Laurel discovers her passion for investigative journalism when she writes an article for her school paper about the homeless man who's been living at the school. Eager to write more articles with impact, she launches an investigation of a cheating scam at her high school. Laurel's efforts elicit hostility from her classmates. Nobody is interested in seeing her article go to print, not even her own brother. It is evident that the cheating is widespread, and Laurel, caught up in the thrill of the investigation, is willing to commit social suicide to get the story, but her ultimate discovery changes everything. (20100924)From BooklistHaving grown up in the shadow of her big brother, a school legend, Laurel is thrilled when one of her stories for the school paper wins acclaim. Eager to repeat her success, Laurel writes a piece about cheating after she observes one classmate slip test answers to another. The reaction to this story is totally different. “Lighten up,” her friend tells her. “It’s no big deal.” Laurel is dismayed because “dishonesty is dishonesty.” An anonymous tip points Laurel to a bigger cheating scandal, but her investigation leads her straight to people she cares about, and suddenly the issue is far from black and white. This Orca Currents title for low-level readers focuses on issues teens will care about. Laurel’s clandestine probing provides plenty of plot tension, and her discoveries will keep readers guessing about larger mysteries. Readers will want to discuss the issue of cheating, its ramifications, and Laurel’s final choices about turning people in. Grades 5-8. --Lynn Rutan Review"Butcher offers an insightful look into the ethics and morals of high school students...The short book really lends itself to a good discussion." (PSLA Top Forty 20110401)"Well suited to its intended audience With its succinct text, short chapters, and emphasis on contemporary teen issues, Cheat should be popular with reluctant young adult readers .Recommended." (CM Magazine 20110201)"A realistic portrayal of high school students' attitudes towards cheating This is a well written narrative that will challenge readers to make a decision about what's right and what's wrong. Recommended." (Library Media Connection )"Short, quick chapters are propelled by frenetic action True to life, this book does not offer a tidy, Pollyanna-ish conclusion; Laurel comes to learn from this experience a difficult lesson at a great expense. A speedy read." (Kirkus Reviews )"It was easy to get caught up in this book—enough suspense to keep the story moving briskly along. A good hi-low read for teens." (Puget Sound Council for Reviewing Children's Media )"Butcher's portrayal of high school cheating is believable, with actual consequences...The pacing will keep reluctant readers hooked until the very end." (School Library Journal ) Views: 70
FromA 30-year-old British woman, bored with her National Health Service job, applies on a whim for a position as a trainee at a hospital mortuary. This entertaining memoir chronicles the author’s first year on the job, which sees her learning how to perform a postmortem, determine cause of death, and deal with grieving relatives and shady undertakers (among a lot of other things). She tells her story in a straightforward manner, not pulling any punches when it comes to describing her working environment (“He tugged at the guts and began to unwind them . . . .”), although this means there are occasional gruesome and shivery moments (“it was infested with maggots that were having a huge feast on human flesh”). Her colleagues are portrayed as ordinary men and women, not as a collection of comic stereotypes: one of the book’s key themes is that it’s an unusual job, but the people who do it are just regular folk. Not your run-of-the-mill occupational memoir, but definitely an interesting one. --David Pitt Product DescriptionMichelle Williams is young and attractive, with close family ties, a busy social life . . . and an unusual occupation. When she impulsively applies to be a mortuary technician and is offered the position, she has no idea that her decision to accept will be one of the most momentous of her life. “What I didn’t realize then,” she writes, “was that I was about to start one of the most amazing jobs you can do.” To Williams, life in the mortuary is neither grim nor frightening. She introduces readers to a host of unique characters: pathologists (many eccentric, some utterly crazy), undertakers, and the man from the coroner’s office who sings to her every morning. No two days are alike, and while Williams’s sensitivity to the dead never wavers, her tales from the crypt range from mischievous to downright shocking. Readers won’t forget the fitness fanatic run over while doing nighttime push-ups on the road, the man so large he had to be carted in via refrigerated truck, or the guide dog who led his owner onto railway tracks—and left him there. The indomitable Williams never bats an eye, even as she is confronted—daily—with situations that would leave the rest of us speechless. Views: 70
What do you do when the past you've been skirting shows up at your door with cameras rolling?Aubrey James ruled the charts as the queen of country for over a decade. She'd rocketed to fame in the shadow of her parents' death–both of them pioneers in Gospel music. But while her public life, high profile romances, and fights with Music Row execs made for juicy tabloid headlines, the real and private Aubrey has remained a media mystery.When a former band member betrays Aubrey's trust and sells an "exclusive" to a tabloid, the star knows she must go public with her story. But Aubrey's private world is rocked when the Inside NashVegas interviewer is someone from her past–someone she'd hoped to forget.All the moxie in the world won't let this Diva run any longer. Views: 70
If you think gourmet meals in crappy little kitchens is an oxymoron, think again!In her debut cookbook, Jennifer Schaertl tackles the myths about gourmet cooking (you don't need expensive cutlery and a gazillion ingredients!) and shows you how to make delectable meals despite the lack of counter space. Everything from appetizers and salads to soups and one-pot wonders to side dishes and entrees, and of course, dessert is included along with Jennifer's tried-and-true advice for working with limited space, appliances, cookware, and ingredients all on a limited budget.More than 130 Crappy Little Kitchen (CLK) recipes await you inside, plus:Why a CLK can actually be an asset, not a liability The must-haves for every CLK pantryCrappy Kitchen Saboteurs: Pointless items that eat up small spaces How to... Views: 70
