Charlie Hernandez and the League of Shadows

Charlie Hernandez has grown up with Latin American folktales.  But when his parents disappear he finds out that the folktales and actually real and he is part of an ancient prophecy.  With the help of a new friend and the League of Shadows Charlie sets out to defeat a witch and maybe rescue his parents.

I liked the Latin American folklore and there was some good action.  It took awhile to really ramp up and it was obviously the first in a series.  I wish there had been more development of some of the secondary characters.

Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish

Marcus is a big boy and has big responsibilities.  He takes care of his brother who has Down Syndrome, protects kids who are bullied, makes dinner when mom is late.  But his size can also be intimidating.  When he hits a bully for teasing his brother, Marcus' mom thinks it's time for them to regroup by going to Puerto Rico to see family and friends.  Marcus knows that's where his dad is and pins all his hopes on finding and bonding with his dad.  But why hasn't his dad been in touch the last 10 years anyway?

The book is really about Marcus coming to terms with his family.  It was a pretty good book.

Squirm

Billy Dickens has a fascination with snakes and at times he will use the ones he has caught to persuade people to leave him alone or just make them squirm.

Billy decides to visit a father he barely remembers and then embarks on a big adventure.  He meets his father's new wife and daughter and learns about his father's real job tracking poachers.  

With his dad and new sister Billy helps to track down the poacher.  But what if the poacher is tracking them?

This was pretty good.  About halfway through I felt it wasn't really going anywhere but the last 1/4 of the book was really good.

The Heart and Mind of Frances Pauley

Frances is different - she is smart, quirky, likes to spend time outdoors on her rocks, her best friend is her bus driver - but she likes it that way, she likes to be alone.  But when does alone become lonely?  If she's honest she misses her sister and she's uncomfortable being the smartest in class (until she isn't and then that's uncomfortable too).  When she loses her best friend Frances needs to take stock of her relationships.

This is a really quiet book.  There will be some who will gravitate towards its sweetness.  Frances was a really nice character who learned a lot.

My Life as a Diamond

Cassie decided just before moving to cut her hair and start going by Caz.  Can knows that he really is a boy and even though things didn’t work out well in Toronto he’s hoping for a fresh start in the Seattle area.  Things start out well - baseball, friends - but what if his secret gets out?

This was pretty decent - it will be good to have more books that students can find themselves in but I don’t think it was that well written.

The Law of Finders Keepers

Mo, Dale, and Harm embark on their last adventure - finding Blackbeard’s lost treasure and finally finding  Mo’s “Upstream Mother”.  I have always enjoyed this series and the characters.  This was a great romp and a wonderful conclusion to the series.

The Guggenheim Mystery

The characters from the London Eye Mystery are back and even though the author Siobhan Dowd died, Robin Stevens was able to take the characters and craft a really good mystery as well.  In my work on the MSBA committee I don’t often read sequels but we always need more mysteries.  As much as I enjoyed this I don’t think it can totally stand on its own - you really need to read London Eye to meet the characters.

That being said this was very good.  Salim and his mom have moved to NYC and his mom works at the Guggenheim.  Kat, Jack and his mom have gone to visit them.  On their visit to the museum, during some reconstruction with the museum actually closed, smoke fills the museum and during the evacuation a painting is stolen.  Based on initial evidence Salim’s mom is accused.  It is up to the 3 children to find out what really happened.

Drum Roll Please

On the night before Melly is to leave for a music camp her parents tell her, out of nowhere, that they are getting divorced.  Melly is devastated and angry that now she has 2 weeks to try and make sense of it while things change so drastically at home.  Then camp makes everything worse - she and her best friend are separated into different groups and then Olivia gets all wrapped up in a boy and leaves Melly alone.  Fortunately Melly meets Adeline and the two become close.  But Melly isn't really sure what she is feeling and things gets worse before they get better.

I devoured this book - 300+ pages and read it in one evening.  Really well done.

The Three Rules of Everyday Magic

Kate's life is kind of a mess.  Ever since her dad left she hasn't been able to sing.  To make it worse, her best friend Sophia has started to hang out with someone else.  Then her grandmother moves in with them because she is starting to be forgetful.  In her moments of clarity her grandmother encourages her to believe in everyday magic but Kate is having a hard time believing.

I liked the idea of this more than the end product.  The three rules were interesting and I like how the book was organized but I wasn't sold on it.  I have some readers who will like it though...

Nowhere Boy

Ahmed and his father are just trying to escape Syria - escape the war, escape the terror of losing the rest of the family, get to safety.  But there are dangers both from other people and from nature and on the way Ahmed's father is presumed drowned and Ahmed has to figure out what to do on his own.

Max's family has just moved to Belgium for the year.  Max doesn't fit in at all - he doesn't know the language or the culture but when Max discovers Ahmed hiding and living in the wine cellar of the new house he finds a purpose and a mission - keep Ahmed safe.

But how long can the boys keep up the secret?

This was a really good book - powerful really and thought provoking about the current refugee situation.

Angel and Bavar

Many years ago a door was opened and creatures came through the rift and got a taste for human blood.  Ever since then Bavar's family have been in charge of creating and maintaining a barrier to protect humanity and to fight these monsters.  But Bavar's parents became too interested in the fight and forgot the barrier and as a result people died.  Bavar's parents left to fight and left Bavar alone with his aunt and uncle to try and hold the barrier and learn to fight.  But Bavar does not want to become like his parents.  Until he meets Angel.  Angel whose parents died because of his parents' neglect.  Can they two of them figure out how to close the rift?

Good fantasy, action, adventure, a bit of a Beauty and the Beast take.  I liked this one.

Class Action

Sam is done.  He doesn't mind school but the homework is ridiculous - especially the extra test prep over a long weekend.  So he refuses to write down his assignments... and gets suspended for 3 days.  His actions set in motion a lawsuit against the school district that goes all the way to the Supreme Court.

This was a lot of fun and had some good information about the process.  Yes... unrealistic as far as timing and some other things but an empowering, good read.

From You to Me

Ever since the death of her sister 3 years ago Amelia has been floundering.  Everyone, including her best friend Taylor, tries to help but she feels lost.  When her eighth grade teacher mistakenly gives her a letter her sister wrote Amelia decides to try and do all the things in the letter that her sister never could - ask a boy to a dance, play softball, throw a party.  Along the way she learns who her friends really are, more about being herself, and how to move on.

This was surprisingly good - more than just a fluff piece.

Payback on Poplar Street

Peter is a self proclaimed young businessman - ruling the cul de sac with his quick business ventures guided by his guru Tom Reddi.  

Rachel is an introvert but decides to try and change that by being Peter's intern.  But after getting walked all over by him she decides instead to get revenge and create her own business to compete.  

But both keep having to up the ante in order to outdo each other and it ends up backfiring on both of them.

Not a bad back - pretty basic middle grade fare.

Skylark and Wallcreeper

This... this my state award or national award reading friends is why you need to keep up, pay attention, be on the lookout especially for fall releases.  This was released in early October and I am so glad I heard about it because it wasn't on my radar at all.

It's 2012 and Super Storm Sandy is hitting NYC - specifically the nursing home where Lily's grandmother is living.  When the call comes to evacuate Lily's grandmother gives her a fountain pen and asks her to take care or it.  But what's so important about it?  And...how can she get it back when she loses it?

Go back to 1944 in southern France and 2 girls - Collette and Marguerite or Skylark and Wallcreeper who are part of the Resistance.

The narrative goes back and forth between the 2 time periods as Lily uncovers the secret life her grandmother has kept hidden.

Really good - you do have to take Lily's adventures as a 12 year old with a grain of salt.  I would have had the same reaction as her mom in the story does but students will not mind that.

The Not So Boring Letters of Private Nobody

Oliver loves the Civil War.  He knows all the facts, the trivia, and he is a re-enactor.  He can't wait for the big history project.  But then he is forced to work with Ella, a very strange girl who gets terrible grades, and they have to research a nobody - a private who died of a disease before ever seeing battle.  But maybe there is more to war than the battles and the victories.  Maybe there is more to people than what you see on the surface.

I really enjoyed this one - good history but also a story of friendship as well.

The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle

Reema and her family have just arrived in Scotland after fleeing from Syria.  But, Jamal, Reema's older brother got separated from them and is missing and her father suffered from a chemical attack and has seizures.  Can their family ever mend?

Caylin's mom is a mess after the death of her grandfather.  Caylin is a mess too - she pretends to be tough, steals things, hides her lisp, and puts up a wall.  Can they ever get back to the way they were?

A mother fox injured with 5 babies.  Both Reema and Caylin find them and start to take care of them.  Can the foxes bring Reema and Caylin together?

A really nice story of friendship, belonging, freedom, and hope.  Very well done.

Ogre Enchanted

Evie is a healer and Wormy is her best friend and patient.  One day he gets a bit ahead of himself and decides to propose.  A fairy, Lucinda, loves such occasions and pops in to watch.  When Evie turns Wormy down (they are far too young), Lucinda turns Evie into an ogre and tells her she has 62 days to get someone else to propose to her or she will an ogre forever.  What can Evie do?  Could someone ever love her as an ogre?

This was a fun fantasy with some humor, intrigue, and a bit of romance.  I enjoyed it.

Lucky Luna

Sometimes having so many primas (girl cousins) can be so annoying.  She has so many that Luna couldn't even be in quinceanera because the older cousins got a chance first.  Now Claudia the tattletale is going to be going to her school.  Even though Luna tries to be nice it is just so hard.  But maybe Luna is annoying to Claudia?

Everything Else in the Universe

Of course Lucia is happy her dad is coming home from Vietnam.  But he is coming home without an arm which means he will need a different job.  Lucia thinks things can go back to the way they were but they can't - things aren't the same and her dad is struggling with the new way of life.  Maybe is Lucia and Milo can find the owner of the helmet, photos, a Purple Heart they found they can find peace in their own journey.

This was a decent book - good friendship and a good exploration into healing.

There's No Base Like Home

Sophia has always believed that she will follow in her older sister's footsteps - be a pitcher and play for the Waves.  When she fails to make the team she is devastated. Add to that middle school challenges - friends, boys, etc - and Sophia is pretty frustrated.  Can she find her own way with a new team?

This is pretty typical middle grade fare.  The sports angle and the Latino heritage are nice additions and I would recommend the book for collections that need more of either or both.

Made by Hand: A Crafts Sampler

What a truly unique book.  This is a "story" of 14 historic crafts and some of the history either real or partially imagined behind their creation.  As a history buff and the mother of a museum major this was really cool to me.  Not sure how many others will geek out about it but I thought it was clever.

The Eleventh Trade

After the death of most of his family in Afghanistan, Sami and his grandfather have made their way to Boston.  They do not have much - some clothes, a bit of money from relief agencies, and his grandfather's rebab - a traditional instrument that his grandfather played professional but now plays in the T stations for money.  One day, while playing the instrument himself, the rebab is stolen right out of his hands.  Sami is able to locate it in a pawnshop but must pay $700 to get it back.  How?  Sami's idea is to trade items for it.  Can Sami make enough money to get the rebab back?

This was really good.  You not only have the conflict and anticipation of getting the instrument back but also Sami's adjustment to life in America and making new friends.

Iron River

It's 1958 and Manny and his family live in California.  Life isn't easy for Mexican Americans at that time - prejudices, poverty.  Manny's uncle has been in and out of jail - he suffers from memories of the war, substance abuse, and hanging out with the wrong people.  Manny's biggest struggle is fear of what may happen to him and his friends after finding a dead Hobo - they think they are responsible for the death after throwing fruit at a passing train.  Then Manny is a witness to another death and knows who did it.  Can Manny do what needs to be done so justice is served.

This wasn't a bad book - interesting look at Mexican American life in that particular time in history.  A decent historical novel.

Krista Kim-Bap

This is one of those books that is okay for what it is but it isn't overly wowing me.  On the positive side we have a Korean main character and a focus on Korean culture.  On the negative side it is pretty basic middle grade fair - 2 best friends who are drifting apart, trying to maybe fit in with the popular group.  I think this is a good choice for diversity sake especially if the book budget is pretty healthy.  I do feel that the cover makes it look a bit younger than it could be considering the age of the characters.

Kidnapped at the Icefall

I was very pleasantly surprised by this.  For a short novella it packed a lot of punch.  Tak's dad is an experienced climber and while Tak wants to be successful at climbing he struggles with his fears.  But when his mom is kidnapped to prevent his dad from competing in an Everest competition, Tak and 2 friends try to rescue her.  This involves multiple climbs and facing his fears.

Fun and potentially good for struggling readers.  Because it is independently published it might be hard to actually get into the hands of many students.

Hurricane Child

At the heart of it this is a story of a girl who is lonely, left out, and struggling to come to terms with why her mother left.  She is also struggling with her identity and her crush on another girl at school.  Their friendship and the revelation of what happened with her mother were well told.  

I struggle with some of the religious stereotypes and I felt like the teacher and girls' behavior was awful and surprised that the principal did not address it - especially since she was in Caroline's corner.  

Stanley Will Probably Be Fine

Stanley is used to getting teased - he is small, he has a lot of anxiety, he loves comics, and he has an unfortunate last name.  But he has a good best friend who is going to do the Trivia Quest with him, so it's all good.  That is, until his best friend starts hanging out with someone else.  Fortunately he starts becoming friends with the girl next door who is outgoing.  Together they decide to do the Trivia Quest.  Can Stanley overcome his fears and win - even when things happen to make it even more challenging.

I liked the Trivia Quest part but it took half the book to get there and then there was a lot of extra at the end.  Wish is had been more focused on that.  There was some good stuff here but not sure kids will stick with it.  And sorry but the cover is not doing it any favors.

My Deal With the Universe

Things haven't been easy since Daisy's brother battled cancer several years ago.  She always worries that the cancer will come back, her parents work a lot, and their house is overgrown with vines and looks like a jungle.  Their house looks so bad that the neighbors complain and she gets teased about it.  In addition, Daisy's best friend is gone to camp for the summer and hasn't been writing.  Fortunately, the neighbors niece and nephew are visiting and they all become friends.  Daisy feels like her deal with the universe has worked so far - her brother is okay - but can things stay the same or even better?

Meh - it was ok...

Unwritten

Gracie has always dreamt of fire and it scares her.  Her mother has told her that they escaped from a story because Gracie was supposed to die by a fire in the story.  But when Gracie meets the real author of the story she finds out that what she has been told may not actually be true.  The author gets pulled into the story and Gracie, her friend Walter, Walter's parents, her mom, and Jacob (who is her dad, who knew) all go in to rescue the author.  Once in the story though all but Gracie and Jacob lose memory of their other lives.  Can Gracie fight the story life and the truth of who she was written to be?

This had a very Inkspell feel to it and I think that made it difficult for me to truly engage in it.  Overall, I think it was good and it left an opening for a sequel.

Code Word Courage

Billie lives with her Aunt Doff and her brother Leo.  Leo is in the Marines getting ready to ship out when he brings a Navajo fellow Marine named Denny home with him.  At the same time, a dog, Bear shows up.  Bear becomes instrumental in providing hope to Billie and even helps Denny in the midst of a battle.

This was an okay book but I really wanted more details about the Code Talkers - just not enough for me.

Skyward

This book follows 3 women pilots from WWII - from different countries and backgrounds.  It briefly tells how they got into flying, how they entered the war, and what they did.  The book is brief so there isn't a lot of detail about any of them - I wish there had been more.

Hope in the Holler

Wavie's mom died before preparations could be made so Wavie expects to be put into foster care.  When along comes a long lost aunt who agrees to take her in out of the kindness of her heart.  Wavie finds herself in Connolly Holler with a horrible aunt, a disable uncle, a rotten cousin and surrounded by poverty.  But in the midst of it all Wavie finds friends and a mystery and hope.  Will Wavie live out her days in the Holler or will a failed adoption from 11 years ago be her way out.

There was a lot to like about this book - friendship, mystery, hope.  I think the aunt was a bit overdone but overall I liked it.

Something Rotten

Who knew roadkill could be so interesting.  This book covered a lot of aspects about roadkill - why it's important to track, the impact of roadkill financially, how to decrease the number, and so on.  Fascinating and slightly gross - prefect.

Soof

Aurora has heard about Heidi her whole life and now that she is finally going to meet her she is really nervous about it.  What if her mom regrets having her and wishes Heidi had stayed with them?  Things get especially bad after the fire - which her mom thinks she may have set - and after her dog, Duck, disappears.  Does her mom have any Soof for her?

This was a pretty good book.  I do wish I had read So Be It - I think this would have made more sense if I had.

No Fixed Address

Felix and his mom have had a rough go of it.  Jobs have always been scarce and their living conditions have gotten worse and worse.  Now they are living in a van that belongs(belonged) to his mom's ex-boyfriend.  They park it in various places to avoid getting caught.  Astrid keeps saying it's temporary but her "slumps" are happening more often and she can't keep a job.  Meanwhile Felix is trying desperately to keep the truth from his new friends and teachers.  When Felix gets the chance to be on a quiz show he thinks everything will be fine.  But will it?

I liked this book - the reality of some mental illness, the slippery slope to homelessness.  Felix's friends were great.  But there were parts that made me cringe - realistic yes but necessary in a middle grade book?  I am not sure quite where I fall on it - several instances where Astrid's methods of getting money were questionable and dangerous and then an incident in the public library.  

Once Upon a Princess

For me this is a major case of the cover not matching the book.  The cover looks rather young and honestly pretty fluffy.  Yea...not so much.

Fritzi is a princess in a small European country.  Her father has recently taken over, her sister is next in line, she just attended her first ball.  Life is good.  

Then there is a revolution - the people don't feel they need a monarchy, former friends become foes, and Fritzi and her mom and sister flee to Boston.  There, Fritzi tries to be normal but hates the thought of her father abdicating.  In an attempt to be helpful she starts making short videos to rally the people.  Unfortunately her videos lead the opposition right to where they are hiding.

This is where the plot becomes so much more intense than the cover would lead us to believe...kidnapping, threats, danger.

Will Fritzi's father abdicate and what will happen to her family if he does?

It wasn't a bad book but I am not sure I can "sell" it...

The Parker Inheritance

'











Candice's grandmother tried to solve a mystery 10 years ago and it totally backfired on her.  Now her grandmother is dead and Candice and her mother are spending the summer in her house.  When Candice finds the letter that started the mystery in the first place she decides to solve it herself and mend her grandmother's reputation - and the money would be nice too.  With the help of a new friend Brandon and inspiration from classic puzzles and mysteries like The Westing Game, Candice and Brandon search into what really happened in Lambert 60 years earlier and why James Parker was leaving an inheritance to the town.

I loved the characters, the history, the nuances.  This was very clever and rich.

In Your Shoes

Amy's mom has recently died and now she and her father are living with her uncle in his funeral home.

Miles helps out at his family's bowling alley and hopes to take his grandfather on a special trip for his birthday.

After a bowling shoe incident the 2 start a friendship.

I liked this - a good friendship, dealing with grief and regret, quirkiness, and some interesting insights.  I loved the homage to Jon Schumacher as the cool school librarian.

So Done

Jamila and Metai have been friends for a long time.  Sure they have their differences but they have always been tight.  But since the incident with Tai's father, Mila has been avoiding her - first by going somewhere for the summer and not texting and now by making new friends and standing up for herself.  To top it off their is a new program for drama, music, and dance that everyone is interested in except Tai.  What will happen to their friendship when the truth finally comes out.

There is good diversity in this book which is a plus.  I feel that some of my students will have difficulty with the slang - not sure.  The incident with Tai's father makes this more of a middle grade novel for sure.

Grenade

This book describes the battle of Okinawa in all its brutality.  It follows Ray an American soldier struggling with his first experiences of war and the horror of the fight and the moral decisions he has to make.  It also follows Hideki a schoolboy from Okinawa given 2 grenades - one for Americans and one for himself.  He too faces the horror of war.  When their paths cross tragedy strikes...

I liked that both sides were portrayed in all its shame.  I think that is powerful.

I'm OK

Ok Lee's family has been working at the American dream- his dad worked on roofs, his mom had a few jobs, they had a house they wanted to buy, Ok worked hard at school.  Then his dad died and his mom struggled to make ends meet.  Ok wants to help and decides to learn to braid girls' hair, decides to enter the talent show, and even gets desperate enough to steal.  But when the Deacon of their church takes an interest in Ok's mom he loses it.  He doesn't trust the guy, it's too soon, they were ok on their own.  So Ok decides to run away to a tent in the woods.

Can Ok and his mom move on.  Will Ok be okay?

This was a decent book with some tough issues.  Ok's friendships with Mickey and Asa were a bit different.  Wasn't my favorite book but was okay :)

The Night Diary

It is 1947 in India and everything is changing.  Nisha is a girl who is half Hindu and half Muslim and while it isn't really accepted there have never been any major problems.  But now, India is gaining its independence from Great Britain and the country is being split.  The area where Nisha lives will become Pakistan and the Muslims will live there.  That means Nisha and her family must leave and cross the border to what is now India.  They will leave behind most of their belongings, their beloved cook who is Muslim, and their friends.  The trip is dangerous and Nisha is confused by this unexpected turn of events.  Why have the neighbors who all used to get along turn on each other?

This was a good story about a time period not typically explored in middle grade fiction.  I did not really like the format - especially in audio book format.

The Season of Styx Malone

Caleb and Bobby Gene never imagined what their summer would be like when Styx Malone came to town.  Styx was older and had all sorts of crazy plans including how to take a bag of potentially stolen fireworks and through a series of trades end up with a moped.  But their mom is a bit worried about Styx's influence on the boys. Will their friendship survive the consequences of their actions?

I loved the adventure the boys had and what they learned as a result. This had more heart than I thought it would.

Louisiana's Way Home

I never read Raymie Nightingale - gasp. I just never got to it in my first round of MSBA reading and it didn't make our short list that year.  I hesitated on reading this because I was worried it was a sequel and it wouldn't make sense.  Totally wrong - it stands alone and was wonderful.  I only knew about the other book because I knew - yes Raymie and other characters are mentioned but not necessary to the plot of this.

Louisiana is woken up in the middle of the night by her Granny and told they must leave for the reckoning.  For some reason her granny feels that she must address a family curse so they leave Florida and drive north.  Along the way Granny becomes ill with major tooth issues and Louisiana not only drives but also finds a dentist for her granny.  Then they find a place to stay.  Granny is still very sick and Louisiana ends up having to sing for her supper - literally.  But then Granny leaves to tackle the curse on her own and drops a truth bomb right before - she isn't even Louisiana's granny - she was found in an alley.

Now what?  Who is Louisiana?  The book was a quick read, Louisiana is a quirky sweet character.  I enjoyed it.

Cavall in Camelot

This is pretty traditional Arthur lore - Mordred, Morgana, Merlin, the sword - but with the addition of Cavall, Arthur's new deerhound who receives help and advice from Merlin and the Lady of the Lake.  This is just the first in the series.  This may attract dog lovers or younger students with an interest in Arthur.

You Go First

Charlotte and Ben play online Scrabble together.  They have never met.  Charlotte has a best friend Bridget but lately Bridget has been drifting away leaving Charlotte on the outs without any other friends.  In addition, her father has had a heart attack and Charlotte is having a hard time going to visit him.  Ben has never really fit in but he has a plan to run for school treasurer and wow the middle school students.  He is struggling with his parents' divorce which came out of nowhere.  During the course of a week Charlotte and Ben start to connect more than just through Scrabble and also start finding other connections closer to home.

I liked this better than Hello, Universe.  It does not end tidily but then neither does life.

The Train to Impossible Places

Suzy loves mathematics and physics - order, certainty, rules.  So when a train appears in her living room she is a bit freaked out.  It gets worse when the trolls who run the postal train talk out wiping her memories.  So, she hops the train to find out more about it.  This train to Impossible Places leads Suzy on an adventure and a mission to save the Union.  Along the way she meets Frederick, the boy in the snow-globe who has vital information.  Can she prevent an evil takeover?

Fantasy is not really my favorite.  I had a bit of a struggle getting into this and then it wrapped up rather quickly and neatly.