The Extraordinary and Unusual Adventures of Horatio Lyle by Catherine Webb, 311 pages

I came across this book in the teen department. It was a fun mystery, very unusual.

Sideshow Edited by Deborah Noyes, 225 pages

This is a collection of short stories about side show freaks, illusionists, and such by some outstanding teen authors. This was a book that Renee had picked up at the library and I found in her pile of books when I was looking for some of her overdue books. One of the oddest stories is called Jargo! about a guy who pretends to be a giraffe at a carnival. There is a few comic book style stories mixed into the collection.

iDrakula by Bekka Black, 150 pages

This was a really interesting twist on the Dracula story, told via text messages and email between Mina Murray, Jonathan Harker, Lucy Westenra, and Abraham Van Helsing. It pared the story down to the essentials, heightening the suspense, and modernizing this for the teen set. I wouldn't have wanted this to be my first introduction to Dracula, but as someone who has read a ton of vampire books, including many retellings of Dracula, this was a good read of an old story.

Sugar Changed the World by Marc Aronson & Marina Budhos, 154 pages

This books covers the history of sugar, how it influenced trade and slavery, and determined foreign policy. Cari recommended this book and I'm glad she did. I'm a fan of the show Modern Marvel on History Channel and this reminded me a lot of it. I love learning about stuff I had never even thought about, and I had no idea of how much sugar had affected the world. Next time you put some sugar in your coffee, give a thought to the blood, sweat and tears that lay behind it.