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

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

The Book of Everything by Guus Kuijer

This is a very strange and disturbing book. I liked it, but I can't really say I enjoyed reading it. It is set in the Netherlands in 1951, when the country is trying to recover from the Nazi occupation during World War II. Thomas lives in a household that is dominated by his father's physical abuse of his mother and bullying of Thomas and his sister. Thomas records his thoughts in "The Book of Everything." During his father's tirades, Thomas recites to himself the bad things he wishes would happen to his father as punishment. There is magic in the book, and only Thomas can see it. He is befriended by a neighbor who is thought to be a witch by the neighborhood children, and she tells Thomas that it's true. She certainly works magic with Thomas, introducing him to the uplifting power of music and books, and helping him to stop being afraid. I have to also mention that Thomas sees Jesus and speaks with him, holding very strange conversations. Religion plays a large part in the book, as it is the reason Thomas's father gives for beating his wife and children. The plagues of Egypt occur but only Thomas can see them. The book has a happy ending (to an extent), although Thomas's father isn't able to change. Review by Stacy Church

It's Hot and Cold in Miami by Nicole Rubel

This is the first novel by Nicole Rubel, who, in addition to writing picture books, illustrated the Rotten Ralph books. The main character Rachel is the less appealing of a set of twins growing up in Florida in 1964, and while some of the stories are amusing, I found the book to be kind of unsettling. Rachel's twin sister Rebecca and their parents seem to blame Rachel for everything that goes wrong (and plenty of things do!). Throughout the book you get the feeling that Rachel will redeem herself and everyone will see how great she is, but that doesn't ever really happen. There are some funny stories about their wacky relatives, but mostly there are a lot of stories of Rachel being treated badly. At the end, she has developed her artistic talents and gets some recognition for them, but the pat ending doesn't really ring true. If you're looking for a light read and your expectations are not too high, this book is an ok choice. Review by Stacy Church

Puns, Allusions, and Other Word Secrets by Jennifer Fandel

This book is part of a great new series called Understanding Poetry, and it's the best book I've seen for older kids about poetic devices. The poems that are used as examples are by some of my favorite poets: Pablo Neruda, e. e. cummings, Dylan Thomas, and William Carlos Williams, to name a few. Each book in the series tackles a different set of devices, and with the wonderful examples given it's really easy to see what they're all about. We've ordered the other books in the series and should have them available soon! Review by Stacy Church

Gossamer by Lois Lowry

In Gossamer, three different planes of reality intersect and affect each other. We meet Littlest One, who is growing up in a nighttime world of beings where she takes her task as a "bestower of dreams" very seriously. We observe an older woman going about her daily life with her dog on a remote farm. Then we meet a very angry, troubled eight-year-old boy, who is invited to spend the summer at the farm. Sometimes, we are on the outside, looking down on the lives of three very different characters. Other times, we sink right into the beings and feel their hope, their pain, their frustration, and their growing. Lois Lowry's beautifully chosen words paint a luminous landscape of outer and inner worlds for us. Review by Trudy Walsh

Moccasin Thunder: American Indian Stories for Today, edited by Lori Marie Carlson

Where are the American Indians now? How do they live? We all have seen pictures of Indian chiefs in full regalia with feathered headdresses. We may even have been to local powwows and watched some ceremonial dances. But, what do we know about the modern lives of the American Indians of so many different and diverse tribes? In Moccasin Thunder, through a collection of short stories we are introduced to some modern American Indians who are struggling with their identity and are trying to find their way in our multicultural society. Review by Trudy Walsh.

The Wall and the Wing by Laura Ruby

I think the thing I liked best about this book is that the strange things that characterize the world where the story is set are never really explained: people can fly (well, most people - those who can't are called "leadfeet"); cats are rare and shunned; birds are worshipped. "In a vast and sparkling city, a city at the center of the universe, one little man remembered something big." So the story opens. The man is The Professor, an eccentric man with a head full of long green grass, who wears ladies' snap-front housedresses because he doesn't like clothing, and who takes advice from The Answer Hand, which he bought on eBay. What he's trying to find out has something to do with Gurl, a 12 year old girl who lives at the Hope House for the Homeless and Hopeless. Of course, life at the orphanage is terrible, until Gurl finds a kitten to adopt, and makes friends with a new orphan named Bug. Well, they're not really friends at first, but they team up to escape from the orphanage, and eventually to find out the truth about Gurl. The book is funny, inventive and reminds me in some ways of the Molly Moon books. Review by Stacy Church

Drums Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick

This book is written by a middle school English teacher (but that shouldn't keep you from reading it!), and you can certainly tell that he knows kids that age - the characters and situations they face are true-to-life. I enjoyed the book so much I couldn't put it down. It's very funny, and also tragic. Written in journal form, the book chronicles a year in Steven's life. One morning while he is making oatmeal for his little brother Jeffrey, Jeffrey develops a nosebleed that won't quit. It turns out that he has leukemia. Their mom has to quit her job to take Jeffrey for his treatments, so their family income is cut in half, and Steven is left with just his father (who doesn't communicate very well) a lot of the time. He feels neglected and also guilty for feeling neglected. Meanwhile, he's going through all the normal teenage stuff like having a crush on a girl who doesn't notice him at all. Steven is a talented drummer, the youngest ever selected for the All-City High School Jazz Band, and the book is also full of music. This is a great story of a funny, engaging boy whose family is in crisis. Review by Stacy Church

Ask Me No Questions by Marina Budhos

I found this book really absorbing. It is the story of a Muslim family that immigrated to the U.S. from Bangladesh prior to 9/11, told first person by 14-year-old Nadira. Her family is close, despite Nadira's jealousy of her seemingly perfect older sister Aisha. Although the family seems well assimilated on the surface, in reality they have a motto, "Go to school. Never let anyone know. Never." Nadira's father decides that things have become too tense for them in the U.S., with other Bangladeshis being deported, so he takes them to Canada to apply for asylum there. Unfortunately, too many other Muslim immigrants are doing the same thing, and Canada turns them away. When they try to reenter the U.S. they are stopped, and the father is put in jail to await a deportation hearing. This is the beginning of the real story - how Nadira has to become the strong one and bring her family back together. Read this not only because it will help you understand the situation of illegal immigrants in the U.S., but also because it's a gripping story. Review by Stacy Church

First Boy by Gary Schmidt

This is the best book I have read in a while! It is suspenseful, has great characters, and is beautifully written ("...the sun was already set and drawing the day down after it.") The main character is Cooper Jewett, a 14 year old boy who lives in New Hampshire with his grandfather. The suspense kicks in right away, as Cooper's best friend Peter notices a black sedan "prowling Main Street like a panther." Peter's grandfather dies very early on in the book, leaving Peter all alone on the dairy farm. He is determined to keep the farm running, which is hard enough: keeping up with the chores, his schoolwork, and cross country. It becomes even more difficult when someone starts sabotaging him and trying to drive him off the farm. Gary Schmidt also wrote the Newbery Honor Book, Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, which I definitely want to read. Review by Stacy Church

Sweetgrass Basket by Marlene Carvell

Written in something the book calls "prose poetry" (which I think means it isn't really either one), this book tells the story of two Native American sisters who are taken away from their home and sent to a boarding school far away from their Mohawk reservation after their mother dies. The school is run by a cold, vicious woman, and the sisters suffer terribly. The children at the school are forced to work as slave labor, and are taught only what they will need for their future lives as domestic servants. The book is historically accurate, set around the turn of the century at the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania. The story is told in the alternating voices of the two sisters, but they are so similar that I had trouble keeping up with which sister was which. Although one sister fares better than the other, neither is happy. I would have liked the book better if it were written in regular prose - I think it needs more fleshing out with descriptions of the setting and characters - but it still is worth reading. Review by Stacy Church

The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

For all of you who read the first two books in this series, your long wait for the final installment (six years!) is finally over! I loved The Thief and The Queen of Attolia, but The King of Attolia is by far my favorite. Eugenides, as you may remember, has married the Queen of Attolia, despite the fact that she cut off his hand when she caught him breaking into her palace one too many times. The people of Attolia and his guards and attendants have no respect for him, but the reader knows from past experience that there is more going on than meets the eye. Never forget that the way Eugenides operates is by playing the fool. The Queen wants Eugenides to act more like a king, but he resists her efforts to make him behave. There's plenty of action, including an assasination attempt that ends with two dead and one mortally wounded. I couldn't put this book down until I finished it, so make sure you have plenty of free time when you start! Review by Stacy Church

Hitler Youth: growing up in Hitler’s Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

In 1926 Hitler and the Third Reich began attracting groups of children to be in a prestigious group called “Hitler Youth.” They enticed these naive children to join with promises of camping trips and parades. Slowly, over the years, the activities became more military: children were taught how to use guns and throw grenades as well as to hate Jews and other people who were not “perfect Germans.” The book answers the question of how the Holocaust happened. In this book you meet twelve people that were in the Hitler youth, and through interviews, pictures and diaries you see how the nation changed over many years. By 1945 there were millions of children in the Hitler Youth, and they were performing actual military duties, as well as wrecking Jewish homes and stores, thinking the victims deserved what they got. This book is very well done and is for older children who can handle this subject matter. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to know more about the Holocaust. Review by Joyce Levine

Bear Dancer by Thelma Hatch Wyss

Elk Girl can ride her pony like the wind. She loves to hunt deer in the Rocky Mountains with her brother, Ouray, a Ute chief. Elk Girl grows up happy and free. Everything changes on the day she is captured, first by the Cheyenne and then by the Arapaho warriors. Elk Girl becomes a slave on the Plains. She is afraid of her captors, but she fears the White Men – the White Enemy – more. When Elk Girl is finally rescued by some White Men who bring her to Camp Collins, a Western outpost, she learns a whole new way of life. Eventually, Elk Girl is able to return home to her tribe. Bear Dancer is based on the true story of a very brave Ute girl named Cutshutchous, which means “Elk Tooth Dress,” who lived in the American West in the late 1800’s. Review by Trudy Walsh

Airball: My Life in Briefs by L.D. Harkrader

The only reason Kirby Nickel wants to join the basketball team is to meet NBA star Brett “McNet” McGrew. Kansas University has announced that they will retire Brett McGrew’s jersey, and that his hometown seventh grade basketball team will be invited to participate in the ceremony. Klutzy Kirby’s chances of making the basketball team are slim, but he has to find a way to succeed since this is his only chance to meet Brett McGrew, who might be his father. It is not easy to be on the seventh grade basketball team. The coach has supplied the team with special “Stealth” uniforms, guaranteed to make the players run faster, jump higher, and perform better. There’s only one problem: for anyone who doesn’t have what it takes to be a good basketball player, the uniforms are invisible. Does their coach expect the team to play in their underwear, or are there really electrical currents flowing around each player, energizing and empowering them through their special “Stealth” uniforms? Airball: My Life in Briefs is a fast-paced, hilarious, fun-filled basketball story with just a touch of mystery for suspense and a surprise ending! Review by Trudy Walsh

Out of Order by Betty Hicks

This is a book about blended families, told in alternating chapters by each of four stepsiblings. The story begins and ends with Lily, a sixth-grader who was once the eldest in her family, but has now dropped in rank to second-youngest, thanks to the addition of her smart, beautiful, and sometimes cruel stepsister V, and 14 yr-old Eric, who dresses in black, reads Hemmingway, and plays Rock-Paper-Scissors with Lily's younger brother Parker. Each of the siblings is struggling to find his or her place in this new family, which is made all the more difficult by a series of false accusations and misunderstandings. A group project to raise enough money to send soccer balls to kids in Iraq brings the family together eventually. I chose this book because it sounded unusual in plot and style, and I was glad that I did. All of the characters are great -- well-written and very real. The story moves along quickly, and there is lots to make you laugh and cry. Review by Jane Malmberg

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

This book is the first in the new Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, about a 12-year boy who finds out that he is the son of the Greek God Poseidon. His mother is human, which makes Percy a demigod, or "half-blood" as the gods refer to such children. Percy has been kicked out of six boarding schools in six years, due to his penchant for causing trouble. He is dyslexic and has ADHD, which, as it turns out, is a sure sign of the child of a Greek deity. As if that isn't bad enough, it seems that Percy is being chased by all kinds of monsters, (the Furies, a minotaur, and Medusa, just to name a few), who are charged with killing him. Someone has stolen Zeus' lightning bolt, and Percy is being framed for the crime. If he isn't able to find the missing bolt and return it to Zeus, it could be the start of a world war between Zeus and Poseidon. Fortunately, his best friend is a satyr, assigned the job of keeping him safe, and they are aided by the daughter of the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena.

This book reminded me of Harry Potter -- it was full of action, adventure, magical beings and creatures, and lots of humor. The Gods themselves are quite funny, and there are lots of references to the original Greek myths. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next book, The Sea of Monsters. Review by Jane Malmberg

Babymouse: Queen of the World! by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm

This is such a cute book! It's a graphic novel, with the text by Jennifer Holm (she wrote the Boston Jane historical novels and one of my favorite books, Our Only May Amelia) and the illustrations are by her brother, Matthew. Babymouse is a slightly hyper, very imaginative middle-school-aged mouse who is prone to lengthy fantastical daydreams right in the middle of whatever she's supposed to be doing. The illustrations are entirely in pink, white, black and gray, and the characters are adorable with great expressions. I can't wait to read the second babymouse book, Babymouse: Our Hero. Review by Stacy Church

Ptolemy's Gate by Jonathan Stroud

This is the third book in the Bartimaeus Trilogy, and it is just as good as (or maybe better than) the first two! In this book, it becomes clear just how much the magicians have ruined England with their corrupt, elitist government. Nathaniel, who is now the Information Minister, is so boring and pompous it's hard to remember why I had any sympathy for him in the previous books. Kitty, on the other hand, (who, by the way, is supposed to be dead) reminded me constantly how intelligent and resourceful she is. This conclusion to the trilogy is satisfying - plenty of intrigue and action, and you learn a lot more about Bartimaeus's past and what it's like in the Other Place. Review by Stacy Church

What I Believe by Norma Fox Mazer

This is the latest book by Norma Fox Mazer, the author of many good books for older kids. The story is told in verse of all different kinds and journal entries (I'm not sure if the journal entries are in some free form kind of verse, or are just journal entries) and overall I found the format distracting. The story is really good though. The first page is "Memo to Myself," and the last line kind of sums up Vicki's mission throughout the book, "Try very hard to act normal." Vicki's family goes from living a very middle class life - nice house, good schools, friends - to being poor. Her father gets laid off from his job as an executive, and isn't able to find another job. They have to sell their house, move to an apt. in the city, change schools, and then, the worst thing happens. Vicki goes out to a fast food place with her new friend and sees her father working there. It's a quick read, so even if you don't like the format, it's worth reading. Review by Stacy Church

Introducing Sasha Abramowitz by Sue Halpern

Sasha Marie Curie Abramowitz is a pretty typical eleven year-old. She is an aspiring writer/pastry chef, smart, funny, a good friend, good listener, and when she wants to be, a good talker. As long as that does not include talking about her feelings about her family, particularly her older brother who attends a special boarding school for kids with emotional and behavioral problems. Danny has Tourette's Syndrome, and his relationship with the rest of the family is complicated. Sasha's parents don't talk much to Sasha about Danny, and Sasha would rather do anything than talk to her psychologist Dr. Serkowsky, "the Eraser", as she refers to him. To make matters worse, her best friend Carla has suddenly discovered boys, and now she doesn't seem to have much time for Sasha lately. Then Sasha meets Andrew Hardy, a student at Krieger College where Sasha's parents are both professors and dorm parents, and she thinks that perhaps she finally has a friend to confide in. That is until an unexpected event brings Danny home to spend the summer with his family and Sasha's world threatens to be turned upside down again. This is a wonderful book, full of well-developed and likeable characters, and surprising plot twists and turns. It sheds some light onto the effects of a debilitating neurological disorder on family relationships, without being too technical or preachy. Highly recommended. Review by Jane Malmberg.

Nicky Deuce -- Welcome to the Family by Steven Schirripa and Charles Fleming

It is summer, and Nicholas Boreli II's parents have plans to go on a two-week cruise. Nicholas will attend Camp Wannameka just like every other year. But...the night before he's set to leave, Nicholas' parents get a call on their cell phone. The septic system at the camp has blown up, and camp is cancelled for the summer. The only place left for Nicholas to go is to his grandmother's home in Bensonhurst (Brooklyn), New York. Nicholas has never been to Brooklyn -- Brooklyn is the place his father left, never returned to, and never discussed. Nicholas is not happy about going, but once he gets there he quickly warms up to his grandmother's delicious Italian home cooking, and his uncle Frankie, who makes it his mission to turn Nicholas into a real "goomba" -- a macho, Italian-American man with some street cred. It's not long before Nicholas, now known as Nicky Deuce, meets Tommy and gets involved in all sorts of schemes to make some quick cash, the riskiest of which gets them into some serious hot water. This book is a lot of fun, full of all sorts of characters. I think it would be a great vacation book. Reviewed by Jane Malmberg.

Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time by Lisa Yee

This is a really fun book to read. It's a sequel to Millicent Min, Girl Genius. Stanford is pretty much the opposite of Millicent - he's terrible at school and is really good at basketball. He's a sort of hero at his middle school, because even though he's only going into 7th grade, he's been chosen for the "A" basketball team for the next year. He's going away to a high-powered basketball camp for the summer, too. But everything changes on the last day of school when Stanford finds out he flunked English, and he also finds out that unless he goes summer school he won't move on to 7th grade, and he can't play on any basketball team, not even the "B" team! Stanford's family is having some problems, too. His grandmother has been living with them and it's not working out really well, although Stanford likes it. His parents are fighting all the time; his father never seems to have time for any of them and is never satisfied with Stanford's efforts. Millicent comes back into the story when Stanford's parents arrange for her to tutor him, and of course they despise each other. This book is just as funny as Millicent Min, with lots of misunderstandings and warm-hearted characters. Review by Stacy Church

Lucky Stars by Lucy Frank

This book is told in the alternating voices of two middle schoolers in New York City, both struggling with seemingly overwhelming personal problems. Kira has come to New York to visit her father, a musician who performs in the subways with his two young sons (Kira's half-brothers) since he quit his band. Jake hears Kira sing in the subway when he is cutting class to avoid having to give an oral report, something he does anything to avoid because he has a terrible stutter. Kira has been living with her grandmother in upstate New York, but decides to stay in the city with her father if he will agree to her conditions: no more singing in the subway, and he has to get a real job. The book is a little depressing, but the lives of the characters begin to improve as they become better friends, and by the end things are looking quite hopeful. Review by Stacy Church

A Room With A Zoo by Jules Feiffer

More than anything else in the world, Julie wants a dog. A dog she can love, and who adores her. She is willing to be responsible for her dog. She promises to feed and walk him, but her parents have strict rules. Since they live in a city apartment, Julie has to wait a year and a half till she is old enough to walk the dog by herself in the city streets. Julie's passion for animals takes over her entire life as she begins to fill her room with cages and aquariums. She collects a sick cat, a hamster, a big ugly fish, six smaller fish that start to disappear, a turtle, a strong-minded kitten and an unresponsive hermit crab. As Julie tries to keep up taking care of her animals in one room, disaster strikes and animal chaos ensues. Will Julie ever be able to convince her parents that she can be responsible and take care of a dog -- her very own dog? Julie's hilarious story is told to us in her own convincing words by her author/illustrator father, Jules Feiffer. Review by Trudy Walsh.

Defiance by Valerie Hobbs

Eleven-year-old Toby is looking forward to his summer vacation in the country. He imagines himself hiking and racing his bike down the hill. He also wants to learn to fish out on the lake. Then Toby discovers a new lump on his side. There is no way he will tell his parents, who would just return him straight to the children's hospital for further painful cancer treatments. Then Toby meets a spunky old woman who lives on a nearby farm with her cow, Blossom. Pearl helps Toby discover the beauty of life, and what is really important. As Toby tries to live in the moment and to enjoy this summer to the fullest, he also struggles with some important decisions about his own life and destiny. This is a very moving summer story filled with respect and love for all life. Review by Trudy Walsh.

The Conch Bearer by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Twelve-year-old Anand is forced to work very hard for a demanding merchant to help his family survive in India. Anand longs for a different life. He would love to get away from the crowded, dirty city of Kolkatta. Then Anand meets a mysterious old man, who claims to be a healer. He asks Anand to help him return a precious conch shell to a secret green valley nestled high in the snowcapped Himalayan Mountains. When Anand agrees to help return the shell to its rightful home, his adventure begins. Along the way Anand meets powerful spirits and fantastic creatures who try to lure him away. If you are looking for a great fantasy story, read The Conch Bearer and accompany Anand on his adventure as he crosses arid plains and turbulent rivers, and climbs icy mountains in search for the most beautiful valley in the world. Also look for the sequel to The Conch Bearer, The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming. Review by Trudy Walsh.

Worlds Apart by Kathleen Karr

Travel back in time 400 years when a group of colonists arrive in the Carolinas. As they make their way up from the beach, fifteen year-old Christopher West becomes aware of faces and movements among the trees. He realizes that they are not alone, but does not want to alarm his family, since the weapons have not been unloaded, yet. When the colonists and the Sewee finally meet the following day, Christopher sees a young brave, Asha-po, who looks about his own age. The two young men are drawn to each other. As they tentatively try to communicate with each other, a friendship is beginning to grow between them. Can the two young men overcome their cultural differences and truly share their innermost thoughts, while they spend a summer together roaming the forests and fields and beaches? This book brings you back to 1670, when two very different groups of people try to make a living in the Carolinas, and two young men try desperately to form a bridge of understanding and co-operation between them. Review by Trudy Walsh.

No Small Thing by Natale Ghent

This is a great book! I love the beginning, "Sometimes, something as small as an ad in the daily newspaper can change your whole life." The ad Nat is talking about reads, "Pony to give away to good home. Call before 4 p.m." Back when their father lived with them, they had their own ponies. They also had enough to eat, their mother didn't have to work so much and they lived in a nice house. The idea of having their own horse just seems to make up for a lot, so Nat and his two sisters, Cid and Queenie, decide to answer the ad without telling their mother. The book is told from Nat's point of view and since he is a kid who spends a lot of time thinking about things, you feel a lot of empathy for him. Don't get me wrong, plenty happens in the book: broken bones, barn fires and rescued horses, and an attempt to run away from home on horseback. Even if you're not a horse lover, this is a great story of a boy trying to make the best of a pretty sad situation. Review by Stacy Church

Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan

Right from the beginning of "Listening for Lions" you know that Rachel's life is going to be full of sadness. Her missionary parents, who were also the local doctor and teacher in their East African village, had given Rachel a magical childhood in a beautiful country. They taught her love for the land, kindness for their neighbors, and they inspired her to be strong and brave. When the terrible influenza of 1919 claimed the lives of many villagers, it also claimed the lives of Rachel's parents. Among the many casualties was a young girl, Valerie, the daughter of a wealthy and cruel family, the Pritchards. After losing their only child and discovering that Rachel was now alone, the Pritchards began to devise a terrible plot to have Rachel take over Valerie's identity in order to get money from her grandfather. I loved this book for the courage of Rachel, for the beauty of her home and for the ways that she remains true to the lessons her parents taught! Review by Loretta Eysie

Molly Moon's Hypnotic Time Travel Adventure by Georgia Byng

I honestly wasn't sure how much of a story was left to tell in this third book of the Molly Moon series. It does get off to a slow and depressing start with Molly "mooning" about (pun intended) with her depressed mother who she previously rescued from the clutches of her evil twin brother, the famous hypnotist Cornelius Logan. Luckily, Molly is almost immediately kidnapped by a mysterious man in a turban, who takes her on a roundabout time-travelling journey to 1850's India. There she is turned over to another evil villain, a maharaja who has a strange speech problem which causes him to mix up the beginnings of words. I have to tell you that I found it very annoying to have to read his garbled speech and figure out what he's saying. If you like puzzles, maybe this will appeal to you. This problem aside, there is a lot of detail about India that makes it a fun read, and it's a pretty interesting concept having a bunch of different aged Mollys all present at the same time (conjured up by the maharajah from different time periods). Review by Stacy Church

The Convicts by Iain Lawrence

19 century London was an exciting and dangerous place for 14-year-old Tom Tin. The son of a sea captain unjustly sent to debtor’s prison for standing up to an evil businessman, Tom sets out to rescue his father and the family’s future. He is soon caught up in the London underworld of grave robbers and crime-hardened juvenile gangs. Tom is mistaken for a gang member known as the Smasher, and winds up convicted of murder. He is sentenced to seven years hard labor in Australia, a common fate in those days, and sent to a vile convict ship anchored in the Thames River to await transport. Here things become even worse as he deals with a cruel captain, vicious bullies, and a very bad case of sea sickness. The ship is where Tom discovers he has the courage and heart to resume his quest. The Convicts comes to a satisfactory conclusion, but not without a price. I liked this book for its realistic picture of London. Tom is a character that will certainly hold your interest - he’s not a typical hero and his doubts and faults make his final triumph all the more enjoyable. The author focuses on the ugly and gross conditions of the time, but it made the book seem more believable. I would recommend it to anyone who likes an exciting, historical adventure story. Review by Tom Viti

Leon and the Champion Chip by Allen Kurzweil

This book is a sequel to a book that I love, Leon and the Spitting Image, in which a 4th grade teacher teaches only sewing in her class. This is disastrous for Leon, whose small motor skills are not up to par. Leon makes a doll that is an exact replica of his teacher and, through some lucky breaks, discovers how to use it to control the actions of their teacher. Of course the results are hilarious. In the sequel, Leon and his friends are trying to achieve the same kind of success with a doll (or action figure as the boys like to call it) that is the image of the class bully, Lumpkin. There's also a new science teacher who decides to teach his class using potato chips (Leon's other obsession) as the subject of every lesson. Through the scientific methods they learn in class, Leon and his cohorts try to solve the problem of the failure of the Lumpkin doll. I enjoyed the book. It's funny (although not as funny as the first book) and you learn a lot about science (not to mention potato chips), too! Review by Stacy Church

Grace Happens by Jan Czech

This book is the story of a fifteen-year-old girl who lives a very glamorous life -- her mother is a very famous movie star and she travels all over the world to various movie locations bringing Grace and her tutor in tow. Most kids would be envious, but Grace really longs for a normal life with school and friends and a stable homelife. She also longs to learn about her father, who left the family before Grace was born, and whom her mother refuses to talk about. When Grace's mother takes her to Martha's Vineyard for a real vacation, Grace decides it's time her mother told her the truth. I enjoyed this book. The characters ring true, and there are some good issues for discussion. I did find the ending somewhat disappointing, though. It seemed too hasty and the problems in Grace's family are resolved a little too easily. Review by Jane Malmberg.

Tackling Dad by Elizabeth Levy

I wasn't expecting much when I started this book - I'm not really interested in football - but once I started reading it I was hooked. The main character Cassie is 13 and she's always had a natural talent for football. Her dad was a football player through college and she's inherited his moves. She used to play peewee football, but when she got older and girls didn't play football, she switched to track. She still plays backyard football with her friend whose father is the coach of the middle school team. The coach recruits her and her friend Molly to try out for the team. Cassie's parents are separated and her mom is great, even though she's worried about Cassie getting hurt. You would think her father would be impressed when Cassie makes the team, but instead he's a real jerk about it. She has a tough time with her parents, her teammates, the other kids at school, and also with the physical pain that comes from playing tackle football, but she just won't give up. Good for her! Review by Stacy Church

Belle Teal by Ann Martin

Belle Teal is a poor white girl who lives with her mother and grandmother in the rural south. Her mother works full time and her grandmother is slowly losing her memory. Belle is really excited about school this year since she got the teacher she has always wanted. Inside the classroom, there’s a lot going on, between a snobby girl, a boy that is physically abused by his father and a black boy. The book takes place in the early 1960’s and black students are new to the school. Some townspeople treat them badly and hold demonstrations. Belle struggles with these issues in a very mature way. It’s an enjoyable book because Belle is such a likeable character. Review by Joyce Levine

United Tates of America by Paula Danziger

This is another great book by Paula Danziger that is both fun and serious. Sixth-grader Sara Kate Tate, who likes to be called Skate Tate, is beginning Middle School and trying to get used to all the changes that come with a new school. She gets great comfort from her Uncle Gum, one of her favorite people. He lives part time with Sara’s family and the rest of the time he travels the world. When he dies suddenly, Sara’s heart is broken. Instead of being sad, her uncle wanted her family to take some of his money and travel around the United States. Sara and her family head off for adventure. The book also includes some scrapbook art that Sara creates with her new camera. Review by Joyce Levine

Secret School by Avi

To many people in this small working-class town, school isn’t as important as helping on the family farm. When the town’s teacher announces she has to leave before the year is up, the School Board decides not to replace her and let the kids finish the school year “early.” This becomes a problem for the students that want credit for that school year, especially for Tom and Ida who want to go on to High School. Tom suggests to Ida, the class brain, that she become the teacher for everyone. The kids vote and decide to have a “Secret School.” You quickly see how teaching and keeping up with her chores takes its toll on Ida. This was a lovely book that will appeal to anyone. Review by Joyce Levine

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

This fantasy book will take you under New York City to an amazing world of horse-size bats that people ride upon and bond with for life. There are nefarious people-size rats and enormous spiders, as well as giant cockroaches that are able to communicate and help the bats and people in the underworld. Don’t let the gigantic bats, rats, spiders and cockroaches turn you away from this book. There are some likeable characters in all of these creatures. The main character is Gregor, an 11- year-old human boy, whose father went missing years before. His mother works full time to support Gregor’s Grandmother and the 3 children. Gregor is responsible for watching over his Grandmother and his 2-year-old sister Boots while his other sister, 7-year-old Lizzie, attends camp for the summer. Let yourself be carried to the underworld and swept away in this amazing quest foretold by an ancient prophecy that only Gregor can unlock. You will experience suspense, frightening moments and maybe relief. This is the first in a trilogy, all 3 of we have at the library. Review by Ann Thomas

Chicken Boy by Francis O'Roark Dowell

The author of this book, Francis O'Roark Dowell, is also the author of one of my favorite books, Dovey Coe (a funny and suspenseful story of a girl who winds up in jail, accused of murdering her sister's boyfriend). It took me a while to pick this book up and actually start reading it (I mean, really, Chicken Boy??), but I have to say that I really liked it. The main character Tobin has a pretty terrible life. Since his mother died, no one really takes care of him. There's no food in the house, his dad never talks to him, and he has no friends. Only his grandmother seems to care about him, but she is basically crazy, and she and Tobin's dad hate each other. He doesn't like school, doesn't play sports and basically isn't interested in anything. Tobin gets in a fight with another kid at school, and a new kid, Henry, joins in to help him (he was getting trounced). After that, Henry just keeps pestering Tobin until he gives in and starts hanging out with him. Henry and his brother keep chickens, and Henry thinks chickens hold the secret to the universe. Of course, Tobin gets roped into the whole chicken-keeping enterprise. Even though you feel sorry for Tobin, the book is funny, so it isn't depressing. Review by Stacy Church

Inkspell by Cornelia Funke

I loved this book! Even more fast-paced and exciting than it's predecessor and chock full of funny, scary new characters. The story begins one year later with Meggie thinking constantly of Inkheart. She longs to visit the exotic world contained within the book. Dustfinger has the same wish, and he becomes more and more desperate to find a way back into the story. He meets a storyteller, Orpheus, with the ability to read him back. However, Dustfinger returns without his young apprentice Farid. Heartbroken, Farid goes to find Meggie, and convinces her to read both of them into the book also. But, as wonderful as the storybook world of Inkheart is, it is also quite dangerous. And before too long, the trio are joined by other characters from the first book, some of whom would do them harm. Review by Jane Malmberg.

Gilda Joyce Psychic Investigator by Jennifer Allison

I loved this book! At the beginning, Gilda Joyce is studying a battered paperback book she found at a garage sale, The Master Psychic's Handbook: A Guide to Psychic Principles and Methods. She wants to be a professional psychic investigator, and spends all of her time wearing disguises and secretly observing human behavior. After boasting at school that she will be spending the summer in San Francisco, she remembers that she has distant relatives there. Her mother forbids it, but she writes a letter to them inviting herself for a visit. In the letter she claims her mother told her, "A young lady with your talents isn't meant to spend the summer wiping drool from the mouth of a big, dull lug of a boy (her brother, who is a perfectly normal intelligent boy)." She doesn't know that she has a cousin there who's the same age she is who just got hurt falling down the stairs when she thought she saw her dead aunt. The old mansion they live in is haunted, possibly by the ghost of the cousin's aunt who committed suicide years before, which is the perfect situation for Gilda to practice her psychic skills. This book is suspenseful, funny and sad. Review by Stacy Church

Helicopter Man by Elizabeth Fensham

I have to say right up front that I did not love this book. However, it does give a good view into the life of a kid living in a terrible situation: trying to cope with a parent's mental illness. In this case, Pete has been on the run with his dad for years, hiding out from some unnamed someone (maybe a government conspiracy?) and he slowly begins to realize that his dad's behavior is not only bizarre, but may not be based on reality. I like the way the story resolves - I thought it was realistic, both in the ways that people tried to help him and in the way he reacted to them. Definitely worth reading. Review by Stacy Church

Flush by Carl Hiaason

After reading Carl Hiaason's first children's book Hoot, I couldn't wait to read his new one, Flush. I didn't find this one as funny as Hoot, but I did get hooked on the characters. This is another book about an environmental issue - Noah and Abigail's dad has been arrested for sinking a casino boat because he says it's been dumping human waste directly into the water of the Florida Keys. This is not his first arrest (he's not a criminal, he just has trouble controlling his temper when confronted with wrongdoing) and their mother is pretty fed up with his behavior at this point. Of course the kids take it on themselves to prove, well not their dad's innocence because he really did sink the boat, but to prove that he was justified in sinking it and that the real criminal is Dusty Muleman, the owner of the boat. I didn't love this book the way I did Hoot, but it's still worth reading. Review by Stacy Church

Do You Know the Monkey Man by Dori Hillestad Butler

I loved this book! 13-year-old Samantha hasn't seen or heard from her father in 10 years since her parents divorced and her twin sister Sarah died in a canoeing accident while she was with her dad. One of the only things she remembers about him is that he used to sing the muffin man song to her, but with the words "Do you know the monkey man?" Now that Sam's mother is getting remarried, Sam becomes obsessed with finding her father. She is so despearate that she calls on Madame Madeline, the only psychic listed in the yellow pages of Clearwater, Iowa. The fortune teller doesn't reveal anything about where her father is, but she has some startling news about Sarah. "I don't think she's dead...I think she's very much alive." Of course, then Samantha becomes even more determined to find out what really happened, even though it might lead to a painful and shocking secret. I loved the conclusion. Review by Stacy Church

Pay the Piper by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple

The subtitle of this book is: A Rock 'n' Roll Fairy Tale. It's a retelling of the Pied Piper story, set in modern times with rock and roll being the music played by the piper. 14-year-old Callie goes to a concert of the rock band Brass Rat to interview the band for her school newspaper. During the interview she senses something odd about the lead singer, Gringras, and after the concert when she sees him in the alleyway she sees rats who seem to be dancing to his music. She also eavesdrops outside the dressing room door and hears him make some cryptic statements about tithes and souls. She has a difficult time trying to write the story, so much so that she stays home during trick or treating to work on it. Because she has her headphones on while she's working, she is the only child in town not enticed away by the piper's music. Interspersed in the narrative is Gringras' story of his old life in Faerie, and how he came to be exiled. Even though this is not the kind of book I would normally choose, I really enjoyed reading it. Those of you who like Jane Yolen will be sure to like it. Review by Stacy Church

Deliver Us from Normal by Kate Klise

Things are not normal enough in Normal, Illinois, at least not for Charles Harrisong. Charles is 11 years old, just starting junior high, and he worries constantly about how abnormal his large family is. They are all embarrassing (not only because they are poor), but he seems to be the only one who minds. He copes by making lists; he hopes to someday be able to remove them from the top of his "Most Embarrassing Things in Life" list. He is also still trying to live down his overly emotional reaction when he read The Yearling at school the year before. His older sister Clara decides to run for 7th grade class president, and her campaign is interrupted by an incident so nasty that her parents decide to leave Normal in the middle of the night to start a new life on a boat they bought sight unseen in Alabama. Of course, the boat turns out to be a wreck, but since they gave up everything to buy it they are stuck with it. This book is funny and sad, my favorite combination. Review by Stacy Church

Adam Canfield of The Slash by Michael Winerip

Adam Canfield holds two distinct titles. First, he has been the star reporter for the Harris Elementary/Middle School paper The Slash for years. And now, he is also the most overscheduled kid in America. He's always on the run somewhere -- and he's almost always late. To make matters worse, his friend Jennifer convinces him to become coeditor of The Slash along with her. While he does have a talent for investigative reporting, his people skills leave something to be desired. Between figuring out how to supervise Phoebe, an incredibly persistent third grade cub reporter with a knack for sniffing out front page scoops, and dealing with the school principal, who insists upon dictating the paper's content, Adam worries that he is losing his grip. But then, Phoebe delivers a scoop to beat all others -- an ugly story detailing misapropriation of school funds -- and involving none other than the principal! Now Adam has an even bigger problem -- can he and his friends dig deep enough to get to the bottom of the cover-up, and do they dare to publish the story and risk ruining their "permanent records"? Review by Jane Malmberg.

Three of Diamonds by Anthony Horowitz

The third book in a series about a pair of private detectives, the Diamond Brothers. Older brother Tim is perhaps the world's worst detective, but thanks to his clever 13-year old brother Nick, the duo always manage to crack the case. This volume finds the brothers in the middle of three exciting and humorous adventures. In "The Blurred Man", they must find out who flattened philanthropist Lenny Smile with a steamroller. A vacation in France proves to be a near-death experience when they become mixed-up with drug smugglers in "The French Confection". And in the final story, Tim is invited to a class reunion and becomes trapped on a Scottish island with a murderer in "I Know What You Did Last Wednesday". It takes some quick thinking for Nick to solve the crimes before his bumbling brother either messes up the investigation, or worse, gets them both killed. If you're looking for stories with plenty of humor and suspense, then Three of Diamonds is the book for you. Review by Jane Malmberg.

The Cottonmouth Club by Lance Marcum

11-year-old Mitch has his upcoming summer with his best friend Tick planned out in detail: monster movies, 10-S 2 RRC (ride 10 speeds to Redlands, Riverside, and Crestline), skateboarding (down "the Hill" where Mitch previously left most of the skin of his right leg on the pavement), swimming, and sleepovers/stay up late/sleep in/TV/cartoons/Stooges. Mitch is horrified when his father announces that he has to report for a military assignment and the rest of the family is going to spend the entire summer on the farm in Louisiana where his mother grew up. There are a bunch of cousins - all boys who wear overalls and no shoes - that Mitch is expected to make friends with, a group of juvenile delinquents he tries to join in with, a raging bull and worst of all, poisonous cottonmouth snakes. This is a funny book and it paints a good picture of what life was like in the rural deep south, but I think some of the things Mitch does when he's hanging out with the "bad kids" (such as swimming across a cottonmouth-filled creek on a dare) are more dangerous and should be taken more seriously than they seem to be in the story. Review by Stacy Church

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

This was such a relaxing book to read! The style of the book is chatty and felt very familiar, but I can't figure out exactly what it reminded me of. The Penderwicks are a family of 4 girls, a father and a large unruly dog named "Hound." The girls are wildly different from each other and each is quite a character, especially the youngest, Batty, who insists on wearing a pair of wings at all times except when she is sleeping. The Penderwicks have rented a cottage in the Berkshires for vacation since their usual Cape Cod house was sold unexpectedly. They arrive only to find that their cottage is on the grounds of a huge mansion called Arundel; as they come up the long winding drive they see a boy looking out of an upstairs window. Jeffrey lives at Arundel with his mother, a horrible mean woman. There are plenty of adventures involving Jeffrey, Cagney (an older boy who is the gardener), and Cagney's rabbits. Review by Stacy Church

Septimus Heap, Book One: Magyk by Angie Sage

It took me several tries to get far enough into this book to get hooked on the story, but once I did, I couldn't put it down! The book reads sort of like it's set in medieval times, except there are wizards, magical creatures (many of them disgusting or frightening), and of course a struggle between good and evil. Septimus Heap is born the seventh son of a seventh son, and in the wizard world that makes him very special. But the midwife pronounces him dead soon after birth and whisks his body away before his poor mother can see him. Around the same time, Septimus's father finds an abandoned infant in the forest. He brings her home and she grows up as the only girl in a family of 6 boys, living a happy, hectic life until her 10th birthday. On that day, the ExtraOrdinary wizard knocks on the door of the Heap house with a shocking revelation, and this is when the real story begins. Even though this is the first book in a trilogy the ending doesn't leave you hanging. Book Two is due out next April. Review by Stacy Church

Jimmy Coates: Assassin? by Joe Craig

This book is not what I thought it was going to be when I started reading it. I expected a detective/thriller, and instead it turned out to be science fiction. Jimmy Coates grows up thinking he's just an ordinary boy, with an older sister and a mother and a father, but when two men in suits show up at his house unexpectedly and try to make him go with them, he discovers that he has super powers. At least that's what it seems like when he is able to fight them off and jump out his second story bedroom window without getting hurt. From that moment on there is non-stop action: fighting, chase scenes, and kidnapping, as Jimmy tries to find out the truth about himself and the career he was engineered for. This book will really appeal to lovers of action, science fiction and thrillers, and it also touches on ethical questions about government interference in people's lives. Review by Stacy Church

Permanent Rose by Hilary McKay

This is the third installment in the story of the eccentric and artistic Casson family. In this story, several of the characters are faced with some type of quest. Caddy has become engaged to "Darling Michael" despite her ambivalence about marriage. She loses her diamond engagement ring and tears through the house desperately searching. Saffy has become increasingly eager to find out the identity of her long lost father, and enlists the aid of her good friend Sarah. Indigo's American friend Tom has returned to America, and the Casson family has heard nothing yet from him. Rose in particular is heartbroken, and waits daily for some news in the mail. As usual, a new character is introduced and quickly becomes part of the family. David, one of the boys who spent the previous year bullying Indigo at school, has turned over a new leaf and become a friend, much to the annoyance of Indigo's sisters. The plot takes some twists and turns -- delivering some surprises at the climax. Fans of this author's other books will not be disappointed. Permanent Rose features the same blend of humor, tenderness and adventure I came to love in Saffy's Angel. A fun, satisfying, summer read. Review by Jane Malmberg.

Lowji Discovers America by Candace Fleming

This is a really fun book about a boy who moves from Bombay, a big city in India, to the small town of Hamlet, Illinois. It is the beginning of the summer, he doesn't know anyone, and his first encounters with other children are not promising. When he was in India, Lowji dreamed of having pets in America, but he soon finds out that his cranky landlady doesn't allow any pets. He does manage to make some friends, and eventually convinces his landlady that she should get a cat to catch the mice in the apartment building, and then a dog to keep away burglars, and a goat to cut the grass. Of course there are disastrous results which are quite entertaining. Review by Stacy Church

Fourth World by Kate Thompson

This is book one of The Missing Link Trilogy and I, for one, am eagerly awaiting book two. The beginning of this book was slow, but I kept on reading and I'm glad I did. The main character is 15-year-old Christie, who is angry and resentful of his new stepfather and his older stepbrother, Danny, who is mentally disabled. Christie does care about Danny and has learned some ways of helping him cope with his emotional difficulties, so when a talking starling appears in Danny's room, and Danny says they're leaving to go to his mother's in Scotland, Christie feels compelled to follow him. The journey turns out to be long and difficult. There is an oil shortage and buses have been cancelled, trains are running sporadically and finally car travel is banned completely. Most of the book recounts their journey from Ireland to Scotland and the people they meet, including a homeless girl who joins in with them and a talking dog named Oggie who helps guide them. When they finally arrive at Danny's mother's they find an unbelievable situation involving talking animals and a girl who looks just as strange as Danny but seems to possess super powers. This is science fiction at it's best - Danny's mother has a lab where she performs secret experiments. What has she done to these animals and children? Review by Stacy Church

The Midnight Diary of Zoya Blume by Laura Shaine Cunningham

This book is filled with mysteries: where did Zoya's mother go, and is she coming back? Who is Leon and what is his relationship with Zoya's mother? What is a Buka and why is Zoya so afraid of it? What is making the mysterious crying sounds in the basement of Zoya's building? Before Zoya's mother went away she gave Zoya a diary to write in, and she told her that she needs to write down her first memory. But what is Zoya's first memory? I thought the style of the book was a little stilted, but I still enjoyed reading it. It's a touching and unusual story. Review by Stacy Church

The Liberation of Gabriel King by K. L. Going

The opening scene of the book takes place on fourth grade graduation day when, instead of walking across the stage to get his certificate while his parents watch proudly, Gabe is tied up under a picnic table by two fifth grade bullies. Gabe decides that he doesn't want to move up to fifth grade because then he'll have the same lunch and recess as the two worst bullies of the school,who are a grade ahead of him. This is a story of two best friends, one white and one black (the only black student in the school), set in rural Georgia in 1976. Frita decides that they have to spend the summer liberating themselves of their fears (Gabe has many many more than she does), and they write out lists of what they're afraid of so they can cross each one off as they conquer it. It's not so bad when the fear is spiders - Gabe gains a pet he names Jimmy - but when they get to Frita's fear of the Ku Klux Klan, things get more intense. This is a fun book to read, even though it paints a very real picture of life for a black family in the rural south in that time period. Review by Stacy Church

Wing Nut by MJ Auch

12-year-old Grady Flood has moved around constantly with his mother since his father died 7 years before. They never have enough money, but Grady's mom, beautiful red-headed Lila, always thinks things will work out for the best. At the beginning of the book, they are living on a commune, but decide to leave when Lila finally realizes she's being taken advantage of by the other residents. They head out in their old car that's held together by duct tape. Of course the car breaks down, and they walk for miles until they reach a run-down diner where the kindly owners tell them about a mechanic who might be able to fix their car, and a job Lila may be able to get as a cook for an old man who lives alone. The old man is a crotchety guy who just wants to be left alone, but he starts teaching Grady about the purple martins he takes care of. I really liked this book - it was touching and believable. The relationships between the characters in the book are rocky, but in the end, they manage to work things out. Reveiw by Stacy Church

Click Here by Denise Vega

The full title of this book is: Click Here: To Find Out how I Survived Seventh Grade. This was a fun book to read, and will appeal to girls who like to read books in diary or journal format. Erin Swift is just starting middle school and faces many humiliations, beginning on the first day of school when she ends up punching her archenemy for calling her "puppet," a reference to the fact that she always does what her best friend Jilly wants her to do. Erin keeps a secret unpublished blog chronicling her feelings about everything that is happening in her life, including how she feels about her friend Jilly, her crush on a boy who ends up being Jilly's boyfriend, and feeling sorry for her brother who has a crush on someone who doesn't like him back. The blog entries are interspersed in the narrative. Erin is very knowledgable about web design and becomes active in helping design a new web site for her school. In her rush to submit material for the publication date, she submits the wrong disk - the one with her secret blog! You can imagine how people feel about her after reading her secret rantings about them. Her parents won't let her change schools, so she has to find a way to make things right again. Review by Stacy Church

Surviving Aunt Marsha by Sofie Laguna

I really enjoyed the style of this book. The chapters are very short, sometimes following the story line and sometimes just sort of random recollections by the main character,
11-year-old Bettina. Bettina's parents leave for a 3-week vacation in Paris to rediscover the romance in their marriage, and their hateful Aunt Marsha comes to stay with Bettina and her two younger brothers. Since Bettina is the oldest she feels it is up to her to make things go smoothly....even though Aunt Marsha won't let their dog, who usually sleeps on Vince's bed, come in the house at all, and makes them eat black kidney pie for dinner, and won't let Aidan read his comic books. The book is funny, but it really made me feel bad for the poor kids. There's an exciting event at the end involving lightning, a tree house, and Aunt Marsha who's afraid of heights. However, I didn't feel the resolution was believable. Perhaps Aunt Marsha really does love the kids, but I thought the change in her character and the sudden love shared between them all was a bit much to swallow. Review by Stacy Church

Sam I Am by Ilene Cooper

When Sam Goodman's dog Pluto knocks down their Christmas tree, (also known in their family as the Hanukkah Bush), his parents start to think about whether or not they made a wise decision to raise the children without organized religion. Sam's dad suggests they celebrate Hanukkah this year, which creates a lot of tension in the household -- especially between the parents, as both grandmothers come for a visit and spend the holidays sniping at each other. Even after the holidays are over, his parents' bickering and his confusion over what religion he really is, continue to bother 12-year-old Sam. He has tried talking to God (at his mother's suggestion), but God doesn't seem to be listening. When his class in school begins studying the Holocaust, Sam only feels more distressed. Sam is a thoughtful kid, and he brings up a lot of good questions. Unfortunately, he never does receive much help with his situation. While I enjoyed the characters, and felt that many of the situations rang true, I found the conclusion to be unsatisfying. Review by Jane Malmberg.

Never Mind!: A Twin Novel by Avi and Rachel Vail

This is the story of a brother and sister, Meg and Edward Runyon, who, although they are twins, could not be less alike. According to Edward, Meg is twelve noon, and he is midnight. Meg is a statuesque control-freak who finds herself invited to join the "High Achievers Club" at her academically elite school. Edward is by contrast a short, slacker student at an "alternative" school. He is disgusted with the notion of Meg having one more achievement to rub his nose in, and decides to make it his mission to sabotage Meg's efforts to be accepted by the popular girls at school. Meg is terrified of her new friends finding out about her embarrassing twin, and concocts a story about her handsome, rock star brother. Events spin out of control, with hilarious consequences. The two authors tell the story in alternating narratives that really ring true for each character. This book is a lot of fun -- just right for a summer beach read! Review by Jane Malmberg.

Stravaganza: City of Flowers by Mary Hoffman

This is the third book in a wonderful fantasy trilogy which began with Stravaganza: City of Masks. Each book follows the adventure of a London teen drawn into the dangerous world of political intrigue and murder inTalia, a land that resembles Italy in the 1500's. In this book, Sky Meadows finds an antique perfume bottle, a talisman which turns him into a Stravagante, one of a select society who are able to travel back and forth between present day England and the imaginary Talia. The cast of characters is huge, but there is a family tree to help you keep everyone straight. I liked the parts of the story set in England, with the teens struggling with their own problems in addition to the feuds, poisonings, sword fights, etc. they are part of in Talia. A great series, although I found the beginning of this one slow going. Review by Stacy Church

Overboard by Elizabeth Fama

This is an unusual book, because after the first 35 pages, the rest of the action takes place in the Indian Ocean, where 14-year-old Emily is floundering without a life vest after the ferry she was on sank. It is based on a true story of a girl who is living in Sumatra, Indonesia, where her pediatrician parents are working. Emily helps out with the sick children at the clinic too, but she resents the amount of time her parents spend there, and she wishes she could return home to Boston with her uncle, who is visiting the nearby island of Weh. After an upsetting incident involving the death of a child patient, Emily runs away and takes a ferry to try to meet her uncle, but halfway through the crossing the ferry sinks. She finds herself in the deep, shark-infested ocean waters amid hundreds of panicking people. She meets a younger Indonesian boy who she helps, and they must struggle through the night and the next day, hoping to be rescued. The book is suspenseful and gives a good insight into the differences between Muslim and Western cultures. Review by Stacy Church

The Search for Belle Prater by Ruth White

This book is a sequel to Belle Prater's Boy, one of my favorite books. In the first book you meet Woodrow, whose mother has disappeared from their backwoods home in Coal Station, Virginia. He goes to live with his grandparents, and becomes best friends with his cousin Gypsy, who lives next door. In The Search for Belle Prater, it is 1954 and Woodrow and Gypsy are in the seventh grade. On New Year's Eve, someone calls Woodrow's house and hangs up without saying anything. He's sure that it was his mother, and when he traces the call to the nearby town of Bluefield, he and Gypsy decide to go there to search for her. Readers who were unhappy with the ending of Belle Prater's Boy will like the resolution of the sequel. A great depiction of life in a poor community in Virginia in the 1950's. Review by Stacy Church