A chance at a million dollars?!

Who wouldn't like a chance to win a million dollars?  Thirteen-year-old Whisper Nelson, the main character in The Million Dollar Kick by Dan Gutman actually has her doubts.  She's geeky, unpopular, and can't stand any kind of sports.  After winning a contest that her sister entered her in, she can win the big bucks if she can score a goal against Carmen Applegate, star of the local professional soccer team.  She hasn't touched a soccer ball since a huge soccer mistake in third grade...should she even try? Carmen is trying to psych her out, but with encouragement from classmate Jess and high school goalie Ellie, Whisper decides to try.  References to the environment throughout the story don't seem to fit it, but you'll understand the link at the end of the book.  Give it a shot!

She wants to be my friend...what's the catch?

I really liked the strength of the main character, Kate, in Hot Girl by Dream Jordan.  Kate is fourteen, and after getting moved from one foster home to another, her life is finally settling down - she gets along pretty well with her foster parents, her grades are good, and she's got a great friend, Felicia.  After Felicia goes on a trip for the summer, Kate's on her own.  She's not sure why she's befriended by super stylish fly-girl Naleejah, but Kate's not complaining when the make-over Naleejah gives her catches the eye of Charles, Kate's long-time crush.  Something is up, though, and if Kate can't keep her actions under control, she's liable to lose the stability her current foster home is finally offering.  What is she willing to risk?  The voices, thoughts, and conflicts in this book are wonderfully authentic and the character development is great.  A super book, especially for older middle school to high school girls.

Not your typical grandmother

You might have mixed feelings if you were told you'd be spending a week of every summer at your grandparent's house.  In A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck, Joey starts out feeling the same way, but by the end of the book, I'd want to go to his grandmother's, too!  It's the time of the Great Depression, and each chapter represents a different summer that Joey and his sister spend with Grandma Dowdel.  She's NOT your typical elderly lady - she doesn't mind hauling out the shotgun, lying, stealing, or playing tricks on people.  But deep down, she's got a heart of gold.  Whether she's fooling the sheriff, hoping to win a prize for her gooseberry pie, or helping a young couple elope, Grandma will make you smile.

Don't try this at home

If you have a problem, I wouldn't recommend you deal with it like Alex did in Notes from the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick.  But the way he dealt with the consequences of his actions was pretty cool.  Upset about his parents' separation, Alex gets drunk, takes his mom's car, and crashes into a garden gnome.  He's basically a good kid, and the judge sentences him to 100 hours of community service at a nursing home.  He gets paired up with Sol Lewis, a cranky old guy who's fond of playing practical jokes.  At first, Sol is basically a pain, but he and Alex end up bonding over their shared passion of guitar playing.  Sol eventually gives Alex guitar lessons, advice on girls (very funny), and insight into Sol's past.  There's a neat little tweak at the end of the book - you may figure it out ahead of time. Alternating between silly and serious, this will especially be appealing to readers who liked Sonnenblick's Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie.  

I've heard of a bride-zilla...but a quince-zilla?

Nothing heavy here, but that doesn't mean Fifteen Candles by Veronica Chambers isn't a delight!  Alicia has got it made. Wealthy family, easy life, awesome house, lives in Miami.  She's volunteered to help her co-worker Sarita plan her quinceañera - the very special fifteenth birthday party of a young Latina woman.  Alicia enlists the help of her best friends Carmen, Jamie, and Gaz, and together they form Amigas Inc.  The planning starts off great, but as the big day approaches, there are problems right and left.  It's fairly predictable that all will end well, but the glimpse of what goes into a quinceañera was fun and fascinating.  If you like fashion and pop culture, you'll especially have fun with this book, and you might also enjoy the sequel: Lights, Camera, Quince!

Happy Birthday! Again. And again, and again...

Most people enjoy having a birthday, but what would you think if you lived that same day over and over again?  That's what happens in 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass.  Best friends Amanda and Leo were born on the exact same day, and they had celebrated every single birthday together, until something happened at their 10th birthday that drove them apart.  After having a disastrous 11th birthday party (separate from Leo), Amanda woke up the "next" day...and it was her 11th birthday all over again!  She finds out the same thing is happening to Leo.  Do they have to keep repeating the day until they get it right?  Will salvaging their friendship be enough?  And does the mysterious elderly woman, Angelina D'Angelo, have something to do with the situation?  This is a fun book, and at the beginning of every chapter, you'll wonder if the SpongeBob balloon is still there...

Trouble with a capital T

I have to admit that I had a hard time getting into the book Trouble by Gary D. Schmidt, but maybe your experience will be different.  Henry is the younger son in a well-off family of Boston's North Shore, where life is calm, easy, and privileged. But things change when Henry's older brother Franklin is critically injured in a car accident involving Chay Chouan, a Cambodia immigrant.  Henry and Franklin were going to climb Mt. Katahdin some day, but now Henry is determined to do it on his own.  Hitching a ride to the mountain with his adopted stray Black Dog, the only person to give Henry a ride is - improbably - Chay.  The soul-searching was authentic, and Henry's attachment to the dog was beautifully described, but I thought much of the character development was weak and there were a few too many coincidences to make for a satisfying read.   

The secret to everlasting life?

Hold on to your hats and get ready for nonstop action when you read The Alchemyst by Michael Scott.  Sophie and Josh are 15-year-old twins living in modern day San Franscisco, but once they start helping to recover a stolen book called the Codex (not a biggie...it only contains the secret to immortality!), their world is filled with a 14th-century alchemist (Nicholas Flamel), various gods, magic, and myth.  The twins learn that not only do they have magical powers that were predicted in the ancient Codex, but it may be up to them to save the world from the evil Elder Race.  It's a hard book to put down, since the end of almost every chapter ends in a cliff-hanger, and at the end of the book...aauugh!  What happens now?  You'll have to pick up the next book in the series, The Magician, to find out.  

A book to savor

I tend to read quickly - probably because there are so many books I want to get to - but I wanted to slow down while reading The Mailbox by Audrey Shafer.  I knew what the story was about, but I was surprised by how moving it was.  Gabe is a sixth-grader who has been shuffled between foster homes for years.  He finally ends up living with Uncle Vernon, a Vietnam veteran he's never met, who's cranky, gruff, and amazingly caring.  One day Gabe comes home and discovers his uncle has died.  Gabe is overwhelmed and tells nobody, but then the body disappears and he starts to receive mysterious notes.  As Gabe corresponds with the secret letter writer and copes with his uncle's death, he's surrounded by a the routine of school, a good friend, a wonderful dog, and caring and compassionate adults.  

What special ability do YOU have?

I don't know why it took me two or three times to get into Savvy by Ingrid Law, but once I did, it was a pretty cool journey.  Mibs Beaumont is about to turn thirteen, and in her family, that means she'll get her a "savvy" - a very special, very unusual ability.  (One of her brothers, for example, can whip up hurricanes, and another can create electricity.)  But just when Mibs is discovering her new talent, her father is injured in a car accident, and she becomes desperate to get to the hospital where he's staying.  Soon she's a stowaway on a the bus of a Bible salesman, trying to head to Salina, Kansas, with her two brothers, the local preacher's two kids, and big-hearted Lill.  The story alternates between being funny, sweet, and touching, and will keep you interested until the last page.  Another great Caudill nominee!

Absolutely unthinkable

I was so caught up in Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy that I read it in one day.  In 1939 Lodz, Poland, was invaded by the Germans, and all of the Jews were forced to move to a certain part of the city, the ghetto.  Over the years, more than a quarter of a million people were sent to the ghetto, but when it was liberated in 1945, there were only about 800 survivors, twelve of whom were children.  This story is told in free verse, and it's based on the the actual survival story of Sylvia, one of those children and the aunt of the author.  The horrific sights and sounds, the terror of being sent to the trains, the fear and hope...told through the voice of a child was mesmerizing.

Navajo Marines of World War II

It's November, the month of Veterans Day and Thanksgiving - what an odd coincidence that I would choose this month to pick up Code Talker by Native American author Joseph Bruchac. Told in first person, like a grandfather talking to his grandchildren, this book is about Ned Begay, a Navajo who is sent to a boarding school with other young Navajos to learn the English language and the ways of the white people.  It was a miserable experience, and the children were expected to completely give up their cultural identity.  How incredibly ironic that these Najavos were then actually recruited to join the Marine Corps during World War II to become code talkers, using their native language to create a code that the Japanese couldn't break.  A fascinating look at a part of American history that was kept secret for decades.

Take me out to the ball game

I just love the voice of author Deborah Wiles, and I wasn't disappointed in her book The Aurora County All-Stars.  It helps if you've read Love, Ruby Lavender, since many characters are the same, but this story still stands on its own.  House Jackson and his friends have a problem: the one and only game that the All-Stars play is scheduled for the same time and day as the county's Fourth of July pageant, which all the ball players are expected to participate in.  While trying to figure out what to do, House confronts secrets, betrayal, the powerful Mamas, a soap opera star, interesting facts about baseball and segregation, a dog named Eudora Welty, and the obnoxious Frances "Finesse" Shotz.  You'll love the feel of the slow Mississippi life, the hot summer sun, and the smooth combination of humor and loyalty. 

From the author of The Lightning Thief

Fans of The Lightning Thief will probably appreciate author Rick Riordan's newest book, The Red Pyramid.  The formula is similar, but this time the main characters are dealing with gods, magicians, and monsters from Egyptian mythology.  The chapters are told in the alternating voices of siblings Carter and Sadie.  After their father blows up the Rosetta Stone, he's entombed by the gods he released, and the kids are determined to get him back.  After meeting a bunch of bizarre characters and discovering some unusual abilities,  Carter learns that his body (and mind!) are hosting Horus, god of war, while Sadie is hosting Isis, goddess of wisdom.  This is a relatively long book, but there's a lot to like - non-stop adventure, very clever (and funny) dialogue, and a hook for the next book in the series.  The book is confusing at first, but readers who stick with it will be glad they did.

I don't think I could be this brave

Helmuth Hubener was a real German teen during the rise  of Hitler and the Nazi party.  In The Boy Who Dared, author Susan Campbell Bartoletti creates a fictionalized account of what was going through Hubener's mind as sat in a jail cell, awaiting his fate after being arrested for treason.  Told in a series of flashbacks, the reader learns how Hubener was initially swept up in the excitement of the patriotic parades and flashy uniforms, but then came to dislike the mistreatment of Jews, the banning of books, and the abuse of power.  When he dares to print and distribute flyers to encourage resistance, he's caught and sentenced to death.  Expertly researched, this would be an amazing companion book to Bartoletti's award-winning nonfiction book, Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow. 

Quite the rebel

After I read a summary of Scarlett by Cathy Cassidy, I thought, "This is a Caudill nominee?"  But now I see why.  At the ripe old age of 12, Scarlett is already trouble.  With her parents divorced, she's living in London with her mom and has just gotten kicked out of school...again.  Her mom can no longer handle Scarlett's rebelliousness and sends her to Ireland to live with father and his new wife and step-daughter.  Scarlett is full of anger at the family that seems so loving, the teeny-tiny school she's sent to, and the lack of attention from her mom.  But after she meets Kian, a mysterious boy with a horse named Midnight, she starts to soften and accept the love her step-family is offering.  Although Scarlett's character sometimes seemed older than the age of 12, I enjoyed watching that character develop, and the descriptions of both Kian and the Irish countryside added a lyrical touch of magic.

Suddenly, awesomely, stinkingly rich

As you might guess from the title, The Billionaire's Curse by Richard Newsome is a classic example of good news/bad news. When teenager Gerald goes with his parents to London for the funeral of his great-aunt Geraldine, he (and everyone else) is stunned to learn that he inherited a billion pounds!  BUT (you knew this was coming) while his goofball parents take off on a vacation, Gerald is left behind to solve a mystery: Geraldine left him a note saying she knows she was murdered, and it's up to Gerald to find the killer...before the killer finds him.  Most of the story zooms around a stolen diamond, a snooty gentlemen's club, suspects galore, and a pair of twins who befriend Gerald and offer to help figure out what's going on.  There were a bit too many coincidences for my taste, and I thought the end of story was mighty Indiana Jones-ish, but it was still a fun read.

Caught in the middle

In Kenny & the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi, Kenny the rabbit is stuck in a bad situation.  His only true friend is George the badger, the friendly and elderly owner of the town's bookshop. Kenny is at first scared, but then delighted to make another new friend: Grahame the dragon, who enjoys reading, theater, and a good dessert.  Unfortunately, the townspeople are terrified to learn that a dragon is nearby.  The king sends a royal command that the dragon is to be slain by the retired knight St. George...none other than George the badger!  It's up to Kenny and his friends and family to come up with a plan.  Although some of the words in the story won't be familiar to younger readers, this is still a delightful nod to Kenneth Grahame, author of the tale The Reluctant Dragon, which inspired this book.

An important part of history

A person can be chained both physically and spiritually, as eloquently described in Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson.  Isabel is a 13-year-old slave during the time of the American Revolution.  She and her little sister Ruth are sold to a merciless couple, the Locktons, in New York.  The Locktons are fierce Loyalists, which means they support the British.  A young rebel (that's someone who was on the American side of the war) encourages Isabel to be a spy, because "They'll say things in front of you they won't say in front of the white servants.  'Cause you don't count." After hearing of a plot to kill George Washington, Isabel tells the rebels, but doesn't get her desired reward - a chance at freedom.  The details of day-to-day life, slavery, attitudes, and the war of 1776 were both heart-breaking and mesmerizing.  Look for the sequel, Forge, scheduled to be released in October 2010.

What would you wish for?

You can guess from the cover that Dodger and Me by Jordan Sonnenblick is not your typical story.  You've heard of a genie coming out of a magic lamp, right?  That's more or less what happens in this book, but the genie - actually he prefers the term "bottled American" - happens to be Dodger, a blue chimp with sunglasses and surfer shorts.  Dude!  Willie Ryan is the kids who discovers Dodger and is the only one who can see him.  Willie can easily think of three wishes he'd like granted: get schoolmate Lizzie to quit coming to his baseball games, have his mom stop being so overprotective, and become a star baseball player.  But remember the old saying: "Be careful what you wish for."  There's a message about friendship in the book, but nothing heavy-duty...just a fun read.  

An environmental adventure

Known for his kids' books with an environmental slant, Carl Hiassen's Scat is another winner.  Nick and Marta can't stand their biology teacher, Mrs. Starch.  However, after a fire cuts short the class field trip to Black Vine Swamp, they're still concerned when the nasty woman disappears.  One of their classmates, bad boy Duane "Smoke" Scrod, Jr., is accused of setting the fire, and soon the story involves a rare Florida panther, an unscrupulous oil company with a bonehead president, and an environmentally-minded millionaire.  The plot development was great, and I liked the way the author combined aspects of both adventure and mystery.  Did you know that "scat" has more than one meaning?  Read this, and you'll find out.

Oh. My. Gosh.

I can't remember the last time I was so quickly drawn into a book as when I read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins!  This amazing story had my attention from the first page.  North America no longer exists; now there's the country of Panem, which consists of the cruel Capitol and twelve surrounding districts.  Every year the Capitol makes each district send one boy and one girl to the Hunger Games, a battle to the death, which all the citizens of Panem are required to watch on live TV.  When Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister's place in the Games, she has to battle not only the other 23 "tributes," but also harsh terrain, weather that's gleefully manipulated by the Capitol, and her own uncertain feelings towards Peeta, the other tribute from Katniss' district.  The plot twists, turns, and constantly keeps the reader on edge.  This absolutely riveting book is followed by two more: Catching Fire and Mockingjay.

An unlikely (but wonderful) friendship

Friends sometimes come from the most unlikely places, as described in A Friendship for Today by Patricia C. McKissack. The date is 1954, and the U. S. Supreme Court had just outlawed school segregation.  Rosemary Patterson will soon be starting in a new school, but after her best friend is suddenly diagnosed with polio, Rosemary learns she'll be the only African-American in the sixth grade class.  She's horrified to learn that one of her classmates will be Grace Hamilton, who comes from a poor, white, and very racist family.  When the class queen bee tries to humiliate both Rosemary and Grace, they form an unexpected friendship.  With inspiration from the injured cat Rags and support from a loving mother, Mr. Bob from the grocery store, and a compassionate teacher, Rosemary learns to persevere.

Never thought I'd like a rat

I don't know why I didn't think I'd like this - maybe because I'm not real crazy about rats? - but I had a blast reading Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell.  Emmy Addison seems like a sweet kid, but ever since her parents inherited a bunch of money, they barely pay attention to her, traveling all the time and leaving Emmy in the hands of the creepy nanny, Miss Barmy.  One day Emmy decides to free the class pet, a rat, and soon learns she's able to talk with the obnoxious critter.  Emmy and Rat discover that Miss Barmy had been concocting all sorts of potions that can control the people around Emmy, with hopes of going after Emmy's fortune.  With the help of her friend Joe (who has been shrunk to the size of a Ken doll) and an assortment of rodents with magical powers, they go after the nasty nanny.  Fast-paced and fun.

Batter up!

Mike Lupica is known for writing great baseball books for the middle school crowd, and The Batboy is another winner.  The son of an ex-major league player, Brian is 14 and he just landed his dream job: being a batboy for the Detroit Tigers. He's thrilled when he finds out that Hank Bishop, his all-time baseball hero, is coming to play for the Tigers, after being suspended for steroid use.  Brian doesn't have much of a relationship with his dad - his parents are divorced, his dad is coaching in Japan and never communicates - and he tries to reach out to Hank.  Even though Hank is downright rude, Brian keeps trying, and in the end, they find a way to help each other out.  A solid story with a lot of behind-the-scenes baseball details.

Fast-paced adventure at sea

If you're looking for a page-turner, The Great Wide Sea by M. H. Herlong is a winner.  Fifteen-year-old Ben is shocked when his father, still grieving over the sudden death of Ben's mom, decides to sell the house, buy a boat, and take Ben and his two younger brothers sailing...for a year.  After a nasty, night-time storm in the middle of the Atlantic, the boys wake up and find their father is gone.  They eventually wash up on a deserted island and have to learn to survive on their own.  Ben's range of emotions, from righteous anger at his dad to concern for his brothers, rings true, and his brother's characters are equally believable.  I thought the ending wrapped up a bit too quickly and neatly, but I couldn't put this one down.

Normal never sounded so good

Sometimes the word "normal" sounds boring, but that's all 12-year-old Addie is looking for in Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor.  After her mother ("Mommers") gets divorced, the two of them move to a trailer in a busy part of Schenectady, New York.  Mommers has a good heart, but she's unreliable and sometimes disappears for days at a time.  Addie is amazingly independent and tries to make the best of bad situation by befriending Soula and Elliot from the nearby convenience store, working hard at her flute (a challenge because of her dyslexia), and keeping a close and heart-warming relationship with her ex-stepfather Dwight and two younger half-sisters.  My favorite line was when Soula said a hibiscus tree in the barbershop was like Addie, "willing to bloom in conditions [she] was never meant to encounter." 

Would you survive on a deserted island?

I know of so many classes that have read The Cay by Theodore Taylor that I decided it was time for me to read it, too, and I'm glad I did.  Taking place during World War II, young Philip is on a freighter that is hit by a torpedo.  When he comes to, he's on a raft in the middle of nowhere with Timothy, an elderly black man, and his feline companion, Stew Cat. They eventually land on a small, deserted island; Philip's head injury leads to blindness, and he must depend on the knowledge and kindness of Timothy to survive.  Will they make it through the approaching hurricane?  Will they ever be rescued?  A lot of action and food for thought are packed into this relatively small book.  

For the new middle schooler!

Hopefully your school year won't start out like this one, but if it does, take heart - you're not alone.  How to Survive Middle School by Donna Gephart is pretty funny, but it has serious parts, too.  Eleven-year-old David Greenberg, inspired by comedian Jon Stewart, makes hysterical (and very good) videos that he uploads to YouTube.  Problems begin when his best friend Elliott abandons him, bully Tommy starts picking on him, and he just can't stop missing his mom, who moved away.  Fortunately, he gains a new friend, Sophie, and her efforts to get the word out on how awesome David's videos are propel him to stardom!  If you like the "Wimpy Kid" books, read this one, too, and find out why there's a hamster on the cover....

The realities of war

Since the U.S. is now pulling out of Iraq, it seemed like a good time to check out this book.  While not an emotionally easy book to read, Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers sheds some light on what war is really all about.  Robin "Birdy" Perry is a young African-American soldier heading overseas to be in the Civil Affairs unit for Operation Iraqi Freedom.  Narrated in first person, Robin leads the reader through a wide range of his emotions - optimism in his letters home to his mom, the friendship and loyalty to his fellow soldiers, utter fear and confusion in trying to figure out exactly who the enemy and why they're fighting.  Appropriate for older middle schoolers and high school students, this would be an interesting companion book to the study of any war.

One feisty young lady

I was pleasantly surprised when I read Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman.  Based on the cover (I know, don't judge a book by its cover), I assumed the story would be about the Middle Ages (correct) and some lah-de-dah, prim and proper girl (way NOT correct).  I should've looked closer - she's getting ready to dump a bucket of water on a guy!  Catherine (nicknamed Little Bird or Birdy) is 14, and the year is 1290.  She's expected to learn her "lady lessons" and be married off in a year or two, but she would much rather join a crusade or become a puppeteer.  Told in a diary format, this book includes rich details of the daily life, beliefs, and customs of the medieval times.  Catherine has quite a bit of spunk, and I couldn't help but wonder how (or if?) she would escape her planned marriage to the abominable Shaggy Beard.  A fascinating story, this would be an especially good companion book to the study of the Middle Ages.

You look wonderful!

I'll admit that I don't know much about the practice of wearing the hijab (Muslim head scarf), and I'd never read a book on the subject, but I'm so glad I started with Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah. Amal is a 16-year-old Australian-Muslim-Palestinian (she freely states that she's "whacked with some seriously confusing identity hyphens") who goes to a prep school. She likes texting, fashion, and watching Sex in the City, and she's decided that she's ready to wear the hijab. The author does an amazing job of leading us through Amal's decision and consequences, staying true to a high-schooler's thought process and faith, without being preachy. Some parts of the book are funny and some are sad, but they all shed a beautiful light on a culture that's quite different from my own. Highly recommended for 8th grade and up.

Absolutely magical

So if a grown-up tells you not to do something, what do you do? If you're like Seth in Fablehaven by Brandon Mull, you figure nothing bad will happen, and wow - will you be wrong. Seth and his sister Kendra are taken to live with their grandparents, whom they hardly know, while their parents go on a trip. The kids eventually learn that their grandparents' estate is actually a sanctuary for magical creatures, such as fairies, satyrs, and imps. Seth has a hard time obeying his grandfather (his grandmother is mysteriously "away"); as a result of his actions, he not only meets some dangerous creatures, but unleashes them as well, and a big good vs. evil battle is underway. I loved the language the kids used - they really, truly sound like siblings - and the action kept me turning the pages. Another terrific Rebecca Caudill nominee!

Laugh out loud funny!

I know so many kids who have read Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney that I decided it was about time I checked it out. Kids - you're brilliant. I haven't laughed at a book this much in ages! Greg Heffley is in his first year of middle school, and he describes it perfectly ("You've got kids like me who haven't hit their growth spurt yet mixed in with these gorillas who need to shave twice a day"), with goofy friends, annoying siblings, and clueless parents. The illustrations on every page are priceless, and Greg's thoughts and actions are both authentic and supremely funny. This is the first book in the Wimpy Kid series, and I bet the rest are just as funny. Be on the look-out: the fifth book is scheduled to be released in November!

Next time I see a firefly...

...I bet I think of this book. The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette's Journey to Cuba by Margarita Engle is as interesting as it is lyrical. Based in Cuba in the 1800s, the story is told in free verse in first person, alternating between Fredrika Bremer, a Swedish feminist visiting Cuba; Cecilia, a slave who misses her home in Africa and serves as Fredrika's translator; Elena, the slave-owner's daughter who lives in a "private world of silk and lace" but has surprisingly little freedom over her own life; and Beni, Cecilia's husband. A metaphor that is invoked repeatedly is that of cocuyos - fireflies. The natives catch them and put them into bottles to make lamps or weave them into their hair, while Fredrika and Cecilia buy the fireflies and set them free. I'd love to share this with a book club, taking turns to read aloud each very brief chapter, and talking about the freedoms and limitations of all the characters.

Know a good lawyer?

Author John Grisham is internationally know for the legal thrillers he's written for adults. I'd love to know what students think of his first book for middle schoolers, Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer. Theodore is 13, and his parents are both lawyers. He loves everything about the legal world and knows a heck of a lot about it, too. He's fascinated by a local murder trial - it seems like the accused man is guilty but will get away with his crime. The dilemma arises when Theo learns of an eyewitness, an illegal immigrant, who can probably get the guy convicted. However, the young man is afraid that if he comes forward he'll be deported. What should Theo do? It's a great premise for a book, but some of the story and dialogue didn't seem authentic to me, and too much was unresolved at the end. There's a fun Theodore Boone web site, but I think Grisham should stick to writing adult books.

Interesting, yet sad

Have you ever read a book and thought you should be liking it better or getting something more out of it? That's what happened with me when I read Red Moon at Sharpsburg by Rosemary Wells. The book received excellent reviews, but I had a hard time getting through it. You might love it, though! India Moody is twelve years old and lives in Virginia, the Confederate side of the Civil War. She balances the grief at watching her father go off to war and the horror at what she witnesses (war injuries and illnesses are never pleasant - even less so in the 1860s) with tutoring she receives from Emory Trimble in biology and chemistry, topics not deemed appropriate for young ladies of her day but for which she has a real love and talent. India grows and matures, assumes more and more responsibility for her family, and has difficult decisions to make when encountering some dead and wounded Yankee soldiers. Much research went into crafting this book, a very authentic telling of experiences during the War Between the States.

Brilliant + evil = really funny

I don't usually laugh out loud when I'm reading, but that wasn't the case as I cruised through I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President by Josh Lieb. Oliver is in 7th grade; his classmates think he's not too bright and at the bottom end of the popularity scale. They have no idea he's used his incredible brilliance to become the third richest person in the world. Oliver's got contraptions rigged all over school and unseen bodyguards everywhere, and he just has to mutter an order via the transmitter implanted in his jaw for his minions to carry out his every wish. (Doesn't like the couple making out in the hall? "Water sprinkler, sector 7" takes care of it.) But now he wants to win the class election - can he carry it off? Black-and-white photos and snarky footnotes add to the development of Oliver's wonderfully obnoxious character.

Ride 'em, cowgirl!

Hold on to your hat, and get ready for an adventure - the action doesn't stop in The Misadventures of Maude March by Audrey Couloumbis. After being orphaned, sisters Sallie and Maude March live in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with stern Aunt Ruthie, but when she gets killed by a gunslinger's stray bullet, they're orphaned again. The girls disguise themselves as boys, take a couple of horses, and head to Independence, Missouri to try to find their only remaining relative, Uncle Arlen. Along the way, they always seem to be at the wrong place at the wrong time (like bank robberies), and soon the papers are full of articles on "Mad" Maude March and the crimes she (supposedly) committed. Sallie makes a pretty amusing narrator and it was fun to read about life on the prairie, but I didn't think the story line was always convincing - the appearances of Marion seemed to be too coincidental after a while, and the girls' attitude when Willie got killed was too indifferent. I liked the strong female characters, though, and I bet this would be a fun book to read aloud.

Bet your summer isn't like this one

Your "what I did on my summer vacation" essay will probably never tell of an experience like that in One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia. The year is 1968, and 11-year-old Delphine has been sent to Oakland, California, with her two younger sisters to spend a month with Celine, the mother she barely remembers. With no sign of a motherly bone in her body, Celine sends the girls to a community center run by the Black Panthers to spend every day, orders them out to pick up Chinese food for every dinner, and clearly tells her daughters, "No one told y'all to come out here." The story is told in the voice of Delphine, who is trying to care for her sisters, learning a new (to her) aspect of the black community, and hoping to gain some sign of affection from her mother. The humor of sisters bugging sisters blended with the serious historical information of a turbulent time make for a great read.

A fantastic book to listen to

I recently took an unexpected road trip by myself, and I thought that listening to an audiobook might help pass the time. Wow, did I luck out! Love, Ruby Lavender, written by Deborah Wiles and read by Judith Ivey, was a huge treat. Ruby lives in Halleluia, Mississippi, and her best friend is her feisty grandmother, Miss Eula. When Eula decides to visit her new grandbaby in Hawaii, Ruby is devastated. The two trade frequent letters, and Ruby describes how she's raising chickens (humorously "liberated" by Ruby and Eula in the opening of the book), making a new friend, Dove, and figuring out how to deal with irritating Melba Jane, whose father died in the same accident as Ruby's grandfather. Ivey's Mississippi accents were just amazing - every time Eula mentioned "Hu-wah-yuh" I felt like I sitting across the porch from her, sipping lemonade. Going on a road trip yourself? This audiobook will make the time fly.

Not your typical fairy tale

Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson is a fascinating story based on a Charles Perrault fairy tale. Set in pre-colonial India, stepsisters Diribani and Tana individually encounter the goddess Naghali-ji. Afterwards, gems and flowers tumble from Diribani's lips when she speaks, but Tana speaks toads, frogs, and snakes. Each of these abilities is a gift, and when the girls are separated, they are determined to discover the purpose behind the goddess's blessings. Although it seems as though Diribani is the luckier of the two, she's not as happy as one might expect. Alternating chapters focus on one stepsister or the other; the sights, sounds, and smells of the different cultural settings and customs that the girls encounter are vividly described. Read along, and in your imagination you can join the journeys, too.

A true gem

What an absolutely enchanting book! Diamond Willow by Helen Frost is told in first person; twelve-year-old Willow's narration is in diamond-shaped verse, each one containing a secondary message in bold type. Willow lives in remote Alaska. She helps her father care for their sled dogs and is finally allowed to mush the dogs to her Grandma and Grandpa's by herself. On the way home she has an accident that blinds her favorite dog, Roxy. After learning that her parents plan on putting Roxy to sleep, Willow enlists the friend of her friend Kaylie to rush Roxy back to her grandparents', but a blinding blizzard leaves them stranded in the forest overnight. Unbeknownst to the girls, the spirits of their ancestors, in the form of various animals, provide protection and guidance. A surprising family secret is revealed about two-thirds of the way through the book, and the voices of the animal ancestors become even more meaningful. The touches of magical realism are simply delightful.

On a more serious note

With a title as goofy as Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie, written by Jordan Sonnenblick, I figured this book would provide a light-hearted read. Yes, some parts were pretty funny, but others were deadly serious. Steven is an eighth-grader concerned with typical middle school issues: his impressive drumming talent, a mild obsession with beautiful Renee, and his annoying little brother Jeffrey. Then Jeffrey is diagnosed with leukemia, and the roller-coaster begins. Their mother quits her job to deal with doctors, hospitals, and endless cancer tests and treatments; their father worries about finances and becomes withdrawn; Steven takes refuge with his drums and the All-City High School Band which he was talented enough to join. His emotions are realistically described, ranging from elation after a conversation with Renee to fury at feeling neglected by his parents, from being "in the zone" with his drumming to worry for Jeffrey. Get the tissues - you'll want to laugh and cry with this book.

No lie...this was mesmerizing

I absolutely couldn't put down this his sophisticated story, best for readers in 8th grade and up. What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell takes place at the end of World War II. Fifteen-year-old Evie, her stepdad Joe, and her movie-star-beautiful mother Beverly go to Palm Beach, Florida, supposedly on a vacation. It's the off-season - an unusual time to visit. While there, Evie meets charming and handsome Peter, an army buddy of Joe's, and falls in love with him. But all is not as it seems, and (spoiler alert!) after Joe, Beverly, and Peter go on a boating trip, Peter ends up dead, while Joe and Beverly become murder suspects. Blundell's writing was incredibly evocative of the post-war 1940s, from the slang and clothing to racism and the relations between different socioeconomic groups. Winner of the 2008 National Book Award for Young People's Literature.

From the mountains of North Carolina

Twelve-year-old Dovey is the likable, plain-spoken narrator in Dovey Coe by Frances O'Roark Dowell. This fast-paced story takes place in the 1920s in small and poor Indian Creek, North Carolina. Dovey's beautiful older sister Caroline dreams of going away to a teacher's college, but that idea doesn't sit well with Parnell Caraway, son of the richest man in town. Parnell want to marry Caroline, but Dovey lets us know he's "the meanest, vainest, greediest man who ever lived. Seventeen years old and rotten to the core." After being publicly rejected by Caroline, Parnell gets revenge by locking up one of the dogs of Amos, Dovey and Caroline's brother who is deaf. When Dovey goes to retrieve the dog, things go wrong - Dovey gets knocked out, Parnell has been killed, and Dovey is falsely accused of his murder. The mountain dialect used in this book is authentic (although some readers may struggle with it a bit), the setting is described in a wonderful way, and ending is definitely a satisfying one.

A book for book lovers

Since school is out, I thought I'd tackle a longer book, and this one was definitely worth the effort. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke is a wonderful story, but it's especially enjoyable if the reader loves not just books, but the whole reading experience. The main character is Meggie; she loves to read, and her father Mo is a book-binder. A mysterious stranger named Dustfinger appears; first, he gives Mo a warning, but then he betrays Mo and takes him to the village of the incredibly evil Capricorn. Meggie learns that nine years ago, while Mo was reading out loud to Meggie's mother, he read some characters out of a book and brought them to life, while sending Meggie's mother into the same book. Capricorn, one of these characters, now wants Mo to read someone (or is it something?) else out of the book...the terrifying "Shadow." Each chapter begins with a quote from another book that gives an idea of what to expect. These were great, but my favorite quote was from Inkheart itself. Meggie learns that she may have the same gift as her father, and she was getting ready to read aloud something of great importance: "Every letter, she thought, every single letter matters! Let the words echo, ring out, whisper and rustle and roll like thunder."

A Newbery treasure

Quite deserving of the Newbery Award it won, Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis is a wonderful blend of humor, tenderness, and historical fiction. The story is set in 1936 in Flint, Michigan. Bud is a 10-year-old running away from the orphanage and the latest (horrible) foster home. He doesn't know anything about his father, but he has a clue: a flyer, left by his mother, of Herman E. Calloway and his band, the Dusky Devastators of the Depression!!!!!! Convinced that Calloway is his father, Bud sets out to find him, taking his beat-up suitcase of treasured belongings and keeping in mind Bud Caldwell's Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself. I loved the description of the Great Depression, Bud's perception of life (he remembers Momma reading Twenty Thousand Leaks Under the Sea), and the way the band members embrace Bud's entrance into their lives. This would be a great book for sharing as a read-aloud.

Found a great one!

The action, adventure, and time travel in Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix had me hooked from the start! A plane mysteriously appears at an airport, and the only passengers are thirty-six babies...not an adult - even a pilot - in sight. Thirteen years later, two 13-year-old friends, Jonah and Chip start receiving threatening messages like, "Beware! They're coming back to get you." Jonah thinks it has something to do with the fact that he's adopted, and soon Chip learns that he's adopted as well. The boys learn that the FBI was involved with their adoptions, and together with Jonah's sister, Katherine, the three find out about lists of "Survivors" and "Witnesses," see two people appear or disappear, and end up in a time travel trap in a cliffhanger ending. This fast-paced and thought-provoking book is the first in the Missing series; Sent is on the shelves, and Sabotaged will be published in August 2010.

Can you keep a secret?

Well, this really isn't a secret - this book was a blast! A wacky combination of humor, mystery, and adventure, The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch reminded me of the Lemony Snicket books I used to read with my kids. Cass and her friend Max-Ernst discover two things left behind by a supposedly dead magician: a notebook (with missing pages, of course) and the "Symphony of Smells," a box containing vials of different scents. Soon they discover that the creepy Dr. L. and his equally creepy partner Ms. Mauvais want the notebook, too, because they think it contains the secret to...what? Immortality? And what does synesthesia - a confusion of the senses - have to do with it all? If you like action, riddles, and The Series of Unfortunate Events, put THIS book on your reading list.