How It Was with Dooms: A True Story from Africa by Xan Hopcraft and Carol Cawthra Hopcraft

This is the most amazing book! If you are an animal lover and have ever wished you could live with wild animals, you have to read this. The book is told first person by Xan, who wasn't born yet when Dooms came to his parent's ranch in Kenya as a 3 or 4- week-old orphaned cheetah. The book is full of amazing pictures taken by Xan's mother. In fact, I love looking at the pictures so much that I'm going to buy a copy for myself. There has been some criticism of the book as glorifying the idea of keeping a wild animal as a pet, but I did some research and found an article giving the background of the book and an interview with Carol Hopcraft. Xan's father is a second-generation Kenyan who, with his wife Carol, owns a ranch where he researches and teaches sustainable farming. It's not really accurate to call Dooms a pet, because he was allowed to come and go as he liked; it's just that he never left. The book tells a beautiful and moving story of an unlikely friendship. I kept wondering how a parent could ever trust a wild animal so completely as to let their infant climb over its tail, or to lie back resting on it like I did with our dogs when I was growing up. The end is sad, of course, but it's what always has to happen when we love an animal that doesn't live as long as we do, and in the story it's handled beautifully. Review by Stacy Church

Stravaganza: City of Secrets by Mary Hoffman

I was so excited to see that the fourth book in the Stravaganza series had arrived! I loved the first two books, and liked the third one. It's one of my favorite fantasy series --it's everything I love in a good fantasy: two parallel worlds and characters that travel back and forth between them, living totally separate lives in each one; great characters; and a complicated but understandable plot which reads like historical fiction even though it's clearly fantasy. I don't know what's up with this fourth book, but I can't get through it! I've read half and I've pretty much decided not to finish it, but the thing that has me confused is that other reviewers are loving it. To me, it's poorly written, and the author has to spend so much time making sure the readers understand the complicated plot history of the other 3 books that she can't seem to develop the characters or the new plot. Review by Stacy Church

An Apology

Please accept our apologies that it has been so long since our last book review post. We've been doing a lot of work on our blogs and on creating new blogs, and in the process have neglected the posting! We promise to do better.

Diamond Willow by Helen Frost

Two things attracted me to this book: its title and its cover. Diamond Willow --what kind of willow could that be? I imagined a sparkling willow tree. The author explains that Diamond Willow is no special type of willow tree. The diamonds appear on willow branches when the bark is stripped away. The diamonds form on the areas where a branch has been injured or fallen off. The dark center in each diamond is the scar of the missing branch. These beautiful, natural willow diamonds with their dark centers inspired Helen Frost to write her book in the form of diamond-shaped poems, with a hidden message printed in darker ink at the center of each one.

As for the intriguing cover art, we see mysterious blues swirling around the profiles of a young person and either a wolf or a dog. The human and the animal are facing each other, smiling, and looking intensely into each other's eyes. They are drawn to each other, forming a strong bond. I wanted to find out more about their relationship and what drew them together.

This is the story of 12-year-old Willow, who grows up in Alaska. She begs her parents to let her take the dog team to visit her grandparents. Finally the parents decide that Willow is old enough to manage the sled dogs by herself. Willow takes off enthusiastically with the dogs. In her exuberance, she races the dogs and lets them fly across the arctic landscape. But then she makes a mistake, and disaster strikes. Her favorite dog is badly injured. How Willow shows great strength and fortitude in fighting for her dog's life is beautifully told in diamond-shaped poetry. Willow also grows into her Athabascan heritage by becoming aware of and honoring the spirit world that surrounds her. Review by Trudy Walsh

Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale

I love re-tellings of fairy tales, and when I saw the cover of this graphic novel, I had to read it - what could be better than a braid-whipping Rapunzel decked out like a cowgirl? The story begins with Rapunzel living in a beautiful villa with the woman she always thought was her mother. The villa is surrounded by a towering wall, and Rapunzel has never seen what is on the other side. Her only companions are the guards of the villa, who befriend her and entertain her by teaching her how to throw a lasso. On her twelfth birthday, she decides she must see what’s on the other side, and uses her lasso trick to get over the wall. What follows are the events that lead to her finding out the truth about her mother, and seeking out her revenge. Shannon Hale, the author of Princess Academy and The Book of a Thousand Days, created this graphic novel with her husband Dean, with illustrations by Nathan Hale (no relation). Hale is known for having strong female protagonists in her stories, and this Rapunzel does not disappoint. I’m praying that Hale writes more graphic novel fairy tale re-tellings, because this one is a gem! Review by Katie Corrigan

Brian's Hunt by Gary Paulsen

Since I'm a big Gary Paulsen fan, (I really enjoyed Hatchett), I was happy to come across another story about Brian in the wilderness. This one didn't disappoint. Brian is a great character who battles whatever nature throws his way. In this book he finds a wounded dog, which, using his natural instincts, he nurses back to health with only his limited supplies. Together Brian and the dog wage a really battle against nature. Review by Joyce Levine

Lost and Found by Andrew Clements

Ray and Jay are identical twins. Their family has moved many times, but since the twins are "best friends" moving around doesn't bother them much. They like to play the usual twin tricks on people who can't tell them apart. When Jay enters sixth grade at another new school, he starts to wonder what life would be like as a single person instead of a twin. By coincidence, there is no student folder for his brother, Ray, who has stayed at home sick. Jay does not mention his twin brother at homeroom when attendance is taken. He enjoys the day just being himself, talking to some of the boys and smiling at a beautiful girl. On his way home from school, Jay hatches a plan. Will Ray go along with it? How Jay and Ray scheme and plot to take turns going to school and to appear as a single person is very funny and entertaining. Review by Trudy Walsh

The Buddha's Diamonds by Carolyn Marsden & Thay Phap Niem

Tinh, a young Vietnamese boy, knows that he is finally old enough to help his father support the family. He is honored and proud when his father invites him to go fishing every day in their new golden bamboo boat. It is hard work but Tinh seldom thinks of the playmates he's left behind. He wants to become as good a fisherman as his father. One day, when a storm approaches, Tinh is given the task of securing the family boat. Tinh is not very big -- he struggles with all his might to pull their boat to safety. Then, with a roar, a powerful tsunami-like wave rolls toward the beach. Tinh panics and runs for his life. When the floodwaters recede, the destruction and devestation left behind are enormous. The family boat is buried under tons of sand and Tinh struggles with the guilt of having let his family down. Will his father ever trust him again? This is the story of young Tinh growing up in Vietnam after the war, taking responsibility for his action and trying hard to prove to himself and his family that he is a man. The Buddha's "diamonds" are not the ordinary, earthly crystals and gemstones we know by that name. You can discover a new kind of "diamonds" by reading this special book. Review by Trudy Walsh

Dovey Coe by Frances O'Roark Dowell

This book has one of the best beginnings I've ever read in a book: "My name is Dovey Coe and I reckon it don't matter if you like me or not. I'm here to lay the record straight, to let you know them folks saying I done a terrible thing are liars. I aim to prove it, too. I hated Parnell Caraway as much as the next person, but I didn't kill him." Wow. I don't usually like books written in dialect, but Dovey Coe's character is so strong and true to life that I forgot all about it. The story begins with Dovey Coe already accused of murder. She just has to fill the reader in on the back story. It's 1928 and the Coe family lives in the mountains of North Carolina, in the small town of Indian Creek. They own their own land, and they are one of the only families in town who aren't beholden to the richest family in town, the Caraways. At the begining of the book, Dovey sees everything in black and white, sees herself as the protector of her older brother Amos, who is deaf. But in the end she learns that things aren't so clear cut, and maybe she needs Amos more than he needs her. Her older sister Caroline has long planned to escape small town life by going to college and becoming a teacher. Parnell is determined to get her to stay and marry him instead. Exactly how things go from there to Dovey Coe regaining consciousness and finding herself alone with Parnell's dead body is a masterful feat of storytelling on the author's part. Some of the best scenes in the book come in the courtroom, where Dovey has to trust her fate to a city lawyer, who she says, "...could string words together and make them shine like lights around a Christmas tree." Even though you think you know where the story is headed, the ending is shocking. This is one of my favorite books of all time. Review by Stacy Church

Shooting the Moon by Frances O'Roark Dowell

I was hooked on this book from the very first sentence, "The day after my brother left for Vietnam, me and Private Hollister played thirty-seven hands of gin rummy, and I won twenty-one." Jamie Dexter is a card shark, and an army brat. She and her brother TJ grew up in the army. Their father, who they call the Colonel, liked to say, "The army way is the right way," and they believed it. Jamie tells her own story, and she lets you know right off the bat how confident she is, but you can hear a hint of how much she will come to learn during the course of the story. "I was six months away from turning thirteen and I thought I knew everything." I read this book in one sitting, and I was continually amazed by how wonderful the writing is. For instance: "We were stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, a flat piece of real estate that threatened to burst into flames every afternoon from June through September." It's the summer of 1969, and TJ enlists in the Medical Corps instead of going to college like his family had planned. Jamie doesn't understand why her father isn't happy --she and TJ have always believed that going to war is the greatest thing possible. She thinks it must be her mother who is putting pressure on the Colonel to get TJ to stay home. She asks TJ to write her letters, but instead he sends her rolls of black and white film, and tells her to develop it herself at the rec center. Jamie started volunteering at the rec center just before her brother left, and has struck up a friendship with Private Hollister. He introduces her to another soldier who teaches her how to work in the darkroom. At first, TJ's pictures are of the landscape and some of the nurses he works with. But with each roll of film he sends her, the images become more disturbing, and she is reluctant to develop them. He also shoots pictures of the moon, his favorite subject. Things come to a head when Jamie finds out that her friend Private Hollister may be sent to Vietnam, where his brother was already killed. This story is about the war in Vietnam, but mostly it's about a family and a girl growing up in a difficult time. Review by Stacy Church

Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Princess Ben is not your typical princess. First of all, her name isn’t pretty and feminine – it’s Ben, short for Benevolence. Secondly, she is chubby and graceless. And her life is far from perfect, especially after her parents and her uncle, the king, die on the same day. It is assumed that they were killed by the neighboring Drachensbetts, long the enemy of Ben’s people. Ben goes to live with her widowed aunt, Sophia, who is now serving as the Queen until Ben is old enough to assume the throne. Ben soothes her grief with food and sullenness, causing her aunt to keep her in a tower room until she learns to behave. But this punishment turns into freedom when Ben discovers there is something very special about this room, and the castle as well. The story is told from a future Ben’s point-of-view, as she attempts to set the story straight on the events that made her famous. The voice is authentic and old-fashioned, and beautifully written. All of the major characters are complex and well-drawn – we see the spoiled as well as the mature Ben, the aunt who is both cruel and caring, and the Drachensbett rulers who are both enemy and friend. This book has garnered rave reviews, and will be on many people’s short list for a Newbery honor. Review by Katie Corrigan

Rits by Mariken Jongman

For Rits's 13th birthday his parents gave him a writing journal and pen and a video camera --that way he could still choose what he wanted to be, a writer or a filmmaker. That's one of the funny things about Rits: whenever he finds out about a type of career, he starts to think that maybe he'll become that, too. For instance, when he meets his new friend Rita's dad, who's done lots of different thinks like sailing the ocean, working in a cafe and working on the scrap heap, he thinks the scrap heap is especially appealing because "you get a torch and you have to wear goggles, and then you get to burn big hunks of metal to pieces." This book, which is translated from the Dutch, is written in diary format as Rits records his thoughts and things that happen to him during the summer he has to live with his Uncle Corry. It takes a while to find out where Rits's parents are, and it takes most of the book for Rits to find things that he likes about Uncle Corry. I found Rits to be a very appealing character --he's funny and sad, and even though he tries to make the best of things, he often feels like he's suffering from "sagging brain," a condition he tries to research at the library. Rits's parents have let him down, but other people step up to help him, and things turn out pretty well in the end. Review by Stacy Church

Paint the Wind by Pam Munoz Ryan

Here is a wonderful horse story in the tradition of Marguerite Henry's Misty and Walter Farley's Black Stallion series. In alternate chapters we meet Artemisia, a wild mustang who is very protective of her new foal, and Maya, who lives with her overly strict and controlling grandmother. After her grandmother dies, Maya is sent to Wyoming to live with her grandfather on a horse farm. To Maya's surprise and delight, she takes to the horses easily and quickly learns to ride. Maya discovers that she is very much like her mother,who, before she was killed in a car crash along with her father, loved horses. One day when Maya is far away from the family's summer camp, disaster strikes, and Maya is seriously injured in an earthquake. Artemisia is caught in the same valley. As Maya begins to communicate with Artemisia, both child and horse realize that they need each other to survive. They learn to trust each other as they overcome many obstacles on their way out of the devestated valley. Paint the Wind will take you on an amazing journey and an exhilarating "wild ride." Review by Trudy Walsh

The Truth about My Bat Mitzvah by Nora Raleigh Baskin

When Caroline's grandmother dies, her grandfather gives her a beautiful piece of Nana's jewelry, a lovely golden chain with delicate little circles perfectly linked together. As Grandfather lets the sparkling chain slowly drop into Caroline's open palms, she is surprised to realize that there is a Star of David at the end of the golden necklace. Two elongated, intertwined triangles, contrasted in light and dark gold, form the six-pointed Star of David, a symbol of her nana's Jewish faith. Caroline has never thought much about religion. Her mother has never brought her to a synagogue, where she worshipped as a child, nor has her father ever brought her to a church, where he grew up worshipping. Now Caroline is confronted with her Jewish heritage. Is she really Jewish? What does that mean for her? Her best friend Rachel is preparing to become a bat mitzvah and asks Caroline to help her plan an elaborate party to celebrate. Secretly, Caroline wishes to become a bat mitzvah and have a big party, too. Does she have a right to it? And what would she have to do for it? As Caroline explores her multicultural family background to help her understand who she really is, she makes some wonderful discoveries about her Jewish heritage. To her amazement, she also meets some new family members. The Truth about My Bat Mitzvah is a beautifully written story about a young girl, who in the process of discovering her Christian-Jewish roots, finds herself. Review by Trudy Walsh

The Titanic: An Interactive History Adventure by Bob Temple

I was so excited to read this choose-your-own adventure book about the Titanic. The Titanic tragedy is fascinating, and choose-your-own adventure books are always fun; unfortunately, this book is not that fascinating or fun. It only has 35 choices and 15 endings, which is kind of skimpy for a choose-your-own book. The information on the Titanic is interesting, but it left me wanting more facts and pictures. To get more out of this book, check it out with Robert Ballard's Exploring the Titanic or any of the other Titanic books with the call number 910.4. Review by Katie Corrigan

Blue Like Friday by Siobhan Parkinson

This may be my favorite children's book I've read all year. It's funny, really funny, and sad (my favorite combination), and the characters are great. On top of that, there's a mystery that the kids solve themselves. What could be better. It's told first person by Olivia, whose best friend is Hal. Hal is an unusual person (among other things, he has synesthesia--you'll have to look that up). Olivia spends a fair amount of time explaining Hal to the reader, and she has quite a funny way of telling things. Here's Olivia talking about her brother: "Let's face it, Larry is not one of nature's rebels. But my parents don't believe this. They believe all that stuff they read in the papers about Teenage Drinking. Larry is not exactly what you would call a typical teenager. I probably will be, when I get to that age. I will most likely be a total handful, get studs everywhere, wear the most way-out things, listen to really objectionable music. I will drive my parents up the walls. They've had it easy with Larry. They won't know what hit them. I am looking forward to it." So I guess the thing that I love the most about this book is that since the story is told from Olivia's point of view, you get her commentary on everything along with it. And as I said, Olivia is really funny. Review by Stacy Church

The Wild Girls by Pat Murphy

I really enjoyed reading this book, even though I wasn't sure what to expect from the title. In this case, "wild girls" means girls who live in the wild (sort of), not girls who misbehave in a wild way, although Fox, who calls herself the Queen of the Foxes, probably thinks of herself in that way, too. Joan, who is 12, moves to California with her family, and no one except her father is very happy about it. Her new house doesn't have a nice shady yard like her old house in Connecticut - no flowers, no swing hanging from a mulberry tree. When Joan goes exploring her first afternoon in California, she follows a path through the woods. It winds along a creek, and ends up in a small clearing furnished with an easy chair and shelves filled with dishes, food and toys. Before Joan can start to look around, a girl about her age yells at her to get off her property. Of course, this turns out to be Fox (whose real name is Sarah). And, predictably enough, they grow to be best friends--outside of school, that is. Later in the story, Fox and Joan (who has taken on the name Newt) write a short story together that wins a writing contest. This allows them to take a summer writing class from a real writer, on the campus of a nearby college. The class basically saves Sarah, helping her to understand her cold, demanding father better, and to find a way to be more comfortable with herself. Review by Stacy Church

Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine

In 1972 Ling is living a carefree life in Wuhan City in central China. Her parents are both doctors working at the local hospital. Ling's father is a famous surgeon, trained in Western medicine. Ling's mother practices the healing arts of ancient China, using many special herbs. Then, overnight, everything changes. Under Mao's leadership the Cultural Revolution sweeps across China. Comrade Li, one of Mao's officers, takes a section of Ling's parents' apartment for himself, and starts to spy on them. He demands that they share their food with him, claiming more and more for himself. In a short time, Comrade Li becomes so powerful that he has the people living in the hospital's apartment complex shaking with fear every time they see him. Then Ling's father disappears, along with other doctors from the hospital. Ling worries about whether she will ever see him again, and if her mother will disappear, too. How Ling and her mother survive and triumph over the hard times during the Cultural Revolution is beautifully described in Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine. Review by Trudy Walsh

Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor

I really enjoyed reading this funny/sad book about a girl trying to make the best of a not-so-stable home situation. At the beginning of the book, Addie's stepfather, Dwight, is moving Addie and her mother (Mommers) into a tiny trailer on a run-down street corner. It doesn't take long to figure out that Dwight is the good, loving influence in Addie's life, even though Mommers blames him for everything. Addie misses Dwight and her two half-sisters, who she calls "The Littles," and she worries that Dwight doesn't want her to come live with them, too. Addie makes friends with the owners of the mini-mart next door, and it's a good thing she does because they are her only company (besides her hamster) when Mommers disappears for days at a time. Because Addie is worried that it will cause trouble like the last time she told the truth, she protects Mommers and doesn't let anyone know how bad things really are. There's an exciting ending, and although things work out pretty well for everyone, the happy ending doesn't feel forced. Review by Stacy Church

The Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy by Diane Stanley

Franny and her friends change dramatically once they start at the exclusive Allbright Academy: former gloomy Cal becomes cheery and upbeat; funky Brooklyn cuts off his dreadlocks, gives up writing poetry and changes his name to the more mainstream Brook; and Franny finds studying easy and becomes a neat freak. In fact, all of the students at Allbright Academy are near perfect, and act more like adults than children. The story pulls you in right away, and while it's not a surprise that there is something not right at the school, the plot is by no means predictable. Franny narrates and speaks directly to the reader. Her voice is natural, yet not exactly realistic for an 8^th grader. In fact, I thought that this book might have been better if the characters were high-school aged: it would be more believable that they could do some of the things they do in the story. But these slight faults do not in any way detract from the enjoyment of the book, which is fun, sophisticated, and un-put-downable. Review by Katie Corrigan

The School Story by Andrew Clements

This is another fun book by Andrew Clements. Zoe thinks the story her best friend Natalie has written is so good it should be published. Even though Natalie's mother is a publisher, Natalie wants her book to be judged the same way as other manuscripts submitted to her are, so Natalie assumes a pen name. She becomes the author "Cassandra Day" and Zoe assumes the name of "Zee Zee Reisman" as her publisher. These two take on the adults and the world of publishing to get Natalie's book published. Review by Joyce Levine.

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd

This is the most enjoyable children's book I've read in a long time. Granted, I love mysteries, and I am interested in quirky people, which the main character of this book certainly is. The book begins with a pretty detailed description of the London Eye, a huge ferris-wheel-type tourist attraction in London, and then jumps right into the mystery - the disappearance of Ted and Kat's cousin Salim from one of the pods of the Eye. He went up, but he didn't come down. There is a lot of insight into how Ted's brain works, even though the author never comes right out and says what his condition is called (probably some form of Asperger's Syndrome). The last two sentences of the first chapter kind of sum it up. "Somewhere, somehow, in the thirty minutes of riding the Eye, in his sealed capsule, he had vanished off the face of the earth. This is how having a funny brain that runs on a different operating system from other people's helped me to figure out what had happened." Solving the mystery requires Ted to form a partnership with his sister Kat, who is not usually a fan of his, learn to tell lies, and travel on the underground (subway) by himself for the first time. Not to mention tailing a motorcycle gang member and staking out a pub! Review by Stacy Church

Letters from Rapunzel by Sara Lewis Holmes

She could have called herself "Goldilocks" because of her wild, blonde hair. She definitely was not "Sleeping Beauty," since she only slept when she had to. "Cinderella" was not an option, since she loved to dance wildly and would have snapped off the glass heel of the slipper way before midnight. She called herself "Rapunzel" - not that she identified herself with that particular lettuce. No, she identified with "Rapunzel," the fairytale character who was stuck in a tower. When Rapunzel discovers part of a letter her father has written to someone at a P.O. Box number, someone who helped her father succeed as a poet and a human being, she is intrigued. When her father is admitted to a mental hospital, she starts writing to the person with the P.O. Box number asking for help. Her mother calls her father's sickness "CD" (clinical depression). Rapunzel calls it the "evil spell," and she is determined to find a way to rescue him. Rapunzel's quest for a happy ending is recorded in Letters from Rapunzel by Sara Lewis Holmes. It is a sensitively written, moving story of a young girl, who, though she feels utterly alone, bravely takes heroic measures to understand and help her father. Review by Trudy Walsh

The White Giraffe by Lauren St. John

When Martine's parents are killed in a fire, she is sent to a wildlife reserve in Africa to live with her grandmother, who she has never met. Right away, Martine becomes aware of how dangerous life is on her grandmother's reserve. Not only are the wild animals dangerous there, but the people are dangerous too. When Martine discovers a ring of poachers, it takes all of her courage and great strength to rescue her friend, the white giraffe, from the clutches of the poachers and a terrible fate. If you love adventure and exploring faraway places, then read The White Giraffe by Lauren St. John. It will take you right to the heart of the African bush. Review by Trudy Walsh

Schooled by Gordon Korman

This is the new book by the author of the very funny books Son of the Mob, and The 6th Grade Nickname Game. I loved this book, especially since I lived in Vermont in the 1970's and 80's and actually knew people who lived on communes like the one Cap is growing up on. When Cap's grandmother has to go into the hospital, Cap has to move to town to live in a normal house and go to a normal school (he has always been homeschooled by his grandmother). He has never watched television, or used a telephone or a computer. The bullies at the Claverage Middle School (which the kids call "C average" because that's what you get if you take the "l" out of the name) think Cap will be an easy target. I mean, come on, he wears sandals made out of corn husks. How he becomes the most popular kid in school makes for a great story. The chapters are told in alternating points of view, including Cap (full name Capricorn Anderson), Mrs. Donnelly (the social worker he goes to stay with), and Sophie Donnelly (her snobby daughter). Review by Stacy Church

Larklight or, The Revenge of the White Spiders! or To Saturn's Rings and Back

Art Mumby and his sister Myrtle live on a space ship named Larklight, in the year...1851. In this alternate history tale, people have been traveling and living in space since the early 1700's. One day the Mumbys receive word that they will be receiving a visitor - who turns out to be an enormous white spider with a few hundred thousands of his friends. The spider's visit is not a friendly one, and while the children's father is captured, Art and Myrtle make their escape via a space-pod lifeboat. They hook up with a teen-aged space pirate and his alien crew, and their travels take them to the moon, Jupiter, and Saturn. It soon becomes apparent that the spiders are trying to take over the universe, but they need the key to Larklight - and therefore Art and Myrtle - to do so. This humorous and adventurous tale will interest fans of fantasy, science-fiction and historical fiction, and the illustrations of the space ships and creatures are a plus. The author has created an interesting mix with this outer space adventure with Victorian age characters. The Mumbys' adventures continue in the sequel, Starcross. Review by Katie Corrigan

Archer's Quest by Linda Sue Park

It is 1999. Kevin is in his room after school, trying to relieve the boredom of his history homework by bouncing a ball, when an arrow shoots out of nowhere, taking off his cap and barely missing his head. The arrow shooter turns out to be a Korean king who has come from 2,000 years in the past. The adventure begins as Kevin tries to help Archie, the king, back to his own time period. I really enjoyed reading this book. It has great characters, and kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. Review by Joyce Levine.

Peiling and the Chicken-Fried Christmas by Pauline Chen

11-year-old Peiling is dying to celebrate Christmas. She wants to get a tree, decorate her house, make cookies, and, at the end of school break, tell all her school friends about the presents she received. Peiling's parents, who emigrated from China seven years ago, have raised their daughter in a very traditional Chinese way, but at Peiling's request, they decide to try celebrating an "American Christmas." This is a beautiful story about family, school friends (good and bad), a crazy teacher, and learning that the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence. Review by Joyce Levine

The Aurora County All-Stars by Deborah Wiles

The Aurora County All-Star baseball team is looking forward to playing against their old rivals on July fourth. They had to forfeit last year's Independence Day game because their only pitcher, House Jackson, had a broken arm. Not only did House lose the game for his team-mates, he got his arm broken by a girl running into him - a mere girl. How humiliating! The Aurora County All-Stars vow revenge. They practice hard to win this year's July fourth game - their only scheduled game of the year. Then, disaster strikes! Their mothers sign all of them up to participate in the town's special July Fourth Birthday Pageant. Will the whole team have to lay down their bats and put on tights, and sing and dance instead? Read The Aurora County All-Stars to find out what really happens on this special, fun-filled, surprising July fourth town celebration! Review by Trudy Walsh

The New Policeman by Kate Thompson

This book is by the author of one of my favorite science fiction books, Fourth World. Unfortunately, I didn't like this book nearly as much. It started off well, but kind of bogged down about halfway through. In this story, people in Kinvara, Ireland, are finding themselves increasingly short of time. It seems like no one has time for anything anymore. J.J. is determined to get his mother some more time for her birthday, because that is the one thing she really wants. When the book began to fall apart for me was after J.J. crossed over into "The Land of Eternal Youth," or the land of the fairies. Apparently there is a time leak between the two worlds, but while J.J. tries to figure out where the leak is, the story drags on and on. Each chapter begins with a musical transcript of an Irish tune (of course one of which is The New Policeman) and all the talk about the Irish music that J.J. plays with his family is interesting. Review by Stacy Church

The Onts (Secret of Dripping Fang series) by Dan Greenburg

If you are not grossed out by very large insects, feet that really smell, and very snotty tissues, then this might be just the book for you! Twins Cheyenne and Wally are orphans living at the Jolly Days Orphanage until they are adopted by two women...or are they women? Should they leave the smelly, disgusting orphanage where they are overworked and underfed to live with these very weird women, the Onts? The mystery gets even more bizarre as the story goes on. Review by Joyce Levine

If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko

This new book by the author of Al Capone Does My Shirts is about two kids, Walker and Kirsten, who go to middle school together. Walker, a bright, black boy, has gotten a scholarship to transfer to Kristen's all-white private school from an inner city school. His very strict mother has dreams for him, and knows that this new school will keep him on the right path. But how will this boy who can handle most situations with ease deal with news that will rock his world? Kirsten's friends don't act like real friends, her parents constantly fight, and her summer weight gain leaves her feeling fat. Will Walker and Kirsten's friendship help them through their tough times? The beginning of this book reminded me of the movie "Mean Girls," but then the story took some unpredictable twists and turns that made it a great read. Review by Joyce Levine

Ellie McDoodle: Have Pen, Will Travel

Ellie McDoodle loves to doodle and write in her journal, and we can enjoy all of her fun stories and drawings as she takes her journal with her camping. Ellie loves camping when it's with her family, but this time it's with her aunt who spits when she talks, her undle whose neck turns red when he gets angry, and her monster cousins. On top of all that, they don't even camp in tents! How will Ellie survive the week? I really enjoyed reading this book/journal and learning how Ellie gets through the week (and even enjoys it). This book reminded me of Diary of a Wimpy Kid because of the sly humor and funny pictures, so if you like Ellie McDoodle, try Diary of a Wimpy Kid next! Review by Joyce Levine

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

The Wednesday Wars is the new book by the author of one of my other favorite books First Boy. The main character is Holling Hoodhood (I'm not sure I believe someone would really be named that, but it does make for some hilarious moments), and the time is 1967. Holling is off to a bad start with his new teacher, Mrs. Baker, for no reason other than that he is the only kid who doesn't leave early on Wednesday afternoons, and so Mrs. Baker has to stay with him and think up things to keep him busy. She gives him lots of unpleasant chores to do, including cleaning out the rats' cage - which leads to a very funny ongoing situation when the rats escape into the ceiling and terrorize the students for the rest of the book - until she decides to have Holling read Shakespeare. Not only read the plays, but take tests on them and recite scenes. This is a great book with great characters. The Vietnam War serves as a backdrop to what is going on in Holling's life. Review by Stacy Church

The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World by E.L. Konigsburg

Well, I had mixed feelings about this book. I was hooked on the story and the characters right from the beginning, although I don't remember any of the adults from their roles in the two previous books, Silent to the Bone and The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place. After Amadeo Kaplan and his mom move from New York City to St. Malo, Florida, he strikes up a friendship with William, another oddball kid, when he spots William's mother's car at the home of an eccentric neighbor that Amadeo is fascinated by. William's mother has been hired to catalog and sell the neighbor's belongings in preparation for her move into a nursing home. The neighbor, Mrs. Zender, is the former Aida Lily Tull, the richest girl in St. Malo who went on to become an opera star. Now, at the same time this drama is unfolding, Amadeo's godfather Peter, a museum curator in NYC, is putting together an exhibit of art that was banned by the Nazis during World War II. Quite a lot of interesting information is given about Hitler and his attitude towards art. I won't begin to try to tell you how these two plots fit together. My main complaint is that in an effort to wrap up the plot, way too much is crammed into the last bit of the book, so if you read it, be prepared to slog through the last few chapters. Review by Stacy Church

What the Dickens by Gregory Maguire

I love the cover of this book! I also loved the book...right up until the very end, that is. It's a story about Dinah, her older brother and baby sister who are left at home with their 21-year-old cousin Gage while a terrible storm rages outside. Dinah's parents have left (or disappeared); there's no power, and almost no food. To help get them through the long, very dark, very scary night, Gage tells a story about magical creatures called skibbereen, who turn out to be tooth fairies. The book is divided into 4 sections: Twilight, Midnight, The Witching Hour, and Dawn. The story of the skibbereen is touching and clever, and the story of Dinah and her family is suspenseful and exciting, but at the very end, even though you know why Dinah's parents left, you don't know what happened to them. And you also don't get any clues as to whether Dinah's parents have changed through the course of the book. At the beginning, you're told that they keep to themselves because they are trying to live according to the gospel. The kids aren't allowed to have friends outside the family, or watch tv or movies, or go to the mall. Unless Gregory Maguire is planning to write a sequel to this book, I don't understand how he can just drop that part of the story. It's definitely worth reading, but don't expect to gain any insight into Dinah's family. Review by Stacy Church

Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata

Willie loves his German Shepherd, Cracker. They are a team. Then Willie's father loses his job and the family has to move to an apartment, where no dogs are allowed. Willie wants a good life for his intelligent dog and is willing to give him up to the military to be trained as a bomb-sniffing dog. The Vietnam War is raging, and Willie hopes that his German Shepherd , properly trained, can save lives, including his own. Cracker is teamed up with Rick, a young, energetic soldier. Together they train for survival in Vietnam. Can they become a team and trust each other and protect each other in the worst of circumstances? If you like adventure and survival stories, this is the perfect book for you! Review by Trudy Walsh

Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn

I didn't like this book as much as The Old Willis Place, the last ghost story by Mary Downing Hahn. The mystery starts off well enough. 13-year-old Ali finds a photo of her mother and her mother's sister, her aunt Dulcie, and a third girl who's been torn out of the picture. Her mother, who is a nervous and/or sickly person who spends most of her time in her bedroom, denies knowing who the third girl might have been. Then Aunt Dulcie invites Ali to spend the summer babysitting her 6-year-old cousin at the old lake house where the picture was taken, a house that Ali's mother refuses to return to. Ali's father convinces her mother to let her go, and Ali is eager to get a break from her overprotective mother. Ali loves the lake, and she loves taking care of her cousin, but she doesn't think much of the strange girl, Sissy, who appears and makes befriends Emma. Scary things start to happen, and Aunt Dulcie doesn't believe Ali when she tries to explain. The book is kind of creepy, as it should be, but the characters are not quite believable. Review by Stacy Church

The Rising Star of Rusty Nail by Lesley M.M. Blume

This is a very entertaining book about a girl growing up in a small town in Minnesota in 1953. Franny, who's 10, and her best friend Sandy get into lots of mischief, because there's not a lot else to do in Rusty Nail, Minnesota. When Franny's not getting into trouble she's playing the piano. She's talented, but her piano teacher is a cranky old woman who sleeps through her lessons, and her parents don't have enough money to pay for a better teacher. Then a mysterious Russian woman moves to town. Everyone in town shuns her, claiming that she's a Communist, but Franny and Sandy are intrigued, and spy on her. When Franny figures out that the Russian is a pianist, she won't give up until Madame Malenkov agrees to teach her. The book gives a good idea of what life must have been like in the mid-west in the 1950's. Review by Stacy Church

How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor

Georgina is quite happy with her life. She has a best friend and gets along just fine in school. Then, in an instant, everything changes. Her father walks out and leaves the family penniless. Even though her mother works long hours, she doesn't make enough money to pay the rent for their apartment. In desperation they move into the family car. Georgina tries hard to keep it a secret that she now lives in a beat-up old car. She washes up every morning in a gas station lavatory before going to school, but her clothes are not freshly washed and they show signs of having been slept in. After she loses her best friend, she sees a poster offering a $500 reward for a lost pet, and she comes up with the brilliant idea to steal a dog from a rich person, and then to demand a large "finder's fee." Since Georgina is now in charge of taking care of her younger brother Toby, she has to include him in all of her plans. Can Georgina find the perfect dog to steal? When practical Toby asks her where they are going to keep this stolen dog, and how they are going to feed it and exercise it, Georgina is silent. But then, she tells her little brother not to worry, that big sister will take care of everything! To find out if Georgina suceeds with her "brilliant" plan to help her homelss family, read How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor. Review by Trudy Walsh

Finn's Going by Tom Kelly

There were things that I really liked about this book, but I found the writing style distracting. The characters are interesting: the main character is Danny, who has an identical twin Finn, their little sister Angela is deaf, and the parents are not your typical parents. You know from the beginning that something terrible has happened to Finn, and that Danny feels responsible, but you don't get the full story until the very end of the book. There are some funny scenes, like when Angela, after getting knocked over by a big kid on the playground, makes use of some of the rude words Finn and Danny have taught her to sign, signs to the kid, "Bog off, you stupid git!" Wanting to find out what happened kept me reading until the end, but I have to confess that I skimmed over some of the weirder parts of the book. The author uses devices that didn't work for me: lists, footnotes and long rambling sections of Finn's thoughts. Review by Stacy Church

Only You Can Save Mankind by Terry Pratchett

If you like your science fiction with a large dose of humor, then this is the book for you. Johnny Maxwell is addicted to his new computer game, “Only You Can Save Mankind”. He is about to achieve a new high score when something completely unexpected happens: the aliens he is shooting at surrender! And they want Johnny to grant them safe-conduct back to their home! It is difficult enough trying to save mankind from the aliens, but the other way around proves to be an even greater challenge. The only bright spot comes with Johnny’s realization that this is just a game – or is it? This book is highly original, very funny and suspenseful. Johnny gets completely lost trying to figure out what is real and what is just a dream. His friends think he has lost his mind, but when their copies of the game start flashing weird messages, they rally round Johnny and his charges. This is the first book in a trilogy followed by Johnny and the Dead and Johnny and the Bomb. Review by Jane Malmberg.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is such a funny book! Greg Heffley is starting middle school and finds himself “stuck…with a bunch a morons.” His mother suggests he keep a diary, and Greg complies, detailing his day to day existence with a much younger brother, clueless teacher, and the usual class nerds. He finds himself in a series of complicated situations, brought on by an innate need to act like an idiot despite his best intentions. His retellings of these events are hilarious, and the accompanying line drawings add to the humor. I had a smile on my face the whole time I was reading this book – it’s a great choice if you are looking for something to make you laugh. Review by Jane Malmberg.

Kimchi and Calamari by Rose Kent

Have you ever felt out of place in your own family? Have you wondered if there is any place where you really do fit in? 14 year-old Joseph Calderaro knows these feelings well. While he loves his Italian-American adoptive family, the differences between them and his native Korean culture are becoming more and more apparent. Then, his social studies teacher assigns an essay on ancestry that becomes an impetus for Joseph to search for information about his birth family and the events leading to his abandonment. His adoptive parents are not much help, (they don’t have much more information themselves), and at first his father seems threatened by Joseph’s questions. So Joseph decides to pretend that a famous Korean Olympic athlete was his grandfather, and writes an essay that wins a school award. His lie is discovered and he is forced to rewrite the paper, prompting Joseph to make a more thorough search for his birth family. This is a great book, I really liked Joseph right from the beginning, and although his father has a hard time understanding Joseph’s confusion, it is clear that he loves him. This book hits home in communicating Joseph’s need to have his own identity, separate from that of his family, and does so with humor and warmth. Highly recommended. Review by Jane Malmberg.

The Wonder Kid by George Harrar

In 1954 no one knew how polio was contracted, but many people were afraid that it was from swimming in contaminated water, or being in public places. The main character of The Wonder Kid, Jesse James MacLean (named after the famous outlaw Jesse James), is spending a boring summer indoors because his mother is trying to keep him from catching polio. His father is a not-very-nice guy who is away from home most of the time on business (which Jesse is grateful for), and Jesse's grandfather, who Jesse is very close to, has come to live with them. Even when Jesse becomes ill, his father treats him like it's his fault, and he's a weakling to be sick. I really liked this book. The characters are believable, and it gives a good picture of what life was like for a kid growing up in the 1950's. Review by Stacy Church

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

This is probably the heaviest book I have ever read. Don't be intimidated by how big it is --I read it in one night. There are a lot of illustrations, and the illustrations are part of the story. They're black and white, but even so they're riveting. The story is part adventure, part mystery. The main character is a boy who's living on his own (since his evil uncle disappeared) in the walls of the train station, taking care of all the clocks in the station, and trying not to get caught. He collects his uncle's paychecks and piles them up because he doesn't know how to cash them. He knows a lot about clocks because his father was a clockmaker, and he has a mechanical man (called an automaton) he rescued from the museum fire that killed his father. He steals mechanical parts and toys from a toy stall in the station to use to try and fix the automaton. He meets a girl who's lives with the toyseller and his wife, and even though they fight a lot, she eventually helps him get the automaton to work, which leads to a surprising discovery about the toyseller. I really enjoyed reading this. Review by Stacy Church

Gideon the Cutpurse by Linda Buckley-Archer

First of all, I have to say: this is a long book! It's 400 pages and it seemed to take me forever to read it (really about a week). It begins with a "To the Reader" that I still don't understand - it's one of those books that pretends to be written by one of the people in the book, but I'm not sure which character is supposed to be writing it. Nevertheless, the story is good, and you learn a lot about what life was like in 1763, the time that Kate and Peter travel back to when they are messing around in Kate's father's lab, and accidentally come in contact with an anti-gravity machine. They make friends with Gideon, who has his own troubles, which they get drawn into because of a common enemy: The Tarman. The Tarman steals the anti-gravity machine, without which Peter and Kate will be stuck in 1763. This is the first book of a trilogy, so the ending is kind of unsatisfying. Review by Stacy Church

The Road to Paris by Nikki Grimes

This is a book about a girl who finally gets a chance to be happy. Then she has to make a choice between staying with her new family that she's come to love or giving her mother one more chance to make a home for her and her brother. Paris can remember a time when she was happy with her real family, but her more recent memories are not so good. Then she and her brother moved from one abusive foster home to another. It seemed the worst thing yet to be separated from her brother, who had been the only stable influence in her life, and it didn't turn out so well for him. But Paris ends up with a really nice family who is willing to take their time getting to know her. Just when things are settling down, Paris's mother starts calling her. I really liked this book. Paris is a great character, and I'm sure this type of situation occurs more often than most of us know. Review by Stacy Church

The Book of One Hundred Truths by Julie Schumacher

I loved this book! 12-year-old Thea says, "Most people think there are only two kinds of lies: little white lies and all the others. But that isn't true. Lies come in a lot of different colors." This is a book about lying. When Thea is leaving to spend the summer with her grandparents and the rest of her extended family on the Jersey Shore, like she does every year, her mother gives her a journal in which she tells her to write whatever she wants, as long as it is true. It becomes clear that there is something troubling Thea, and in fact, many members are her family are troubled. Her 7-year-old cousin Jocelyn, who she ends up spending most of her summer babysitting, has a raging case of eczema and an obsession with keeping everything absolutely neat and put away. Thea and Jocelyn discover that two of her aunts are hiding something, and they are determined to find out what it is. So, like I said, this is a book about lying. Review by Stacy Church

The Thing About Georgie by Lisa Graff

There were things I liked about this book, and things I didn't like. One interesting thing is that the main character is a dwarf. An actual dwarf. He's also a pretty typical fourth grader, who has a best friend (until a new kid at school comes between them); a class enemy (until she pesters him into being her friend); and a happy home life (until his parents tell him they're having a new baby). Georgie also has other physical problems related to being a dwarf. The thing I didn't like about the book was the way that most of those problems are revealed to the reader - through handwritten sections that are kind of preachy and annoying. Another thing I liked about the story was the character of Jeanie the Meanie. She is the most irritating person, and has always pestered Georgie, but it turns out that in her eyes, she has been trying to make friends with him. Overall, it's a pretty fun book to read. Review by Stacy Church

Pieces of Georgia by Jen Bryant

Georgia McCoy doesn’t remember a lot about her mother -- just that she was an artist like Georgia, and when she was still alive, their family seemed much happier. Now, Georgia’s father not only refuses to talk about her mother, but he avoids anything that even reminds him of her. Whenever he sees Georgia sketching in her book, he turns away. Soon after she turns thirteen, Georgia receives an anonymous gift in the mail, a letter of membership from the Brandywine River Museum which grants her free admission for a whole year. From the moment she first walks in the door, her life begins to change This touching story is told in free verse, which effectively expresses the flood of emotions Georgia feels as she struggles to find herself and reconnect with her father. Review by Jane Malmberg.

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass

The summer of his thirteenth birthday, Jeremy Fink receives a mysterious delivery – a wooden box engraved with the words "the meaning of life: for Jeremy Fink on his thirteenth birthday." The box, it turns out, was left by his father, who died five years earlier. It has four different locks which must be opened with the correct keys or the contents will be destroyed. However, the keys are nowhere to be found. Jeremy and his best friend Lizzy embark on a search for the missing keys that takes them all over New York, where they meet an eclectic group of people including an elderly pawnshop owner and a famous astronomer, each with his/her own words of wisdom to impart. As the summer progresses, Jeremy learns, among other things, that the question may not be “what is the meaning of life,” but rather, “why are we here?”
This book is a little long, but the two main characters are really fun and likeable, and there are several twists and turns to keep the story interesting. Review by Jane Malmberg.

Blue Schwartz and Nefertiti's Necklace by Betty Jacobson Hechtman

This is the best mystery I have read in a long time! The main character, Blue Schwartz, is a hard-working, thirteen-year-old girl who is unjustly accused of stealing a priceless necklace by the father of some kids she babysits for. The father is a professor at the local college, and you can tell something is fishy about him from pretty early on in the book. Poor Blue! Her family doesn't have a lot of money, and she's trying to earn enough to buy herself a computer because her brother, a brainy kid who studies all the time, hogs the family computer. Blue likes to cook, and her favorite recipes are included in the back of the book. This book is a fun read! Review by Stacy Church

The Royal Diaries: Marie Antoinette by Kathryn Lasky

Thirteen-year-old Marie Antonia uses the diary her tutor gives her to practice her writing skills, one of the many things she must learn to prepare for her future life as the queen of France. Unfortunately the things Marie enjoys most - riding her horse very fast and playing outside - are unheard of activities for a future queen. The book gives you a real sense of Marie Antonia's feelings as she learns what is expected of her now and in the future, and when she meets her future husband. Review by Joyce Levine

A Dog's Life by Ann M. Martin

Do you know what a stray dog loves more than anything?? Garbage!! The many wonderful treats you can find to eat can be heavenly! This book is the life story of a stray dog, Squirrel. The book follows her from birth through old age, telling about how she learns to survive on her own, and the different people who take care of her and then abandon her. I really enjoyed reading about the good and bad times of Squirrel's life - I learned a lot about what it's like to be a stray dog! Review by Joyce Levine

A Friendship for Today by Patricia McKissack

There's a lot going on in Rosemary's life, but luckily, this strong-willed, smart girl can handle everything that comes her way. After the 1954 Supreme Court ruling on desegregation, Rosemary' all-black school is closed, and she has to attend a school where she is the only black student. She has to face the unkindness of some of the students, in addition to dealing with her parents' faltering marriage, and her best friend being stricken with polio. The development of an unexpected friendship helps her deal with the difficulties in her life. Review by Joyce Levine.

The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron

I'm not really sure why this book was chosen as this year's Newbery winner. It's a good book, but not a great book. The main character is a 10-year-old girl living a very odd life in a series of connected trailers in the California desert. Her mother was killed in a freak accident, and her absentee father sent for his French ex-wife to come and be Lucky's guardian. They have no money, and Lucky spends her time hanging around eavesdropping on different 12-step meetings (alcoholics anonymous, etc.). Lucky knows that her guardian Brigette loves her, but because she's so homesick for France, Lucky is afraid that she'll leave her. So...the plot is pretty far-fetched, but the characters are interesting and quirky. Review by Stacy Church

Miracle on 49th Street by Mike Lupica

I really had a hard time putting this book down! Molly is a 12-year-old girl whose Mom dies of cancer. Right before she dies, she tells Molly her dad is a famous Boston Celtic basketball player. Molly sets out to meet him and win his heart. Her dad doesn't quite believe her claims, and thinks it's a scam to take money from him. As Molly gets to know him, she's not quite sure she really wants him as a father after all. In the end, this turns out to be a heartwarming story full of risks and small miracles. Review by June Lenzo

Vive La Paris by Esme Raji Codell

This is a companion book to another book that I just loved, Sahara Special. In this book, the story revolves around a classmate of Sahara's, fifth-grader Paris McCray. Paris is bright, engaging, and a lover of words of all kinds. She is also very brave and open to all kinds of new experiences. Paris can make snap judgements. As the story progresses she starts to have an understanding of the choices her friends and family make, even though she doesn't agree with them, for example: her brother Michael's reluctance to stand up to a girl who bullies him, and the mysterious gift of a yellow star she receives from her piano teacher, Mrs. Rosen. When she forms her Extreme Readers Club, Paris is torn between doing what she wants to do, and what she knows is right. This book is full of happy, funny and sad moments; it is every bit as good as the first one! Review by Jane Malmberg.

The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages

This is the first children's book I have ever seen about the development of the atom bomb. The main character is 10-year-old Dewey, whose mother is dead. She has been living with her grandmother while her father is away doing "war work." When her grandmother becomes too ill to take care of her, she must travel alone across the country to meet her father in a secret location, which turns out to be Los Alamos, New Mexico. They live in a tiny hastily-built house, alongside all the other families of scientists who are working on "the gadget," as they call it. Dewey is happy enough, even though she is teased by the other children, because she loves science and inventing things. Then her father has to go away (again) and she must move in with another family, the family of one of her worst tormentors. Of course, over time, the girls become friends. The book is a really good story which gives a realistic picture of what life was like for people involved in the development of the bomb: the secrecy, pride in accomplishment, and ultimately, the questioning of the morality of the use of such a destructive weapon. Review by Stacy Church

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane By Kate DiCamillo (Audio Edition)

In the beginning…
Edward Tulane is a fancy china rabbit with tailored clothes, a pocket watch and a haughty disposition. He belongs to ten-year-old Abilene Tulane. She loves him dearly. Abilene’s grandmother senses that Edward doesn’t appreciate how much Abilene loves him, so she tells him a story. The story is about a princess who has never felt love. After telling him the story, she tells Edward that he disappoints her. Edward’s miraculous journey begins when Abilene decides to take Edward on the family vacation aboard an ocean liner. Edward is catapulted overboard. As terrible as this is, there is more to come. Edward finds himself in situations with people he never could have imagined.
In the end…
The many people and experiences stir emotions that Edward had never known before. The listener observes Edward’s transformation from cold-hearted and detached to having a grateful and loving heart. Review by Ann Thomas

Alphabet of Dreams by Susan Fletcher

Fourteen-year-old Mitra and her five-year-old brother Babak flee for their lives. They are of royal blood, yet, the Persian king pursues them. Ever since Mitra's father unsuccessfully plotted against the tyrant king, the king has vowed revenge, and he will not stop until Mitra's whole family is wiped out. Mitra disguises herself as a boy, and is constantly on the alert to keep ahead of the king's spies. A powerful Magus becomes aware of Babak's gift, dreams which foretell the future. He takes Mitra and Babak along on his journey to Bethlehem. Three Magi are forming a caravan to head west to follow a bright new star. They believe the star announces the birth of a powerful new king, and they want to meet him and bring him presents. The journey to Bethlehem is filled with hardships, with adventure, and with intrigue. Will Mitra and Babak survive it all? Will they be reunited with their family? Alphabet of Dreams takes you back in time to the year of Jesus' birth, an amazing event which was announced in the stars. Review by Trudy Walsh

The Winner's Walk by Nancy Ruth Patterson

Case Callahan lives on a farm. When he brings home a stray dog, he tries hard to convince his parents to let him keep the golden retriever, Noah. Case discovers that his dog has unusual talents. If the phone rings, for example, Noah brings it to Case so he can answer it. After Case and his dog win a blue ribbon and have their picture published in the local newspaper, Noah's past as a trained service animal is revealed. Can Case continue to keep Noah as a pet when he knows that several hundred children are just waiting for the opportunity to be partnered with a trained service dog? Case grows up fast during the summer months that he shares with his very talented golden retriever, Noah. Review by Trudy Walsh

Clementine by Sara Pennypacker

If you think you are having a bad week at school, you should read about Clementine's week. Every day her teachers have been telling her to "pay attention," but she has been paying attention -- just paying attention to other things. Every day she has been sent to the Principal's office. And to make matters worse, her (ex) best friend Margaret isn't speaking to her anymore, just because Clementine cut off all Margaret's hair, and then colored what little was left with permanent marker. But the very worst part of the week is when Clementine thinks her parents want to get rid of her because she has gotten into so much trouble. Full of zany situations and misunderstandings, this book about how Clementine turns terrible into terrific will keep you laughing and wondering what will happen next! Review by Loretta Eysie.

The Manny Files by Christian Burch (audio edition)

I really enjoyed this book. It is so nice to read about a family that works together to solve its problems. The listener gets a sense that despite their differences, the members of this family really love each other and have fun together. The narrator of the audio version does a really good job conveying the Manny's goofy sense of humor, Lulu's hyper-cranky personality and Keat's sensitivity and gentleness. This is a great audiobook for the whole family to listen to together. Review by Jane Malmberg.

The Notorious Izzy Fink by Don Brown

This is an action-packed book that tells the story of a 13-year-old boy growing up in New York in the 1890's. Sam Glodsky is half Irish and half Jewish, and during that time in New York, the streets were ruled not only by adult mobsters and corrupt policemen, but also by gangs made up of kids whose parents had immigrated from the same country. I had no idea that the streets of New York were as rough as the book describes them to be. It also sounds in some ways like a kid's paradise, because although parents could be very strict, kids were on their own out on the streets all day. Sam has some really good friends, and one sworn enemy: Izzy Fink. Izzy is a kid who no one seems to like, even though he is part of a gang. Sam sells newspapers to earn money for his family, and the headlines are full of the cholera epidemic in Europe. Then a ship docks in NY harbor and it is quarantined because some people on board are sick. Sam becomes involved in a plot to sneak on the ship to steal an expensive pigeon for the most powerful gangster on the Lower East Side. This is an exciting book that gives you a good feeling for what life was like for immigrants at the turn of the century. Review by Stacy Church

Gilda Joyce: The Ladies of the Lake by Jennifer Allison

This is the sequel to Gilda Joyce, Psychic Investigator, which is an excellent book. In this book, Gilda changes schools to attend a private school, Our Lady of Sorrows, which her mother's despicable boyfriend Brad gets her a scholarship to. The only reason Gilda wants to go to the school is so that she can solve the mystery of the haunting of the school by the ghost of a student who died by falling through the ice of the lake. Gilda is willing to put up with having to wear a uniform instead of her trademark outfits including such off-beat items as a leopard-print jacket and stilleto heels, and being separated from her best friend Wendy, in order to delve deeper into the bizarre atmosphere and secrets of her new school. Gilda must also deal with her mother's increasingly serious relationship with her boyfriend, and she misses her dad; she writes him letters keeping him up on her investigations and life at home. I liked this book just as much as the first one. It manages to be funny, even though it deals with the serious issue of hazing. Review by Stacy Church

Things Hoped For by Andrew Clements

I was so excited when I saw this book. I loved Things Not Seen and was eager to see what had become of that book's main character, Bobby. In this book, Bobby (now Robert) is a musician staying in New York City while he auditions for college. There he meets Gwen, a violinist living with her grandfather while she attends music school and prepares for her own college auditions. Gwen loves her grandfather, but feels that she doesn't really know him very well. One day, after overhearing a heated argument between him and his younger brother, Gwen returns home to a mysterious message on the answering machine. It seems that her grandfather has gone away for a while, under mysterious circumstances. Gwen feels torn between her desire to achieve her dream of becoming a concert musician and her need to find out what has happened to her grandfather. As she befriends Robert, he becomes involved in unravelling the mystery. A creepy stranger who is tied to Robert's past adds to the suspense. This is a quick and very satisfying story with some unexpected twists. Review by Jane Malmberg.

The Wand in the Word: Conversations with Writers of Fantasy compiled and edited by Leonard S. Marcus

This is a fun book to look through. Some of my favorite fantasy authors are included: Susan Cooper, Nancy Farmer, Philip Pullman, Garth Nix. I don't think the cover is very attractive, but inside the layout is nice, and there are current pictures of the authors and pictures of them when they were growing up. The editor asked each author the same set of questions, which makes for some interesting comparisons, but also can get boring if you read too many interviews at once! Not surprisingly, most of the authors were great readers when they were younger, but some came from families where no one ever read a book. Some were good in school, some weren't. Several are dyslexic. A couple were born the same year that I was, and unfortunately, one not very attractive picture of an author as a girl looks an awful lot like an old picture of me! Review by Stacy Church

The Manny Files by Christian Burch

This is such a funny book! Keats is the only boy (besides his father) in a family of girls, so he is thrilled when his new babysitter turns out to be a man who calls himself "The Manny." Keats is a pretty quirky character - he likes to wear button-down shirts and ties - so the Manny's weird behavior is a delight to him. His older sister Lulu, who is at an age where she doesn't want to have attention drawn to her, is less amused by having her bus met by the Manny wearing a sombrero, carrying a portable stereo playing "The Mexican Hat Dance," with his youngest sister in tow, wearing a chihuahua costume. Lulu keeps a journal with all of the Manny's bad behavior chronicled in it, which she plans to use to get the Manny fired. I found it irritating that the author doesn't tell the reader the ages of any of the kids in the book until near the end, but I liked pretty much everything about it. Review by Stacy Church

Babymouse Rock Star by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm

Another adorable book (the fourth)in the Babymouse series by brother and sister team Jennifer and Matthew Holm. The drawings are great, as always. The story this time centers around the fact that Babymouse is possibly the worst flute player in history, but she really wants to be good. She chose playing the flute because, "It's just so silvery!" Mostly, she just doesn't want to be last chair in band again like the year before, with her archenemy Felicia Furrypaws sitting next to her, making fun of her. Inside the back cover are Babymouse's very funny Tips on Being a Rock Star. I can't wait for the next book in the series, Babymouse Heartbreaker, due out in February. Review by Stacy Church

In the Company of Crazies by Nora Raleigh Baskin

Thirteen-year-old Mia Singer has her life together. At least she used to. But when a classmate dies unexpectedly in a car accident, Mia is surprised by how much the loss affects her. Now it seems that her usually stellar grades are slipping and she just doesn’t care. She finds some odd sense of comfort in shoplifting. When she finally gets caught, her mother reacts with anger and disappointment. Her parents decide to send her to an "alternative" boarding school. Away from her parents, Mia has time and space to reflect, and with the help of the other students, to learn about herself. I really liked this book. The characters are believable and the dialogue rings true. The ending is tied up a little quickly, but all in all it is a good book that deals with some very real problems in the life of teenagers. Review by Jane Malmberg.

The Book of Dead Days by Marcus Sedgwick

This creepy fantasy, seemingly set in Medieval times, tells the story of Valerian, a disagreeable magician, and his servant named "Boy." Valerian treats Boy badly (as you can guess by the fact that he never gave him a real name). He orders him around, punishes him for the slightest mistakes, keeps him up all night long running mysterious errands, and doesn't provide him with much in the way of food and clothing. After a sudden death at the theater where Valerian performs, a young girl named Willow, servant to another performer at the theater, turns to Boy for help. They both end up helping Valerian in his desperate search for a book which he says he must find before the end of the "Dead Days," the days between Christmas and New Year's Day, or else he will be dead. Did Valerian really make a pact with the Devil? Is his friend Kepler, the inventor, really helping him or is he sabotaging him? The book keeps you guessing until the very end. Review by Stacy Church