Amberly Media Center

By popular request, the media center at Amberly will be open for book checkout this summer. All students may check out three books. Check back here for more information.

• Wed. June 25, 11 am-12 noon
• Wed. July 16, 11 am-12 noon
• Wed. August 6, 11 am-12 noon

The Penderwicks are back from their summer vacation and we get to see what school is like for the four sisters–Rosalind, Skye, Jane, and Batty. Skye and Jane are on the same soccer team and one of my favorite scenes is when Skye tries very hard to keep her cool on the field when the referee misses a foul on her sister. We also get to meet Mr. Penderwick who has just received a letter from his wife that his sister was given by Mrs. Penderwick when she died. The letter encourages Mr. Penderwick to begin dating and of course the girls are afraid of having one of those wicked stepmothers they’ve read about. The sisters put together an elaborate “Save-Daddy Plan” that naturally has hilarious results.

The Penderwicks books remind me of one of those great movie comedies with an ensemble cast of great actors.

I put off reading this first book of the third series about the clans of Warrior cats until it came out in paperback. As in the other two series, the main action focuses on a new generation of cats trying to prove themselves and understand their place in the clan. Firestar’s grandchildren–Hollypaw, Lionpaw, and Jaypaw– are eager to begin their apprenticeships and get into lots of mischief along the way. Jaypaw is the main character in this book as he struggles to prove that even though he is blind, he can help Thunderclan. To compensate for his lack of sight, Jaypaw is gifted with both an amazing sense of smell and hearing. And when he becomes apprenticed to the medicine cat, Leafpool, he also discovers he can enter other cat’s dreams. And don’t forget: these cats are also the grandchildren of Tigerclaw, so there’s bound to be trouble.