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