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

Jumping the Scratch by Sarah Weeks

I really liked this book. The story centers around Jamie Reardon, a fifth grader who has always heard that bad things come in threes. That certainly seems to be the case for him. First, his cat dies, then his father runs off with a cashier from the local discount store, and then, his aunt Sapphy is injured in an accident at the cherry factory where she works, and loses her short-term memory. After Jamie and his mother move in with Sapphy to help take care of her, he hopes that now his life will go back to normal. But unfortunately, there is something else bad waiting for him -- something that he later tries in vain to forget -- even going so far as to let his neighbor, a strange girl name Audrey Krouch, hypnotize him. All the whille Jamie continues to try to find the magic trigger that will help Sapphy's memory jump the scratch, like the needle on her favorite record. This book is sad in parts, funny in parts, and the characters really ring true. The relationship between Jamie and his aunt Sapphy reminds me of the mother-daughter relationship in another of the author's books, So Be It. Review by Jane Malmberg

Rules by Cynthia Lord

I really enjoyed this book. The story is told first person by 12-year-old Catherine, whose brother David is autistic. David's behavior is not always what Catherine would like it to be, so she has a constantly evolving set of rules to help him, for instance: If the bathroom door is closed, knock first (especially if Catherine has a friend over)! Some rules are made to be broken, such as: No toys in the fish tank. David usually announces this rule as he comes into Catherine's room, and then she knows that he has put yet another toy in the fish tank. Catherine feels that her social life is ruined by David's inappropriate and irrational behaviors. She also feels that her parents don't pay enough attention to her, and that they expect too much of her. While waiting for David at his occupational therapy, Catherine draws the attention of a wheelchair-bound, non-verbal boy named Jason. To make up for sketching a picture of him without his permission, she illustrates some word cards for his "communication book" and she starts to look forward to seeing him every week. The book is funny and paints a good picture of life with a disabled sibling. Review by Stacy Church