Middle Grade Fun Pick: City Spies

City Spies
Book 1
by James Ponti
Aladdin
2020
384 pages
ISBN: 9781534414914

Slick, clever and fun, City Spies is a dynamic new series opener by James Ponti.

Sara Martinez is a computer genius who can hack into any site. Usually, Sara doesn't cause any trouble. She only hacked the New York foster care database to report on the latest of her foster homes. She gets caught, and now awaits court. Enter a stranger who claims to be her lawyer.

He is an enigma and clearly (at least to Sara) NOT a lawyer. Sara agrees to work with this man in order to gain her freedom. The judge agrees for him to take Sara into custody, and he spirits her off to Scotland to meet his team of teen spies. Sara's savior is an MI6 agent who goes by the name "Mother." He has recruited kids from all over the world to train at FARM: The Foundation for Atmospheric Research and Monitoring, which is cover for  covert operations and tons of satellite feeds. Mother has a few enemies of his own (what did you expect from a career MI6 agent?)

Sara meets the team, each nicknamed for the city Mother found them in: Rio, Sydney, Paris and Kat. Each teen has skills that will be useful on any spy team. Sara, now named Brooklyn, is the team's computer genius. The team does several training drills before Mother tells them what their mission is: keep billionaire philanthropist Stavros Sinclair safe during a global youth summit. Everyone has a reason to be there, even the bad guys.

Sara is an engaging character who will resonate with readers. Fans of this book will probably follow the next books in the series. Ponti tells a smart story with enough high stakes details to engage middle grade kids.

Recommended grade 5 and up.

High School Pick: The Pearl Thief (Guest Reviewer Leslie D. Rush)

Guest Review by Leslie D. Rush. Follow Leslie on Twitter @LeslieDRush

The Pearl Thief

Elizabeth Wein

Disney-Hyperion

217

317 pages (with  author’s notes)

ISBN: 97814847165

     The Pearl Thief is the coming of age story of Julia Beaufort-Stuart, whose privileged life in the world of Scottish nobility collides with prejudice and her own sexual stirrings in the summer of 1938.

     Julie’s Grandfather, the Earl of Strathfearn, has died deep in debt, and the family is spending their last summer at the estate. Grandfather’s historical collection is catalogued and the estate grounds are being converted to an elite boarding school. Shortly after arriving, Julie is knocked unconscious on the banks of the river and wakes up in the hospital with little recollection of the attack, or the following three days, during which she was rescued and tended to by a family of Scottish gypsies, known as Travellers.

     Julie befriends the family of Travellers, but the disappearance of one of the estate historians is tied to the attack on Julie. This disappearance becomes a suspected suicide, but when the river gives up body parts, the inquiry turns into a murder investigation. Long-ingrained class prejudice against the Travellers surfaces among the local law enforcement, Julie’s librarian friend, and her own family. As her memory of the initial attack begins to return, Julie must solve the mystery before her friends are framed for murder.

        Throughout the book Julie has a burgeoning crush on Frank, the remaining historian. He is at least fifteen years older than Julie, but she implies she is older than her almost-sixteen years and  flirts with him constantly. Frank keeps Julie at arm’s length but is obviously attracted to her. Julie also has a crush on the beautiful, prickly Ellen, a member of the Travellers, and a well-drawn, interesting character, who teaches Julie how boys kiss “when they mean it.”  

     The unfolding mystery is solid, and the historical background is fascinating. I struggled with Julie’s wildly inappropriate relationship with Frank, despite its underlying message as a cautionary tale. The excessive use of parentheticals and italics to establish Julie’s voice was distracting, but eloquent descriptions of the landscape and history of the region create a powerful setting.

       This book is the prequel to the much-praised Code Name Verity. It stands on its own fairly well, but I suspect it will have more impact on readers who know Julie’s eventual fate. This one feels like Nancy Drew confronts British class prejudice and kisses a girl.

     The Pearl Thief is recommended for ages fifteen and up. Recommended for readers of Code Name Verity and anyone who loves historical fiction and  mystery.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the book from the publisher for #Cybils panel. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review nor did the guest reviewer.

Series Pick: A Cold Legacy ( A Madman's Daughter, Book 3)

A Cold Legacy (A Madman's Daughter novel, Book 3)
by Megan Shepherd
Balzar + Bray
2015
388 pages
ISBN: 9780062128089

The third and last book of the Madman's Daughter trilogy ties up loose ends and story lines. Juliet and company are on the run after a bloody massacre in London. They have half of the police force looking for them as they flee north to the badlands of Scotland. Elizabeth Von Stein invited Juliet to her family's castle  on the moors, and Juliet arrives with Lucy, Montgomery, a delirious Edward who is fighting the Beast part of him and losing it seems, and Balthazar, their faithful servant.

They arrive at the Frankenstein (Elizabeth Von Stein's) castle and are rudely greeted by sullen servants who grudgingly allow them to stay. Lucy and Juliet take turns nursing Edward, but his outcome is grim. Elizabeth finally comes home and shows Juliet her father's secret workshop and library. Taking pieces of the Mary Shelley story, Megan Shepherd weaves together The Island of Dr. Moreau and Frankenstein.

There are secrets in the castle that Elizabeth is not willing to share with anyone: the strange servants and their near worship of Elizabeth, the bodies in the basement, the strange pale boy who travels through secret passageways and a gypsy troupe that seems to always be nearby.

If reanimation is possible, should it ever be used? Juliet struggles with ethical and moral dilemmas and questions her own ability to do good. She is, after all, her father's daughter, a fact that Montgomery seems to keep reinforcing. 

There's just enough gore to balance out the romance here. Readers of the series won't be disappointed with this last book.

The cover art is once again ethereal. The gothic castle looming over the girl, the long gown, the beautiful red sash, the color of the stormy sky and the red title lure readers to this read. The art marketing team has done a great job with all three of the covers in this series.

Some early reviews gave the cold shoulder about the medicine/science facts/nonfacts of the book, but don't let that bother you. One pointed out, "That's not how science works!" Well, Mary Shelley didn't care about science and neither did H.G. Wells. It's a work of science fiction and should be enjoyed as that, not as a medical textbook.

Highly recommended for fans of the series and others. If you haven't read book 1 and 2, A Cold Legacy will be confusing. I highly recommend the first two books. Grade 7-up. Gore, guts, grisly operations, on their wedding night, Juliet and Montgomery have a "moment," fade to black. 

FTC Required Disclaimer: I purchased this book for the library. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Zombie Pick: Unfed (sequel to Undead)

Unfed
by Kirsty McKay
Chicken House
288 pages
2013
Available September 2013

Read an excerpt and see more

The blood spattered cover says it all! This is serious zombie gore and teens will love the sequel to last year's Undead. Kirsty McKay is the Libba Bray of zombie comedy and a truly infectious author.

Bobby barely survived last year's zombie invasion (Undead) and now she finds herself in a crazy hospital surrounded by Scotland's hungry hordes of ravenous flesh eaters. She doesn't know where Smitty is or if he's okay or not. He was infected, but Bobby made sure she injected him with what she hopes is the zombie antidote. Bobby must escape the hospital and begins to figure out how. That's when she is reunited with geekster Pete and snarktastic Alice. The three of them must break a tough code, find Smitty, reunite with Bobby's mom, escape the hospital, and fight to stay alive! And these zombies aren't last year's stupid, slow zombies. These zombies are learning to work together and are learning to communicate--which isn't good news for the humans.

As the kids run, swim, fall, drive, and basically super-spy 007 James Bond-like escape, Bobby and new guy Russ try to break the code left behind by Bobby's mother. They've made more enemies than just the undead. There's tons of alive soldiers out to get them, and Bobby is dying to know why. Two companies are fighting for the secret formula developed by Bobby's mother, but who will win? And who will be alive to care?


Zombies, zombies, everywhere: zombinos, zombie goats, zombie cows, Scotland will never be the same.

Hilarious and over-the top, tongue-in-cheek zombie wise cracks, mean teen chic, snarky put-downs, and outrageous escapes from the jaws of death (pun intended) will keep teens reading into the wee hours. This one is unputdownable and fun. Think Shaun of the Dead crossed with A Bad Day for Voodoo, and infected ( again, pun intended) with Stephen King with a serious sense of teen humor. This is the most fun you can have reading a book.

Seriously, highly, highly recommended and contagious (yep, pun intended) grade 9 and up. Some language and tons of gore.



FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the arc from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Classic Gothic Tale with a New Twist: Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters

Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters
by Suzanne Weyn
Scholastic
2013
250 pages

Twins Giselle and Ingrid discover that they are heirs to a fortune--their mad father, Dr. Frankenstein was so tormented, he shunned his famly and friends--dying alone but leaving the girls a castle on a small island and a large inheritance. The girls travel to the island north of Scotland, seeing their inheritance for the first time. They stand aghast at the condition of the castle. It has fallen to ruin, but Giselle intends to bring it back to its formal glory. Ingrid--always the scientific one--discovers her father's journals dating back to his early university years. She reads one after another--obsessed with knowing more about her father's work and his state of mind.

Ingrid is attracted to their eccentric reclusive sickly neighbor, too, and Giselle worries about their strange friendship. Ingrid thirsts for knowledge and for education, but being a product of her times (1815)...when women did not go to university...she has to sneak around and disguise herself as a man in order to attend anatomy lectures. Her friend Anthony "borrows" an anatomy book for her to study.

The castle hides secrets and Ingrid finds the key to her father's laboratory. What will Ingrid do in the name of love? Where is the monster that her father created and then spent his life escaping? What dark secrets does Giselle herself hide?

Fans will love this Gothic horror/love story. I was rooting for sister Giselle and disturbed by Ingrid. Plot twists then had me thinking differently.

Suzanne Weyn is a masterful storyteller who handles an old story with ease. The plot is told from each twin's viewpoint as each sister writes her diary entries. The cover has Gothic appeal and will have teens clamoring for their own copy.

Highly, highly recommended grade 7-up. No language. Romance, a few kisses, gruesome laboratory.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I purchased this book for my library from the Scholastic Book Fair. This title is on middle school book fairs. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Spooky Pick: Forevermore

Forevermore
by Cindy Miles
Scholastic
2013
279 pages

Part romance, part ghost story, part Gothic, part mystery and part magic, Forevermore is an appealing new title in YA lit.


Ivy Calhoun finds herself on her way to the wild moors of Scotland where her new stepfather Naill is the Laird of Glenmorrag, a huge Scottish castle that seems to come out of Edgar Allan Poe's menacing prose or a horror movie set.

Ivy's father died some years before and Ivy never thought her mother would remarry, but she seems truly happy and in love, so Ivy's trying to make the best of the move from Charleston.

The castle is creepy, cold, dark, menacing and drafty. Ivy's step-grandmother is almost as spooky as Glenmorrag. Meals are expected to be served on time and Ivy is expected to dress accordingly. Four servants stand by to serve them at mealtimes, and the air is thick with Grandmother's disdain.

Maybe it's her imagination, but Ivy senses a presence. When her violin and bow hang in the air all by themselves a voice keeps warning her to leave the castle, Ivy has no doubt that there's an evil ghost haunting her.

Imagine her surprise when she comes face to ghost with Logan Munro, and 18 year old ghost who's been trapped wandering the moors for two hundred years. He doesn't know why he's tied to Glemnorrag or how he died, but Ivy promises to help him find answers. Logan tells Ivy it's not just him haunting the castle--there is something else--a dark presence, and Logan fears for Ivy's safety.

Logan is a tragic hero stuck between two worlds and wandering the Scottish countryside searching for answers. It isn't until he meets Ivy that he realizes the answers he seeks have been within his reach all along.

The author uses Scottish brogue when her locals speak, but I found it quite distracting. Logan says "gell" for girl and "aye" for yes. I realize she was trying to capture the local dialect of her characters but I feel the story could have been stronger without it. The Scottish countryside comes alive for the reader--its menacing storms, battering winds, lonely moors, steep cliffs, and sea air are the perfect setting for a ghost story.

Recommended grade 7-up. Anyone who loves a ghost story with a little romance will be a fan.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Zombie Pick: Undead

Undead
by Kirsty McKay
Chicken House (Scholastic)
2012
272 pages

Freakishly fun, bizarrely brazen, and monstrously macabre, Undead is a real zombie laugh riot! Don’t start this book unless you plan to stay up all night finishing it! Undead is the most fun I’ve had since last year’s funny zombie novel Bad Taste in Boys.

A bus full of kids returning from a ski trip stops for lunch along the road. Bobby hates the weather, hates her school mates, hates the trip and, moreover, hates changing schools and countries yet again. Her mother’s job has brought them to Scotland, where the weather sucks. She’s just over it. No one can blame her when she stays behind on the bus skipping lunch.

The chaperone tells Smitty to stay on the bus, too. One minute their classmates are kids…the next minute, they’re changed…and dead….or undead. Pretty and popular Alice runs to the bus. She saw her friends change but she ran. Now it’s the kids against the zombie apocalypse.

The snow storm makes it impossible to drive but the kids have to figure out an escape. They meet up with Pete, a classmate who fled the scene and hid out in a gas station. When the zombie horde advances, Smitty uses a lit cigarette to ignite the fuel pumps and credits the movie "Diehard" for the idea--you gotta hand it to Bruce Willis--he knows how to blow stuff up. The teens' next step is to find shelter and a phone. No one can get a cell signal and landlines aren’t working.

Just when they are about to give up, they see a castle…yes, a real castle. Where better to fight off an attack of slow moving undead?

What is changing normal people into zombies? Who is behind it and why? Why isn’t someone looking for them? Where are the authorities?

Laugh out loud teen antics and name calling will have readers in stitches.


The two boys, Pete and Smitty, are opposites and constantly at war.
When they see a sign for a castle, Pete says, “It’s a castle!”
“So?” says Smitty.
“Fortification.” Pete’s eyes gleam.
Smitty frowns at him. “Thanks, but you’re not my type.’”

Protagonist Bobby is hilarious and feisty! I wouldn’t want anyone else by my side if I had to fight off zombies. Spot on dialog, snarky teen humor, hilarious zombie attacks, zombie fighting gone silly, and a great tale will have hordes of fans reading and loving this new ya novel. This is a “don’t miss” title for all zombie fans!

Highly, highly recommended grades 7-up.

One of the boys moons the group, no language, some zombie violence, Diehard explosions, and a super-sweet kiss.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)