The Aurora County All-Stars by Deborah Wiles

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

The New Policeman by Kate Thompson

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

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

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

If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko

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

Ellie McDoodle: Have Pen, Will Travel

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

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

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

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

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

What the Dickens by Gregory Maguire

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

Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata

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

Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn

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

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

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

How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor

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

Finn's Going by Tom Kelly

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

Only You Can Save Mankind by Terry Pratchett

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

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

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

Kimchi and Calamari by Rose Kent

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

The Wonder Kid by George Harrar

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

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

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

Gideon the Cutpurse by Linda Buckley-Archer

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

The Road to Paris by Nikki Grimes

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