A special set of twins

I didn't want The Other Half of My Heart by Sundee T. Frazier to end!  In this absolute gem of a story, Minni and Keira are twins, but it's not obvious - Minni looks a lot like their white father, and Keira takes after their black mother.  They live in a mostly-white, artsy community in the state of Washington.  Minni doesn't realize how Keira often feels out of place until the girls have a summer visit to North Carolina to visit their domineering grandmother and participate in the Miss Black Pearl Preteen Program.  Now it's Minni's turn to feel like a fish out of water, with her pale skin, red hair, and blue eyes. While some girls in the program give her grief for her appearance, her grandmother obviously favors her compared to Keira.  The twins' feelings, questions, and concerns are very authentic, and although the issues of race relations and identity are serious, there are some warm and humorous parts to the story as well.  This book would be perfect for either a middle school girls' book club or a mother/daughter book club.

Who knew librarians could be so rotten?

There's no way I could resist a title like Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson! Alcatraz Smedley just turned 13, and for his birthday he received an apparently unremarkable...bag of sand? But the action gets fast and furious when his grandfather shows up and tells him the present was the Sands of Rashid, which the evil Librarians quickly steal to smelt into new lenses of power. Alcatraz learns that all Smedleys have special Talents - how can you not like a kid who's good at breaking things (and his grandfather, who's always late)? - and these talents are put to good use when they infiltrate the library (oh, no!) to track down the bad guys. The story is chaotic and fun; Alcatraz tells it with loads of snarky humor. And if you like it, you're in luck - there are currently three more in the series.

What's in your danger box?

Blue Balliett is known for writing mysteries, and her latest is The Danger Box. Zoomy Chamberlain is an interesting 12-year-old: he's almost legally blind, he's compulsive about making lists, and he's being raised by his grandparents. When his alcoholic father shows up and drops off a box, a battered notebook inside quickly catches Zoomy's attention. After identifying the word "Galapagos," he starts doing some research, and soon Zoomy in convinced the notebook has something to do with Charles Darwin. Teaming up with Lorrol, a girl he meets at the library, the two try to learn more about the notebook and how it might be connected to the newly-arrived (and somewhat creepy) stranger in their small town. Chapters are interspersed with "a free newspaper about a mysterious soul," written by Zoomy and Lorrol; it seemed pretty obvious they were referring to Darwin, and I thought the articles didn't add a lot to the story. Mixed feeling about the book - I was disappointed that there wasn't more of a mystery to solve, but I really liked the characters of Zoomy and Lorrol.

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.

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!

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.

Off and running with Rebecca Caudill

Every year I try to read all of the books nominated for the Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award, and every year...I'm in a hurry at the end. So I'm starting now with the 2011 nominees. Wish me luck!

In Schooled by Gordon Korman, Capricorn (Cap) Anderson lives with and is homeschooled by his hippie grandmother on a commune; he's never had pizza, never watched TV... you get the idea. After she's injured and has to stay in the hospital for a while, Cap is sent to live with a counselor and her obnoxious teen daughter, while he attends Claverage Middle School (aka C Average). His long bushy hair, tie-dyed clothes, and overwhelming cluelessness about how his classmates live earn him the "honor" of biggest nerd and, according to tradition, the presidency of the 8th grade class. Each chapter is told in a different voice: Cap, the counselor or her daughter, Zach (big man on campus), Hugh (the previous biggest nerd), and others. This is one of those books for which I have mixed feelings. The story moves well, some parts are funny or touching, and Cap's view of life was pretty interesting, but the voices of the 8th graders didn't seem authentic to me, and I had a hard time getting past that. I'd love to know what middle schoolers think of this book!