'TIS THE SEASON FOR A CREEPY GOTHIC TALE

After her mother's sudden departure from the family, Elizabeth Murmur and her dour father Henry move back to his childhood home, or rather, the eerie and enormous Victorian manor where he grew up long ago, Witheringe House. The place is positively creepy, and possibly even haunted. Definitely haunted if you ask Zenobia, Elizabeth's imaginary (or is she?) friend, who is determined to make contact with the spirit presence she is sure is inhabiting the forbidden East wing of the manor. But Elizabeth isn't as brave or daring as Zenobia, and is petrified at the thought of seeing or communicating with a ghost. 

That is until she stumbles across a tombstone on the sprawling grounds, which reads Tourmaline, aged seven years. Beloved daughter of Edward and Lydia. Adored sister of Henry. Does this mean Elizabeth had an aunt she never knew about? What could have happened to her? If her father won't give her any answers, she'll have to discover them for herself, even if spirits and spooks are involved. But what she uncovers will lead her to places--both tangible and other-worldly--she never imagined, and require more than a modicum of bravery, mettle, and heart. 

Elizabeth and Zenobia by Jessica Miller is at turns droll and suspenseful, but always shrouded in the moodiest of mystery. Readers in fifth grade and up will be dying to find out what happens. 

TELLING TALES - NEWBERRY 2015?

Thirteen-year-old Astri has a head full of fairy tales, but her life is far from being one itself. Sold off by her aunt to work for a vicious "goatman," Astri bides her time until she can figure out a way to escape the goatman, get her younger sister from her greedy aunt and uncle, and find a way to get to America to join their father. Along the way, she meets a girl who may or may not be a changeling, a brush that may or may not make coins fall out of hair, and what appears to be a troll's treasure. Though her journey is fraught with many perils, the dangers outside are not the only thing Astri needs to fight. Eventually, she has to face the barrier she created around herself and the fairy tales that threaten to take over her reality.

West of the Moon is inspired by the Norwegian folktale "East of the Sun, West of the Moon," and also by the author's great-grandparents, who met a young girl on their journey to the United States from Norway. Through lyrical prose, Margi Preus tells a story that is a combination of fairy tale and historical fiction, but most importantly it is a story about a girl who may not always do the right thing, but who always manages to find a way out through her courage and wits.

RED BERRIES, WHITE CLOUDS, BLUE SKY

Twelve year old Tomi Itano sees herself as a proud Japanese-American even though she has never been to Japan nor speaks Japanese. In 1941, the year the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor and it is this very event that changes Tomi’s perspective on life.  Tomi and her family must endure unimaginable racist attitudes from their fellow non-Japanese Americans who now view them as the enemy. Tomi starts to see the hurtful store front signs that read “No Japs Allowed.”  She is even no longer welcomed as part of her beloved Girls Scouts.  To make matters even more unbearable, Tomi’s father is suspected of being a spy and is arrested and sent to an internment camp in New Mexico.  It did not take long for Tomi, her mother, and her brothers to be evacuated from their home and sent to the internment camp in Tallgrass, Colorado.

As the family is forced to relocate Tomi’s mother becomes worried about their strawberry fields. She also becomes bitter as the family is close to losing everything they own. Selling their belongings for very cheap is too painful; she even breaks her washing machine because the thought of selling it for a quarter proves unbearable.  As the family transitions from their home-life to camp-life, they try to establish a “normal” life by going to school and making friends. As time passes, life at the camp gives Tomi a chance to reflect on how she really feels about the way others treated her because of her nationality.

Red Berries, White Clouds, Blue Sky by Sandra Dallas is a touching story about a young girl during the 1940’s. Readers will be introduced to a terrible event that occurred in America and the toll it took on one particular family.   

For readers in 5th grade and up.

THE FORBIDDEN LIBRARY

Talking cats? Alice knew something strange was going on when she heard a talking cat. Intrigued, twelve-year-old Alice follows the strange feline and is eventually convinced into entering a mysterious library she was forbidden to enter and opens one of its books!  How could an obedient girl who had never been defiant brake such a rule? It was the love for reading that was so strong she could not resist. Upon entering the library, Alice also meets an arrogant boy who brings just as much trouble as the talking cat.  It did not take Alice long to figure out the book she opened was magical.  Accidentally, Alice and the cat are sucked inside the book.  But Alice’s troubles continue as she must now defeat a creature living within the book.  How did Alice get caught up in so much magic?  Well, it all started one night while Alice was sneaking around and she sees her father talking to a bumble bee fairy.  The following day Alice’s father disappears as the ship goes down at sea.  Alice is sent to live with an unheard of uncle named Geryon and it is Geryon who forbade Alice from going into his library. 

As the pages turn Alice becomes less and less trusting of the characters she meets.

The Forbidden Library by Django Wexler is a mix of genres of adventure, mystery and fantasy. The author incorporates magic just enough where it is not overwhelming. Wexler also brings the book to an end as he leads the reader towards the sequel.

Read the book and find out what happens to Alice.

For readers in 5th grade and up. 

ODESSA AGAIN!

Odessa is a smart, funny and a very generous person who is worried about her family, her parents’ divorce and how she is going to make it through fourth grade.  Above all else, what she really wishes is a way she will be able to turn back the time to fix all that is bothering her.  If only she could have this super power! 

Well, there is a saying which goes something like this…”be careful of what you wish for” because, your wish might come true and you might not be able to handle the outcome of those particular wishes…

One day she finds herself having that same particular power of turning back time and ‘fixing’ things…She succeeds in fixing the easer things in her life of course, and every time she fixes a smaller problem, she feels more in control of her faith… But of course, she is way too young to see that sometimes, in life you have to let nature and your own fate to guide and lead you to the right direction.   Hence, her realizing that perhaps there is a reason why her parents are divorced or why her own brother needs to be selective when it comes to finding friends. 

Literally, this enchanted story will make fall in love with Odessa and her adventures.  

Odessa Again by Dana Reinhardt is truly a fun read that will make your heart a little fuzzier and your smile a little brighter. 

For grades 5th and up.

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

Thirteen-year-old Theodora Tenpenny’s grandfather’s last words to her before he dies are “It’s under the egg.” He tells her that there is a letter and a treasure under the egg, and she should find them before it’s  too late. Theo guesses that her grandfather meant the egg painting above the mantelpiece, under which she placed the best, most perfect egg from their chickens every day since she was little. As she is looking for the letter and the treasure under the egg, she accidentally spills a bottle of rubbing alcohol on the painting, which causes the paint to peel off and expose a different painting underneath. The painting looks suspiciously like a stolen masterpiece by a well-known artist, so Theo embarks on an adventure to find the real artist of the painting and its owner. Along the way, Theo will discover her grandfather’s secrets, a great deal of art and history, and a best friend.

Under the Egg has got it all - a page-turning mystery, art, history, and humor. It is a smart, witty book that has great writing and will continue to surprise the reader until the very last page. 

For grades 5-8.

THE NEXT LAST DRAGONSLAYER

In case you were fascinated-and a little horrified-by the creature that is "one tenth Labrador, six-tenths velociraptor and three-tenths kitchen food blender," from the Last Dragonslayer, you can find out more in the second book, The Song of the Quarkbeast. With the Great Zambini still missing, Jennifer Strange continues to be the acting manager of Kazam Mystical Arts Management, and it is not the easiest of jobs. With the rise of Big Magic, Jennifer, Tiger Prawns, and the accompanying cast of strange but generally well-meaning magicians are the only ones who can prevent King Snodd and iMagic from using magic for personal gain, rather than the common good. The troubles start when a mysterious client recruits Kazam's talents to find a ring that does not want to be found, and only escalate when King Snodd appoints Blix from iMagic to Court Sorcerer, requiring Kazam to obey all of iMagic's wishes. Will Jennifer and Kazam be able to resist Blix and King Snodd against all odds? And most importantly, why is there a mysterious Quarkbeast roaming in the streets of Hereford?
 

The Song of the Quarkbeast  by Jasper FForde is as lough-out-loud witty as its prequel. In fact, it is possible that it might be even better. If you like a good deal of laughs with your fantasy and science fiction, you might have just met your favorite new series.

For readers in 4th-8th. 

HOLD FAST TO DREAMS

IS IT NEWBERY WORTHY? 

Everything changes in the blink of an eye for 11 year old Early Pearl and her family.  One minute they’re laughing and playing, dreaming about making a home in Chicago and the next minute Early’s father, Dash, has disappeared, leaving the Pearl family struggling to stay afloat and making their way through the city’s homeless shelters. There are many questions swirling around Dash’s disappearance:  Was he kidnapped?  Who is the mysterious “Al” that Dash was working with?  What do they know about the world largest diamond heist that happened half a world away and nearly a decade ago?

Early channels her father’s love of language and literature and sets out in search of clues. Everywhere she turns there are hidden clues, from the rhythm of Langston Hugh’s poetry to secrets hidden away at the Chicago Public Library. It’s a race against the clock as Early delves deeper and deeper into her father’s disappearance.

Like her other outstanding novels for young readers, Hold Fast by Blue Balliett  is a great read for someone who loves a good mystery and can appreciate the power of language.  

Grades 5 and up

Read another review of this book by Lyda.  

LONG LIVE THE QUEEN

When is it time to put away the toys and stop playing make believe? What happens when the game you thought you were playing turns out not to be a game after all, but is terrifyingly real? Middle schoolers, Zach, Alice, and Poppy, are confronted by these very questions in Doll Bones by Holly Black. The three have been friends for a long time and one of their favorite games is to create elaborate scenarios and quests for their dolls and action figures to act out. They know that they’re getting a little too old to play with dolls, but their stories and games are central to their friendship with each other, especially now, since it seems the changes that come with middle school are starting to drive a wedge between their group.

One night, Poppy has a dream about the antique bone china doll that acts as the Queen in their adventures. The doll is haunted by a ghost of a little girl who suffered a horrific fate and needs Poppy’s help putting her spirit to rest. Suspecting that it might be more than a dream, Poppy finds evidence that the ghost’s story is true and convinces Zach and Alice to help her. Together they embark on a real life quest to uncover the mystery behind the Queen and see if their friendship can stand the test of time even after the games are over.

A fantastic, slightly spooky read by the creator of The Spiderwick Chronicles!

For grades 5 and up.

BULLIES & APACHE HELICOPTERS

The ninety-one letters Derek keeps in his dad's Knight Rider lunchbox are the only way he can communicate with his dad. Since Derek was five, his dad has spent most of his time flying Apache Helicopters for the Army.  Last year, Derek and his mom thought his dad was home for good, but the Army called him back and now he is in Afghanistan.  His dad's letters help him through all the problems life throws at him.   Like being bullied by the kid he thought was his best friend. Or showing up at the school bus stop in the pouring rain on a Saturday.  Or forgetting his mom's birthday.  Or just plain missing his dad.  

Join Derek in this funny and touching account of how military service affects children and families in David Fleming's novel, The Saturday Boy.  This book is appropriate for children in Grades 5 and above.

THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS

Sam and Morgan are best friends. Well, they used to be. Now, Morgan is on the football team and Sam is captain of the school math club.  And, in exactly 33 minutes, Morgan is going to kick Sam’s butt. 

In those agonizing 33 minutes, Sam is going figure out exactly what went wrong. How did they go from being best buds since forever to rivals in what is sure to be the school’s most anticipated recess fight in recent memory?

31 minutes…

33 Minutes by Todd Hasak-Lowy perfectly captures the hilarious, yet heart-breaking ups and downs of middle school and the different paths that friendships can take. Highly recommended for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid!

Grades 5 and up

BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY

13 year old Nate Foster is about to make it big. At least, he hopes so. Otherwise, stealing his brother’s fake id and running away to New York City to audition for the Broadway musical version of E.T. will have all been in vain. His only hope of not getting grounded for the rest of his life and having to return to his horrible small town existence as bully bait is to be cast as the lead role. Armed with passion, charisma, wit, and a little bit of naïveté, Nate sets out to conquer New York City and take Broadway by storm.

Better Nate Than Ever by Broadway choreographer Tim Federle is a hilarious story about a kid who will stop at nothing to realize his dreams. It’s a bumpy jouney, but Nate learns a lot about himself along the way. This book will have you howling with laughter and tapping your toes to show tunes as Nate finds himself swept into the crush of the big city, freeloading chips and salsa from every restaurant in Times Square and desperately searching for a place to charge his ancient Nokia phone. It’s a great read for anyone who has ever had a dream and maybe enough courage to chase it.

Grades 5 and up

DISCOVERING LOVE WITHIN A FOSTER FAMILY HOME

Carly Conners has known only one kind of life: a difficult and impoverished one.  She was raised by a mother who was involved with different men, and who taught her that crying is for the weak.
Carly is easy going and she learns to live this way of life until tragedy strikes.  Her mother is hospitalized as a result of domestic violence.  
Carly is then sent to live with a foster family, The Murphys. 

The Murphys are picture perfect in Carly's eyes.  They live in a beautiful home, have traditional roles and routines, and they treat each other with lots of love.  Although shocked by their lifestyle at first, Carly later finds that she too deserves a life like the Murphys.  Through the course of the story, she learns that picture perfect families don't always have picture perfect beginnnings.  Lynda Mullaly Hunt brings Carly's touching experience to life in One For the Murphys.

For 5th grade and up.

KNOCK, KNOCK

 

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Jamie.
Jamie who?
Jamie Grimm, the Planet's Funniest Kid.  Well, at least Long Island, NY.  Well, really Long Beach on Long Island in NY.  Okay, maybe just at Jamie's Middle School.  Or his Uncle's diner.  Or his house, where he lives with his aunt and her family who doesn't know how to smile and her son, the school bully.

Jamie Grimm is on a mission to make you laugh. He studies all the greats - Leno, Seinfeld, Simpson (Homer), and many many others. He knows the ins and outs of a good joke and can repeat ones from the greats and has many of his own up his sleeve. He also deals with bullies (including one who lives with him), girls, and life in a wheel chair, all with a smile and a joke as his shield.

I Funny by James Patterson will have kids in grades 5 and up in stitches, or at least rolling their eyes at the bad jokes.

GRIMMEST OF THE GRIMM



This is not a story for the faint of heart or gentle of spirit. What we’ve come to know and love as fairy tales are a far cry from the original Grimm’s tales that have inspired countless Disney films and picture books. But, in reality, Grimm’s fairy tales are the stuff nightmares are made of. In fact, few people know about the more gory elements found in Cinderella or Rapunzel. Check out a copy of the original Grimm’s stories to see for yourself.

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz follows Hansel and Gretel from the well-known candy house though several other Grimm’s tales (some familiar, some not). The narrator lets you know right from the start that things will not be easy and painless for Hansel and Gretel. It’s a dark and scary world out there in fairytale land, and the pair will need to keep their wits about them in order to survive. Their story is one of bravery and forgiveness in the face of betrayal and danger. As the narrator tells us in the first chapter, “…the land of Grimm can be a harrowing place. But, it is worth exploring. For, in life, it is in the darkest zones one finds beauty and the most luminous wisdom.”

So, if Goosebumps fails to thrill you, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark makes you yawn, and you can read Cirque du Freak in the dark, all alone, on a dark and stormy night, then A Tale Dark and Grimm may just be the book for you.

For grades 5 and up.

INTO THE WOODS...

We all like to imagine what kind of magic and fantasy could be hidden right under our very own noses. Normal looking train platform? Or, a portal to a school for wizards? Ordinary chest of drawers? Or, a door to another land? How about, a boring looking forest on the edge of town? Could magic, mystery, and even danger lurk there?

In Wildwood by Colin Meloy, Prue’s day starts out average enough, yet quickly turns extraordinary when her baby brother, Mac, is carried off by a flock of crows into the forest. When Prue frantically follows, what she finds in the woods is a world of creatures unlike any she’s ever seen in a desperate struggle against threatening forces. This is no ordinary forest. This is the Impassable Wilderness and little does Prue know, there is more at stake than simply bringing Mac home.

Grades 5 and up.

DUCK AND COVER

Franny has a lot of problems.  Her best friend is being mean to her.  Her sister is receiving secret letters in the mail and won't tell her about them.  Her brother is Mr. Perfect.  Her Uncle thinks he is still in World War II.  And, as if growing up a normal kid wasn't hard enough, her country is in  the middle of the Cold War.  Its 1962 and Franny is constantly afraid of a nuclear bomb falling from the sky.  The only thing that can get her through everything is listening to music and taking life one day at a time - since she never knows which day will be her last.

Using mixed-media such as song lyrics, photographs, speeches, and other snippets from 1962, Countdown by Deborah Wiles creates a world which children in grades 5 and up can easily relate to while also learning about the Cold War and its effects on an everyday family.  

For 5th grade and older. 

DEADLY WATERS

Want to read something adventures but at the same time mysterious?
Get ready to solve one situational problem after another and find yourself deeply lost in the story that you might even forget you’re reading a book.Going on a vacation with parents and friends is usually fun ; however going into the wild without your parents and without a map can become a challenge, especially in a huge forest. Now imagine all the things that can go wrong and multiply that by hundred... Than the unexpected happens, and not only now your need to find your way back, you also need to solve few great mysteries...DEADLY WATERS by GLORIA SKURZYNSKI.

For grades 5th and up.

TWENTY GOLD FALCONS

Have you ever been on a treasure hunt? I am talking about hunt for real treasure, such as gold, antique objects and gold falcons in the case of this story. Most likely, you have not right? Well. Aiden who is literally bored out of her mind and is completely miserable in her fancy private school somehow(you need to read to find out) embarks on a journey that is so fun and adventurous that you might even want to buckle your seat belt while reading the book.

This is a fun and mysterious story which brings great friends togather in search of a treasure, but the joureny to find the treasure is as fun as the treasure itself. You will even meet a mouse who loves the opera, now imagine that! TWENTY GOLD FALCONS is by AMY GORDON.

For grades 5th and up.