Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor

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

The Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy by Diane Stanley

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

The School Story by Andrew Clements

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

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd

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

Letters from Rapunzel by Sara Lewis Holmes

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

The White Giraffe by Lauren St. John

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

Schooled by Gordon Korman

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

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

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

Archer's Quest by Linda Sue Park

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

Peiling and the Chicken-Fried Christmas by Pauline Chen

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

The Aurora County All-Stars by Deborah Wiles

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

The New Policeman by Kate Thompson

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

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

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

If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko

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

Ellie McDoodle: Have Pen, Will Travel

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

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

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

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

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

What the Dickens by Gregory Maguire

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

Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata

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

Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn

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