  and you are welcome to place a hold on this title. (Click Here to Place Hold on Soul Surfer)  Be sure to check out the trailer for the movie below.

Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board by Bethany Hamilton

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Soul Surfer is an inspiring story about not giving up. After losing her arm in a shark attack, fourteen year-old Bethany Hamilton returns to her beloved sport of surfing. This novel was written shortly after the accident and primarily focuses on Bethany's faith and her love of surfing. During the attack Bethany stays remarkably calm while her friends get her to shore and later to the hospital. In the book Bethany shares her love of surfing, her love of family, and her strong faith in God.

Soul Surfer has just recently been made into a movie, and I admit that I was curious about the book. The hold list for this title at our library is getting longer by the day as more and more people want to read it. It is a surprisingly quick read. I was able to finish this book in one day. The book is touching and at times heart-wrenching. I kept thinking about what her family was going through as they rushed to the hospital not knowing how Bethany was doing.

My only comment on the book is that there wasn't a lot of meat to the story. Many themes are repeated over and over, especially her faith in God. There weren't a lot of details about her recovery--it seemed kind of brief, and perhaps that is because the book was written so soon after the accident. She was still recovering from the injury. I think this might have been better if she had waited a few years to write it.

Overall this is an inspirational book written by a talented and inspiring teen. I would recommend it to those who are interested in seeing the movie and those who love biographies and inspiring stories.

View all my reviews

Here is the movie trailer:

Teen Books Turning into Movies

Two movies are coming out soon that are based on teen books!

The first is I am Number Four by Pitticus Lore.  Nine are sent to Earth to try and find a place safe from the evil Mogadorian who are killing their people.  Numbers 1-3 have been found and killed by the Mogadorian, now Number four, John Smith, knows he is next.  The movie comes out February 18, 2011.  While you wait for the movie, take the time to check out the book from the library!

 


Find out more about the movie at the I am Number Four movie website. http://www.findnumberfour.com/#/home




The second is Beastly by Alex Flinn, a modern retellling of the story of Beauty and the Beast told from the perspective of the beast.  The movie comes out March 4, 2011, but in the meantime, you can check out the book here at the library!



Find out more about the movie and the stars at the Beastly movie website. http://www.beastlythemovie.com/

Eclipse Movie Trailer

Stephenie Meyer's Eclipse comes out in theaters on June 30, 2010. In the meantime, you can check out the book at the library or one of our Twilight read alikes. Enjoy the trailer!

Novel Notes and Teen News: Your Source for Teen Book Information and Other Teen News 3/4/2010

Teens Can Make A Difference

Check out this great interview in School Library Journal about a teen who is making big things happen in Rwanda!

WA Teen Helps Build School Libraries in Rwanda

Avalon High by Meg Cabot Will Be a Disney Channel Original Movie


Probably my favorite of all of Meg Cabot’s books is going to be a movie. This has me both excited and concerned because I am afraid of what changes they will make to her wonderful story (T*Witches anyone?). Read all about Meg Cabot’s exciting news on her website.

Movie Rights to Incarceron by Catherine Fisher have been Purchased by Fox

This is probably my favorite book since Hunger Games.  Incarceron (book review forthcoming) is the story of two teens.  Finn inside the prison of Incarceron, and Claudia, trapped in a prison of her own on the outside.  It has been a book that I am loath to put down.  It is filled with fabulous writing and descriptive imagery.  I am so excited to see this as a movie, since the book itself evokes such wonderful and fantastic images in my imagination that I can actually picture this as a movie.  I only hope that they don't make too many changes because Fisher's book is outstanding and very "visual" as it is.  Read about the movie at Variety.com.

Fox wins bidding war for 'Incarceron': Studio picks up dystopian jail tale

It's Back for 2010!  SLJ's Battle of the Kid's Books

Last year our winner for the best book of 2009 went to Suzanne Collin's fantastic book Hunger Games.  Who will win this year's competition?  Check out the competitors and the judges by following along this year.  Don't forget to vote for your favorites so you can resurrect them from the discard pile!

Battle of the Kids' Books 2010 - More Bodacious Than Ever!
Battle of the Kid's Books 2010 New Arena

Novel Notes and Teen News: Your Source for Teen Book Information and Other Teen News 2/12/10

3rd Hunger Games Book Title Revealed




Although it will still be a while before we can order the anticipated 3rd volume in this series, we finally know what the 3rd Hunger Games book by Suzanne Collins will be called. The third book in this trilogy featuring Hunger Games and Catching Fire will be titled Mockingjay a title that refers to the symbolic bird discussed in the series. For more information check out this PW article:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6718651.html?nid=2788&source=link&rid=18736271

And for Those of Us Who Can’t Get Enough Hunger Games…Hunger Games Movie Anyone???



Yes it is true! Lionsgate has purchased the rights to turn Hunger Games into a movie. And the best news is that the author, Suzanne Collins, is writing the screenplay! To find out more read this article from Reuters:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE52H0LK20090318

Not familiar with the Hunger Games trilogy or why this news has fans so excited? Check out this editorial from Poptimal:

http://poptimal.com/politics/2010-popeds/hungry-for-the-next-big-thing-in-tween-movies/



While We Are Talking Movies: The Lightning Thief in Theaters Today

Fans of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson can now rejoice! The much anticipated movie of this terrific series is released in theaters today. Here is a review of this movie by School Library Journal:

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6718650.html

If you can’t go to the movie though, come to the library and check out the book!

More Movie News:  Meyer's Breaking Dawn will be made into Two Movies



Being the longest in the series it is hardly surprising that the final installment in the Twilight series would end up as two movies.  I only hope they find a good stopping place!  For more info, check out this link:

http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/exclusive-twilight-sagas-final-book-breaking-dawn-will-be-made-into-2-movies/

Radiant Shadows the Newest Book in the Wicked Lovely Series Will be Released Soon

Are you a fan of the Wicked Lovely series? The new book is due out on April 20, 2010. Check out author Melissa Marr’s blog for more information on this popular series, and snippets from the new book.

http://melissa-writing.livejournal.com/



Talk Back: How do you think the Hunger Games trilogy is going to end? Post your comments here!

Book Review: Beastly by Alex Flinn

Beastly by Alex Flinn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


There are many different versions of the Beauty and the Beast fairytale out there and many of them have been novelized. Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley is probably my favorite one, but there are a number of others. It seems like every time you open a review journal these days you see another retold fairytale, be it Beauty and the Beast, or some other one. Stories like this are timeless and that is why we continue to rework and retell them, even setting some of them in our time and world rather than the far off time and place of the originals.

Beastly is another retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but unlike many of its processors, this novel is told from the perspective of the Beast. We finally find out, what he did that caused him to become the Beast. Set in modern day New York City, Beastly is the story of the young man who is cursed by a witch to be a beast until he finds his true love, and can make her love him in return. Kyle Kingsbury had everything, wealth, power, and good looks, until one fateful night when a witch sees him for what he really is and curses him.

I do like these retold fairy tales. I like to see how authors can take a story that I am completely familiar with and create a new story, or tell me things I didn’t know about the old one. I do admit, however, there has been one exception to my fascination with these retold tales. I have never really been fond of any that take place in modern times. I found combining magical with the mundane world a daunting task for most authors, and had trouble believing it. In many cases I have trouble following the story—I want my fairytales to be “once upon a time” not the here and now. Alex Flinn, however, just might have converted me. It seemed so natural the way she incorporated the magical in to our modern world. I could even believe that a frog could be part of a discussion forum.

In the end, I loved this story. It was interesting to see the story from a new perspective, and it seemed natural that it should be set in the modern world. Alex Flinn did an excellent job!

On another note, they are making Beastly into a movie by CBS Films. It should be out in theaters in July 2010. Here is the link for the movie trailer from Alex Flinn’s website:

Beastly Movie Trailer from Alex Flinn's Website

Cautions for sensitive readers: I don’t recall any offensive language in this book, but there is some mild sexuality. Kyle is a teenage boy and he briefly mentions encounters and urges—no descriptions are given though.
View all my reviews >>

Novel Notes and Teen News: Your Source for Teen Book Information and Other Teen News 12/18/09

Just an FYI: Novel Notes will return after the holidays. We wish all our teen patrons Seasons Greetings, and hope they enjoy this issue. Please feel free to comment or suggest improvements to Novel Notes, we are always looking to make this blog better.

Tell us what you are reading! What are your favorite books, and what would you recommend to others looking for a good book. Please feel free to send us your review or comment on ours. We want to hear from you!

From Page to Screen: Movie/Book Tie-ins

Sherlock Holmes movie has hit theaters with an interesting take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective. Check out the original books at the library and for more information about the movie; check this article by School Library Journal:

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6711448.html?nid=4302&source=link&rid=17263441

More and more teen books are being made into movies. Check out the Trailer for the movie Beastly due out in theaters in July 2010. The movie is based on the book Beastly by Alex Flinn. It is a modern retelling of the story of “Beauty and Beast” from the viewpoint of the Beast. Find it at the library and read it before it comes to theaters!

http://beastlythemovie.com/

The movie version of the adult book, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, is due to be released in theaters January 15th, and the theaters are targeting Twilight fans, hoping to gain big numbers at the box office. The movie is said to have toned down some of the more disturbing aspects of the book. You can find out more in the following news articles from the movie’s webpage, the LA Times, MTV, and New York Times

http://www.lovelybones.com/
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-bones16-2009dec16,0,5231289.story
http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1628055/story.jhtml
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/11/movies/11lovelybones.html

News Sites for Tweens

Looking for news that is geared toward you, for kids, by kids? Check out this website: TweenTribune.com. You have to register to get the full articles, but registration is simple and free. Choose a username, password, if your teacher is registered you can select your school, if not just check the box, choose a security question and off you go—you now have access to news geared towards teens and tweens. Here is the link:

http://tweentribune.com/

Awards for Saving the Environment in Your Community

Action for Nature, a non-profit organization seeks to award kids ages 8-16 for their efforts in saving the environment. For more information, read School Library Journal’s article at:

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6711450.html?nid=4302&source=link&rid=17263441

What are Teens at Other Libraries Reading for Fun?

Check out this School Library Journal Article to find out what teens in other libraries are reading for fun:

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6711512.html

Looking for Some of the Best Books of 2009?

Here are some books that School Library Journal believes should be on the list of best books in 2009. These books represent all grade levels and interest levels. See which ones you have read, and find others you might like!

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6708210.html

Looking for Some Good Nonfiction?

YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) has created a new book award for non-fiction. This is the first year and the first finalists listed by the book award committee. For more information check out this School Library Journal article or visit the YALSA webpage.

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6711664.html
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/nonfiction/nonfiction.cfm

Teens! Think You Know How to Avoid Scammers, Identity Theft, and Protect Your Online Privacy

The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) has designed and online mall called “You Are Here” to help kids protect themselves from online scammers and advertisers who target kids. Check out “You Are Here.”

http://www.ftc.gov/YouAreHere/

For more information about this website you can go to the FTC Press Release:

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/12/youarehere.shtm