A dump site, a key, and a mystery

Lots to think about in Trash by Andy Mulligan. Raphael, Gardo, and Rat are three boys who live in a dump site. Not near, but IN.  All day, they (and hundreds... thousands?) of other kids sort through the endless mountains of trash, trying to find something to sell, trying to survive.  One day they find a leather bag that contains a key, some money, and a wallet.  They decide to keep it, even though the police are offering a reward, and soon they're trying to solve a mystery involving a murder, a strange code, a graveyard, and a corrupt politician.  The story is told in alternating voices of the three boys and occasionally a couple of other characters.  The description of their lives is haunting, because it seems like it could be so real and relentless (being nabbed by the police would be terrifying), and the plot is fast-paced and intriguing.  You'll be thinking of the boys and their situation long after you finish the book.

Pork Chop, Jelly, Slow Poke.....what?

You'll find laughs and some pretty interesting nicknames in Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm. The year is 1935; Turtle's mom has just taken a housekeeping job that doesn't allow children, so Turtle is packed off to live with relatives whom she's never met in Key West.  Life's quite a bit different in this rundown little town, from the scorpions that occasionally show up in shoes to the nicknames (her cousins are Buddy, Beans, and Kermit) to the Diaper Gang - boys who've taken the unlikely job of caring for the neighborhood babies in exchange for candy. Turtle's a clever and funny story teller, and she gives a great sense of what life was like in Florida during the time period.  When she and the Diaper Gang have the chance to follow a treasure map, you'll wish them all the best!

A different look at the Holocaust

I always learn something when reading historical fiction, and Black Radishes by Susan Lynn Meyer was no exception.  Based on the childhood lives of the author's father and aunt during World War II, the story takes place in France.  Gustave and his parents are Jewish and living in Paris, but growing discrimination causes them to flee to a small village, where they think they'll be safe.  However, Germany continues their invasion, and soon the line between occupied and unoccupied France is very, very close.  As the pace of the book picks up, so do the sophistication of Gustave's concerns; early in the story, he has to decide which toy to take when they leave Paris, but later in the book he's faced with a life-or-death decision while helping to sneak relatives across the demarcation line.  (The title refers to the black radishes which Gustave and his father hope to use to bribe some of the German guards.)  A captivating read.

Not exactly the Brady Bunch

I've been checking out some of the 2013 Rebecca Caudill nominees, and I sure like this one: Bounce by Natasha Friend.  Evyn is 13, and it feels like her life is being turned upside-down when her widowed father announces to Evyn and her geeky brother that he's getting married. And they're moving in with his soon-to-be wife.  AND she's got six kids.  Aauugh!  Soon you're hearing about the sweater twins (who always fight), Cleanser Boy (actually named Ajax), and the mean It Girls (like Andrea - On-DREY-a) at Evyn's snooty new private school.  Evyn has a wonderfully funny and very authentic way of describing her life, but it's touching, too - she often has discussions with Stella, her deceased mother, who offers advice and suggests that Evyn let things "bounce" off of her.  A terrific book, especially for those dealing with the ups and downs of a blended family.

Will she find her voice?

I always like books written by Pam Munoz Ryan, and Becoming Naomi Leon was no exception.  Naomi and her brother Owen are being raised in the Avocado Acres Trailer Rancho by Gram, their loving guardian since their mother abandoned them years ago.  It's a happy life until their mom (now going by the new name of Skyla) unexpectedly shows up with her nasty boyfriend Clive; they're planning on taking Naomi (but not Owen) with them to Las Vegas to be a babysitter for Clive' daughter.  Skyla's obviously got a lot of problems, but she may legally be allowed to take Naomi.  Gram takes the kids - and the trailer - down to Mexico in search of the children's father, hoping he can help.  Naomi's feelings and effort to speak up for herself, her Mexican heritage that she learns more about, and the love and strength of those who truly care are richly and warmly described.  Will Naomi finally make her voice heard when she's in front of the judge?

What a science experiment!

Okay, science fans, this one's for you: Brendan Buckley's Sixth-Grade Experiment by Sundee T. Frazier.  It's a light-hearted book, but Brendan is dealing with a lot: starting middle school, being paired with Morgan (a girl with a big crush on him) for a science project on cow poop, and worrying that she's going to mess up his guy friendships.  On top of that, he's got a difficult relationship with his dad, who's always proud of Brendan's skills in martial arts but doesn't seem to care about Brendan's love of (and talent for) science.  Brendan's a likable kid, and the author does a great job of describing his family relationships without over-emphasizing them - Mom and Grandpa Ed are white, Dad and Grandma Gladys are black. Although Brendan's thoughts and words sometimes seem a bit far-fetched (they're verrrrry science-y), the situations seem very realistic and are often pretty funny....especially at the end of the experiment.

There's something creepy about this tattoo

Wow.  If you're looking for a fantastic audiobook for someone in 7th grade or older, get The Black Tattoo, written by Sam Enthoven and read by John Lee.  Not only is the story very cool, but the narrator provides a phenomenal array of voices. Charlie and Jack are best friends in present-day London.  After being recruited into a secret society called The Brotherhood, Charlie ends up with a tattoo on his back...a MOVING tattoo. It turns out that an ancient demon - the Scourge - is possessing Charlie and has some truly nasty plans.  So it's up to Jack and new friend Esme (a girl with apparent super powers) to actually follow Charlie and the Scourge into Hell itself to stop them.  This sounds serious, but there's actually quite a bit of humor, both in the storyline and the way it's read.  This audiobook is long - almost 14 hours - but awesome for your next road trip.

Who's stealing the Oreos?

By looking at the cover, you can tell that Slob by Ellen Potter might have something to do with Oreos.  You'd be right, but there's much more to the story.  Owen is twelve; he's almost a genius, and he's definitely a brilliant inventor.  He's also now the fattest kid in school, and you gradually learn that something happened a couple of years ago that was so awful, he started to overeat as a way to cope.  He lives with his sister Caitlin, who's joined the group GWAB (Girls Who Are Boys) and now wants to be called Jeremy, and his mom.  While dealing with both an incredibly cruel P.E. teacher and Mason Rigg, the school bully, Owen is working on two inventions: one will nab the person who's been stealing the Oreos out of his lunch, and the other, with the help of a TV, will help him see that terrible event from the past.  This is a great example of realistic fiction - some of it is funny, some of it is heartbreaking, but it's all authentic.