Remind me not to go to Mars...

Well.  I'm not sure if I'm exhausted or glad or what after finishing Black Hole Sun by David Macinnis Gill.  I had a hard time getting into this book, but true sci-fi fans may enjoy it. Living on Mars, Durango is a teenage mercenary - a gunman or soldier who will do anything for money.  He and his crew have been hired to protect a group of poor miners from the nasty, cannibalistic Draeu and their equally evil queen.  Some parts of the book are clever and funny, like the conversations between Durango and the snarky Mimi - an Artificial Intelligence that has been flash-cloned to Durango's brain (got that?).  But I had problems with all the action - there was so much happening so fast, that I couldn't picture it, which was frustrating.  And I could never figure out what the title was supposed to mean!  The book is getting good reviews, though, so if you're comfortable with sci-fi and a higher reading level, give it a shot.

Can Armpit make the right choices?

I listened to this book, and it was great: Small Steps, written by Louis Sachar and narrated by Curtis McClarin.  In a follow-up to Sachar's well-known Holes, Armpit is home from Camp Green Lake and taking small steps to get his act together.  He's going to summer school classes, working hard at a landscaping company, and maintaining a really cool relationship with Jenny, the little girl next door who has cerebral palsy.  But then his buddy X-Ray tempts him with a money-making scheme - scalping tickets for a concert by teen rock star Kaira DeLeon - and Armpit's life takes a few steps back.  Sachar smoothly blends such unrelated topics as race issues (Armpit is black, Jenny is white), a behind-the-scenes look at the rock world, and making choices; McClarin's narration adds a beautiful depth to the story.

If you like Lemony Snicket...

...I bet you would like The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter.  Otto (who never speaks and refuses to take off his scarf), Lucia, and Max are the Hardscrabble siblings.  Their mom mysteriously disappeared five years ago, and their father goes on faraway trips to paint portraits of royalty who...aren't quite so royal any more.  The kids are on a quest to find their mother, and they end up at Snoring-by-the-Sea, with a pretty cool great-aunt who's staying at a "castle folly" - a life-size children's castle full of mystery and secret passages.  A few British terms may be unfamiliar ("torch" = flashlight; "trainers" = gym shoes), but the reader will still enjoy plenty of cleverness, humor, and adventure.  The ending is definitely not Lemony Snicket-y; instead, it was unexpected and bittersweet, but still quite satisfying.

What spark is within you?

With this cover, I assumed that The Fire Within by Chris D'Lacey would be a very dragon-y kind of book.  Yes, there are dragons, but the story is more about the human characters: Liz, a potter who makes ceramic dragons; Lucy, her daughter; and David, a college student who is renting a room from them.  Lucy asks for David's help as she tries to save the neighborhood squirrels, which she has identified and even named.  As the squirrel rescue progresses, he starts to write a squirrel story for Lucy, which she loves; when he gets stuck, he gets inspiration from Gadzooks, a dragon he received from Liz.  But what is that "Hrrrr" sound David keeps hearing in the house, and how does Liz fire her ceramic creatures without an oven?  Readers may be a bit confused by some of the language - even though the story takes place in the U.S., the characters are obviously British - but will enjoy discovering multiple meanings of "the fire within."

A Chicago mystery

It's fun (for me, anyway) to read a story based in Chicago, like Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett.  Vermeer was a painter in the 1600s, and Petra and Calder are friends who are trying to solve the mystery of a Vermeer painting that disappeared on its way to the Art Institute.  Several random events are described, as well as a cast of interesting characters, and it's hard to figure out how in the world they'll all fit together (but they do in the end). The book includes chapter illustrations containing a puzzle that relates to the mystery, too.  Some of the clues and patterns the kids discover are pretty cool, but some seem too coincidental.  Even though I wasn't crazy about the ending (kind of weak), I enjoyed going to the computer a few times throughout the book to see more details of the Vermeer paintings described.

A definite keeper

The story starts off a little slowly, but patient readers will be rewarded for sticking with Keeper by Kathi Appelt.  Keeper is ten years old, and she's really excited about all sorts of special things that are going to happen the night of the next blue moon. But after accidentally ruining everything, Keeper thinks she'll feel better if she can talk to her mom, who swam away seven years ago, and who Keeper believes is a mermaid.  As Keeper sets out in a rowboat with BD (Best Dog) and Captain (a seagull), the story flashes back to significant events in her life; as the weather and water get worse, the truth of Keeper's history slowly dawns on her.  Sweet, haunting, hopeful, with a touch of magical realism...a beautiful story.

Spooky!

You've heard, "Never judge a book by its cover," right?  So true.  I only picked up this book because it had been recommended to me, but I thought that it looked dated and....sort of lame.  Shame on me - this was good!  The story begins with 11-year-old Allie stuck on the side of a cliff after fossil hunting.  Then a voice - from where? - calmly gives advice on how to get down.  After seeing a young girl's grave in a nearby cemetery and doing some research with her friend Dub, Allie is convinced that the voice belonged to the ghost of Lucy Stiles, who died four years ago but whose body was never found.  Now Allie is trying to solve the mystery of Lucy's death so that Lucy's spirit can finally rest in peace.  This is a well-paced book that's hard to put down, so look past the cover and check it out.

High-flying action

Wow!  I had a hard time putting down The Kite Rider by Geraldine McCaughrean.  The story is set in 13th-century China. Haoyou is twelve years old, and his father just died.  Trying to earn money to help his widowed mother, Haoyou becomes a kite rider in the traveling Jade Circus.  That means Haoyou is actually strapped to a kite and flown waaaaay high in the sky, which is frightening, dangerous, and exciting, all at once.  Haoyou has mixed emotions when finding out he'll be performing for the Mongol conqueror Kublai Khan, and he's shocked to learn the secret of The Great Miao, the circus master, and how it involves the Khan himself.  The characters are great - you'll love Haoyou's cousin Mipeng and despise his great-uncle Bo - and the sense of adventure, energy, loyalty, betrayal, and friendship will keep you fascinated.

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.