Bug Dipping, Bug Sipping
(Ready To Read, Pre-Level One)
by Marilyn Singer
Illustrations by Lucy Semple
Simon Spotlight (Simon Children's)
2019
32 pages
ISBN: 9781534441408

From beloved children's author, Marilyn Singer, Bug Dipping, Bug Sipping helps young learners become readers. Singer won national awards for Mirror, Mirror (NCTE 2015 Award for Excellence) and won the Cybils Poetry Award.

Beginning readers will love the cadence and rhyming prose where bugs zing, cling, disguise, crawl, rise and seem to come to life in beautiful illustrations by Lucy Semple. Colorful cover design makes this book a standout on any library or bookstore shelf.

A page of fun bug facts follow this charming story.

Highly recommended for any young reader and especially for kids who love things that crawl and creep.

Battle of the Battle Books: Unconventional Warfare vs. On Blood Road

On Blood Road
by Steve Watkins
Scholastic Press
288 pages
ISBN: 978133819013
Publication Date: October 30, 2018

Special Forces: Unconventional Warfare
by Chris Lynch
Scholastic Press
176 pages
ISBN: 9780545861625
Publication Date: November 27, 2018

Two high-interest war stories by two talented Scholastic writers are coming soon. It is a nice thing to see Scholastic offer other books on war other than World War II and the Holocaust. It appears that the Vietnam era is finally being addressed for younger readers. Scholastic is marketing these titles for age twelve, but both books are gritty, and Unconventional Warfare has an older main character. I think the reading level is okay for younger readers and reluctant readers, but the content and gore may be better suited for high school readers, especially those reluctant readers who need a fast read. Both books are quick reads and few pages.

Special Forces: Unconventional Warfare features main character Danny Manion who is always ready for a fight. When fighting gets him in trouble and ready for sentencing, Danny is given the choice: go to jail or join the military. Danny opts for the military and is assigned to SOG, an elite group of covert fighters which include members from SEAL teams, Green Berets and the CIA. Fast-paced action will keep readers captivated.

On Blood Road is a grittier read. Taylor Sorenson is not a soldier; he's in Vietnam to visit his father who works at the U.S. Embassy. When Taylor sneaks away from a fancy dinner to go see the Tet celebrations, chaos erupts and he is captured by the North Vietnamese Army. Younger readers may find this book too gory for their tastes, but Watkins delivers on details and panic.

Give these reads to readers who have enjoyed Lynch's WWII series and non-fiction fans who read about war and warfare.

Both books are recommended grade 9 and up. In my community, these titles would not be in the middle school library.

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

Middle Grades Pick: The Skeleton Tree

Review by Guest Reviewer Lisa Lopez, Library Media Specialist, Lujan-Chavez Elementary in El Paso, Texas. Follow Lisa on Twitter @ LLopez_LCES

The Skeleton Tree
by Kim Ventrella
Scholastic Press
2017
240 pages
ISBN: 9781338042702

 Lisa Lopez reviewing:

The Skeleton Tree is a middle grades book perfect for reluctant readers by debut author Kim Ventrella. Chapters are short making it an excellent choice for reading clubs and classroom reads.

Stanly is dealing with a ton of problems: his parents are recently divorced, his mother works too much,  and his younger sister has a terminal illness. There is comic relief in interactions with their caregiver who is from Kyrgyzstan.

At one of his sister's many doctor appointments, Stanly reads about The Young Discoverer's Prize. He is excited because he thinks he can win with a photo of a weird growth on the tree in his back yard. It appears that the tree is growing bones! Stanly can save his whole family. With the prize money in hand, his archeologist dad will come back home and Mom won't have to work too many jobs. His sister will get more attention and the caregiver from Kyrgyzstan won't have to visit again.

When Stanly's best friend Jaxon takes of photo of the tree, the kids can't believe the bone aren't visible. No one can see the skeleton but kids, and they can't see it in photos. Just what is happening to the tree and why?

Ventrella mixes pre-teen angst, real-life drama, mystery and the supernatural in The Skeleton Tree. This is an angel-of death spin done well for middle grades.

Recommended grades 3-7.This book is available on Scholastic Book Fairs.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review nor did guest reviewer Lisa Lopez.

Dystopian Pick: The Big Dark

The Big Dark
by Rodman Philbrick
Blue Sky Press
2016
178 pages
ISBN: 9780545789752


Set in a small town in New Hampshire, The Big Dark tells the story of an electromagnetic pulse so strong that it knocked out all  power, including batteries. How will humans react when suddenly faced with a world that seems so different? A world without heat? A world without wi-fi?

Facing the remaining  months of winter, the town must cut enough wood to keep the fires going.  Conspiracy theorist and local loudmouth U.S. government hating  compound owner  Webster Bragg has his own ideas how to handle the outage. He feels like survival of the fittest. Why waste good food and good fire wood for  old or sick people? He plans to take care of his compound and hoard weapons and goods. He's sure the government caused the black out and he says he knows for a fact that there is no more government  left.

School janitor and part time volunteer police officer Reggie Kingman takes his duties seriously. He is able to calm the crowds and helps to silence Bragg. When their only grocery store burns down, the townspeople are distraught. All this hardship and now no groceries?

A medical emergency forces Charlie Cobb to risk his own life by heading to a nearby town to find medical supplies.

Philbrick makes dystopian fiction approachable for middle grades in The Big Dark. Similar to Bick's Ashes and Stephen King's The Dome, the townspeople drive the plot. There is a good versus evil fight and issues are  raised for book clubs to debate.

The Big Dark is likely to earn Philbrick many state recognition lists  and possibly another coveted Newbery Honor. Clever cover design helps market this title.

A quick read (178 pages) for reluctant readers. This book is available on Scholastic Book Fairs and at Scholastic warehouses. Recommended grade 4-up.

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

Reluctant Reader Pick: Old School (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, boook 10)

Old School (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, book 10)
by Jeff Kinney
Amulet
2015
217 pages
ISBN: 9781419717017

Fans of the Wimpy Kid series will not be disappointed. Greg Heffley is back and as endearing as he's ever been. More so, in fact. Readers will almost feel sorry for Greg as he realizes his home and life are being invaded by his grandfather--who now lives with the Heffleys full time. Grandpa turns out to be quite the party animal--hosting private parties when the Heffleys are away from home and trolling online dating sites. He even takes the car and nearly wrecks it. Greg's mom starts a petition for everyone in town to go "old school" and ban their electronic devices.

After Greg and Grandpa's harrowing, near death experience, Greg realized his dad will punish him forever so he does what any young boy in this situation would do. He runs! Greg announces he will go on the class trip to Hardscrabble Farms after all. At least if he's far away, his dad can't punish him. Because Greg registered so late, he is in the last cabin--with the oddballs and leftovers, including Rowley.

Camp is just what you'd expect:mosquitoes, hot cabins, terrible plumbing, team building exercises that go awry, bad food, bugs, unsanitary, unwashed bodies, poison ivy, campfire stories, and a bogey man named Silas Scratch (every camp has a bogey man, by the way....).  Camp sure sounds like fun, doesn't it? Greg makes a discovery that's a real game changer, and he and his dad bond over a shared secret.

A round the world tour for Diary of a Wimpy Kid will be traveling to a country near you soon. One thing the world has in common: its kids. And kids worldwide love the Wimpy Kid, Greg Heffley. "What I've learned is that childhood itself is a universal condition that transcends culture and language," says author Jeff Kinney. He's excited to visit fans from all over and says, "I'm sure my life will be enriched beyond measure."

Highly, highly recommended for everyone worldwide. Fans have already purchased their copies, but those of you who haven't tried Wimpy Kid, what on earth is your excuse? Join in on the fun. Get to your book store or get to your library fast.

Old School is on Scholastic Book Fairs as a paperback. At my school, we sold out and re-ordered more and sold all of those!

Recommended grade 4-up.

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)

Slam Dunk: The Crossover

The Crossover
by Kwame Alexander
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
2014
237 pages
ISBN: 9780544107717

Praise for The Crossover

Soaring, swift, and strong, The Crossover, a novel told in verse, will appeal to vast majority of readers. Not just a sports book, the novel tells the story of a close-knit family including Mom, the assistant principal and Dad, an ex-basketball prodigy whose career is cut short due to an injury. Twins Josh and Jordan Bell are both basketball stars on their middle school team. The boys are as close as brothers can get and their relationship is even stronger due to the good natured competitive games they play with each other.

Josh Bell, aka Filthy McNasty, loves his dreadlocks. They give him power and he even calls them his "wings." In "Ode to My Hair," Josh says, "If my hair were a tree/I'd climb it./ I'd kneel down beneath/and enshrine it./I'd treat it like gold/then mine it..." Later, after losing a bet to Jordan, he is forced to part with his beloved locks.

The poetry is both tough and punchy yet sometimes sweet and subtle. When a new girl turns Jordan's head in the cafeteria, Josh says, "JB's eyes are ocean wide, his mouth swimming on the floor..." Jordan's concern ends up being well deserved. The brothers disagree when Josh gets jealous but like brothers, it's over before either of them can let it fester.

Change is inevitable. Growing up is tough even in a loving family. The brothers will need each other more than ever to face the future.

The Crossover just won the Newbery Medal, but that's not why I'm recommending this book. I received this book some time ago but discovered it again when trimming down my "To Read" pile. I picked it up and read the book jacket. Once I read the first few pages, I was in love. From this ex-high school English teacher and poetry lover to you, READ this book and share it with READERS. It is a book that calls for reading aloud. Students and kids will love to HEAR this book. Give them that gift.

This would make a fantastic gift for anyone who loves sports and/or basketball. Fans of hip-hop and rap will appreciate the beats. Poetry lovers will also be huge fans. Reluctant readers will devour this in one sitting and will likely want to read it again.

Highly, highly recommended. A MUST HAVE. All grades.

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

Crime Pick: The Body in the Woods

The Body in the Woods
(A Point Last Seen Mystery)
by April Henry
Henry Holt
2014
272 pages
ISBN: 9780805098525

An unlikely trio of teens band together as a team after a horrifying encounter in the woods. Alexis, Nick and Ruby are part of a teen Search and Rescue Team who help Portland police search and locate missing people. Their first call is to find a missing autistic man. While searching the forest, Alexis happens upon a grisly discovery--a body in the woods. Ruby and Nick call for help. The crime scene is disturbed when a footprint is accidentally ruined by a medic.

Ruby goes into full crime scene detective mode--this girl is a walking encyclopedia of CSI and forensics television trivia. She notices the smallest details no one else does and carefully explains  them to the other kids and the reader. She realizes that this isn't the first body in the woods--there was another murder of a woman earlier in the year. Ruby takes her suspicions to the police--who shoot down her theory.

Ruby convinces Alexis and Nick that there is a serial killer on the loose in Portland.  As the kids close in on his trail, the killer speeds up his spree. Not only are the kids on a path to destruction, each must deal with his/her  own demons. Alexis deals with her mother's bi-polar personality, Ruby sneaks around to avoid her parents' ultimatum and Nick deals with his feelings of inferiority and missing his dead father.

When the police won't listen, the kids turn to each other and their detective skills. Ruby has an inquiring mind and loves solving a puzzle. The trio realizes that although they are very different, they each contribute to the team and their friendship grows.

This is a quick read and should draw in reluctant readers.

Recommended grade 7-up. Mature subject matter. Serial killer. No profanity.

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)

Spooksville PIck: The Howling Ghost (book 2)

The popular "Spooksville" television show  can currently be seen on the Hub Network which received the Parents' Choice Approved Seal. Young readers will be thrilled to read Christopher Pike's books in the new packaging. First released in 1995, The Howling Ghost will appeal to another generation of thrill seekers, ghost hunters and fans of things that go bump in the night.

Here is the earlier cover:

Here is the new cover from Aladdin:

The Howling Ghost

(Spooksville, book 2)

by Christopher Pike

Aladdin

2014

128 pages

ISBN: 9781481410533

Middle grade readers are in for a real treat when they discover Christopher Pike and his Spooksville series. The Howling Ghost is a quick read and a book I would recommend in a second for any reluctant reader. The cover art is nothing short of spectacular! A ghostly, scary hand reaches out of the stormy sky beside a lighthouse where the waves are threatening a small boy who stands periously close to danger. His sister seems to attempt to get his attention from her vantage point on the rocks. This cover will have this book jumping into shopping carts and baskets for good reason! 

Newcomers to Spooksville, Cindy and Neil are out near the old lighthouse. Neil begs to go near the water and Cindy relents. She climbs to a rock to get a better look of the shore and water. Suddenly, a giant ghostly hand descends from the sky, the water begins churning like a tidal wave and then there's that unearthly noise. Neil is grabbed up and taken to???Cindy doesn't know. One minute Neil is right there, the next he has vanished into thin air. Town police rule it a drowning, but Cindy knows the truth.   No one will believe her.  That is until Sally, Adam and Watch come to the rescue of the new damsel in distress. 

Sally believes everything that is weird can and does happen in Spooksville. She can't explain why things happen, they just do. Sally tells Cindy not to worry--the kids will find Neil and figure out what is really going on. A trip to the haunted lighthouse turns into a harrowing adventure and escaping the ghost's wrath becomes the most important part of their mystery. The kids decide they need to know who the ghost is to figure out what the ghost wants with Neil.

Any fan of the t.v. show will tell you it's all about the chemistry of the characters. It is the same for this book. Sally is no-nonesense, fearless, faithful and snarkily funny. She will have you grinning with her quick barb; Watch and Adam are seemingly clueless but loveable nonetheless. 

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)





Fun Mystery Pick: Eddie Red Undercover: Mystery on Museum Mile

Eddie Red Undercover: Mystery on Museum Mile
by Marcia Wells
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
2014
240 pages
ISBN: 9780544238336

Eddie Red Undercover is that one middle grade book that will make you happy to be a kid or to be a kid again (for some of us)! It's great fun, packed with nerd-i-ness, art,  history, museums, New York's artsy charm and bustle, a great father/son duo who share some great moments, a crusty old New York detective who has a heart of gold underneath it all, and a mystery worth uncovering, plus a few serious-ly strange goons who deserve what they get.

Edmund  (code name "Eddie Red") is lucky (or cursed) enough to be blessed with a photographic memory; he says it's just that he remembers details that other people don't notice, for example, someone's name on their nametag or which side they part their hair on. He is witness to a crime in the alley and sees the assailant escaping. He is able to convince the police sketch artist that he can sketch the perp's likeness. When Eddie takes up the charcoal pencil, he draws the likeness of a known art thief the cops have been trying to bust.

Eddie and his father are offered a deal. Eddie can hang around art galleries and watch people using his particular skills to see if anything or anyone seems "off." His father will pretend to be a tourist but be within sight at all times. Eddie will be paid minimum wage for his hours, but if they crack the stolen art case, his expensive private school tuition will be paid by the police department.

Eddie meets Detective Bovano who is not exactly a warm and fuzzy person. Bovano doesn't want to work with a kid--even a genius like Eddie. Bovano has great fun in constantly calling Edmund by the wrong name "Eddie" and adds the "Red" himself. "Eddie" doesn't really seem to mind as long as he can earn the tuition to stay in school with his best nerd friend Jonah.

Surveillance heats up and Eddie is in danger. The art ring is out for a big heist and it's up to Eddie to figure out the puzzle. The ringleader has a thing for puzzles and Eddie (with Jonah's help) is up to the challenge of breaking the code.

Highly, highly recommended for any mystery fan! Great fun, great story, great character!

Grade 5-up.

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)

Cool Sci-Fi Pick: Earthfall

Earthfall (book 1)
by Mark Walden
Simon & Schuster
2013 (U.S. edition)
265 pages
ISBN: 9781442494152

Rocket paced and thrilling, Earthfall is a wild ride. Seasoned writer Mark Walden (H.I.V.E. series)  has another surefire hit on his hands. I am not usually  a fan of sci-fi, but soon  I found myself immersed in Sam's world.

Aliens have invaded Earth and turned humans into mindless, speechless zombies who work as slaves building a giant structure for the aliens. They have no self-will and are completely controlled by the Mothership.

Sam has never met another human. He has been hiding mostly in the sewers for over a year. He comes up to find food, but stays out of sight during the day. Alien patrols guard the streets searching for any humans they may have missed, and Sam runs into an alien patrol and is wounded by a Hunter's tentacle.

Rescued by a girl his own age, Sam is taken underground back to her "camp." Sam slips into a coma for several days tended to by Rachel and Dr. Iain Stirling. When he finally comes around, the doctor tells Sam he has no idea how Sam survived. A Hunter's sting is deadly and Sam is the only human they know of who has survived one.

Sam meets the rest of the refugees, kids all about his own age: Liz, Nat, Kate, Adam, Jay and Rachel, of course. He also meets Robert Jackson, a military trainer who trains the kids in weaponry and fighting skills. Sam soon becomes his star pupil; he  is smart, fast and deadly.

The kids wonder about Stirling. He is so secretive, telling them only that their facilities  are located directly below a lab he used to work in before the aliens took over. A generator above them is actually a nuclear reactor that powers their building. Stirling keeps his research to himself, too, saying only that he is working on a way to defeat the aliens.

Readers will love Sam--he's brave yet sometimes doubts himself. As he trains and goes on missions, he becomes the driving force of the resistance. If aliens ever invade, readers will want to be Team Sam. I kept hoping for just a hint of romance between Sam and Rachel or a love triangle to include Jay, but then I realized this is a "Save the Earth from aliens" book, not a YA romance, although just a hint would have been nice. Maybe book two will deliver the shivers!

Highly, highly recommended for sci-fi and reluctant readers. Even readers who don't like sci-fi will like this book. 

Grade 7-up. One "bad" word that prime time television uses on  air -- "badxxx." I mean, the kids are fighting aliens, they have to be badxxx.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I purchased this book for my school library. 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)

Action Pick: The Loop

The Loop
by Shandy Lawson
Hyperion
2013
208 pages

Wildly unique and highly riveting, The Loop will take readers on a thrill ride. Teens Ben And Maggie are stuck in a time loop. Each time they meet, they try to outrun bad guy Roy, a killer with a bad attitude. He will stop at nothing to catch the teens and kill them. He wants their gambling winnings that they used him to collect. As underage betters, the kids couldn't cash in their ticket at the race track; they needed an adult. And, boy, did they pick the worst adult.

The events of two days happens over and over, each time with Roy killing both Maggie and Ben. In one loop, Ben meets Steve, a guy who recognizes Ben and tells him about his loop. At first, Ben doesn't believe it, but he does have that deja vu feeling, and he realizes he has been repeating his own history over and over.

Ben and Maggie work at changing just one little thing to try to bend the loop. They figure if they can change enough little things, they may get to live and break the loop. Roy is hot on their trail, and they leave New Orleans and try to get as far from Shreveport as possible. Fate just keeps dealing them blows. They end up in a car accident and are airlifted to the hospital, where they will be sitting ducks for Roy to kill. Ben sneaks Maggie out of the hospital and they are on the run again.

Maggie and Ben are falling in love, but there's no time for romance. Trying to stay alive is a full time job. Maggie makes a couple of brilliant decisions, hoping to change their outcome.

The Loop is perfect for the reluctant reader; it is a quick read --only 208 pages.

Recommended grade 7-up. No language. A couple of sweet kisses, oh, and outrunning a killer.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC of 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)

Middle School Pick: 33 MInutes

33 Minutes
by Todd Hask-Lowy
Aladdin
2013
210 pages

Funny, heartfelt, clever, poignant, and zany with the most awesome cafeteria food fight in literary history, 33 Minutes will entertain and enthrall readers. Sam Lewis (Lew) is a uber-smart math nerd who knows all the answers to all the questions in every class and uses his razor sharp wit to keep the class in stitches. His teachers barely tolerate his ramblings, but do so only because what Sam says is usually genius quality.

In exactly 33 minutes, his ex-best friend Morgan Sturtz has promised to kick his butt. Sam worries about this as Morgan is at least 40 pounds heavier than he is and twice his size. Morgan is as good at sports as Sam is at math equations.

When Sam thinks about getting his butt kicked, he says, "Because if you know someone was going to kick you some place, would you not hope for that place to be your butt? The butt is, after all, the most paddded location anywhere on your entire body."

A food fight of epic proportions saves the day until Sam is whacked over the head with a salad bowl and loses consciousness. He visits the nurse's office and then the principal's. Sam is thinking of immigrating to Canada or changing his name, but realizes that Canadian immigration laws are very tough.

Sam wonders if he does get beat up and gets a black eye, would Amy (a smart girl he's crushing on) hold a cold steak to his bruised eye? But he says, "Too bad she's a vegetarian. Could tofu work like steak when it comes to black eyes?"

Sam remembers last year when he and Morgan played Alien Wars for nine hours straight. They were the best team in Alien Wars history, eating three pizzas, two bags of Cheetos and drinking four liter bottles of Mr. Pibb (my personal favorite!) How can it be that Morgan is so mad that he wants to kick Sam's butt?

Enter new kid in the neighborhood--Chris. Once Chris moves in, he becomes the dividing factor in the boys' friendship. Chris starts the trouble between Morgan and Sam and channels his inner Cassius (Julius Caesar villian) to get Morgan hyped up.

33 Minutes is as true as a middle school book can be. Sam is lovable and likeable. If we could meet Seth McFarland as a middle school boy, he would be Sam Lewis. R.J. Palacio, writer of bestseller Wonder, says, "Funny, fast-paced and quite poignant" (book cover).

Highly, highly recommended for all middle schools grade 6-up. Highly recommended for reluctant readers. There are some clever illustrations that fans of the Wimpy Kid series will love. The only language is "butt." Sweet hand holding between Amy and Sam.

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)

Adventure Pick: Stranded

Stranded
by Jeff Probst and Chris Tebbetts
Scholastic
2013
176 pages

What happens when a smooth sailboat experience becomes dangerous and life threatening? Four kids who don't know each other and don't like each other are thrown together when their parents marry. The parents send the four on a sailboat adventure with their uncle Dexter and his first mate Jim. When the weather turns rough, their uncle tells the kids to go below in the cabin.

The storm is too much for the boat and soon Dexter and Jim are launching the life raft. Jim and Dexter are swept away with the raft and kids have to weather the storm alone with no power and no mainsail. Eventually the kids are washed onto a rocky outcropping on an uninhabited island (shades of "Survivor")!



Forced to work together, the four soon realize they only have each other. They are able to contact their parents and tell them approximately where they are--the Coast Guard is searching for them, but the search area is 500 miles wide. The kids set up a signal fire in case they see planes and learn to trap rain water for drinking water. They salvage what they can from the sailboat.

Jim and Dexter are rescued but the kids are running out of hope. When a huge wave takes the sailboat out to sea, they realize that they will have to survive with nothing but each other.

Jane is the most remarkable character of the four children. She's smart, outspoken, and fearless. She's only nine years old, but she's the brains in this mixed family.

Highly recommended grade 5-up. Anyone who likes action and adventure is sure to like this book.

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

Graphic Novel Pick :Chickenhare

Chickenhare
Author and Illustrator Chris Grine
Graphix (Scholastic)
2013
160 pages

Available February 1, 2013

Two friends—a bearded turtle and a chickenhare—are captured by a bounty hunter and taken to Mr. Klaus who pays big money for rare pets. Since his favorite pet goat Buttons deserted him years ago, Klaus has been stuffing all his animals so that they will never be able to leave him again.

Chickenhare and Abe (the turtle) are thrown in the dungeon with two others—Meg and a monkey named Banjo. The four form a friendship and agree to help each other escape. They defeat Klaus’s guard and butler and take off into the snow.

When they happen upon a cave, they explore. Chickenhare falls into a crevice and is greeted by the ghost of Buttons who explains that he’s happy to see Chickenhare. Buttons remains as a ghost because he had unfinished business and must save other creatures from Klaus’s evil taxidermy.

Spunky and funny dialog will captivate readers and good graphic detail with full color illustrations throughout the text make this a stunning book. I would also recommend this title for reluctant readers.

Highly, highly recommended for all graphic collections grade 6-up. Any graphic novel fan will want to read this one.

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

Book Giveaway: Fun Pick: Spy School

Spy School
by Stuart Gibbs
Simon & Schuster
290 pages

just out March 6, 2012

I have 5 copies of this very funny new book up for grabs! Boys will love this one! It is an entertaining jaunt for all readers who love a cool spy story.

Clever, comedic, cute, charming, witty, punny, and sensational, Spy School is seriously entertaining and delivers chortling, mad fun. Readers will laugh out loud by the incompetence of the nation's most skilled special agents and roll around the floor aching with side-splitting laughter as a twelve year old boy is able to take down the entire elite team of agents and hide out from surveillance and capture. Read my full review here


See what author Stuart Gibbs says about my review of his book here

Post a comment to the blog and include your first name, city and state. The publisher, the author and I like to see who the readers are. Also, please include your email contact so that if you do win, I can contact you.

Deadline for posting is March 29 at noon MST. Winners are chosen randomly by Randomizer. Winners will be notified after 12:00 p.m. on March 29 and have 24 hours to respond to my email. Books will ship from New York thanks to Dawn and Simon & Schuster.

Good luck and start posting! Pamela

Funny Pick: Spy School

Spy School
by Stuart Gibbs
Simon & Schuster
2012
304 pages

Just released March 6, 2012


I have 5 copies to of this exciting new book to give away here

Clever, comedic, cute, charming, witty, punny, and sensational, Spy School is seriously entertaining and delivers chortling, mad fun. Readers will laugh out loud by the incompetence of the nation's most skilled special agents and roll around the floor aching with side-splitting laughter as a twelve year old boy is able to take down the entire elite team of agents and hide out from surveillance and capture.

Ben Ripley is a "normal" 12-year old middle school boy--he's trying to survive his geeky phase and stay alive another day. On a normal, mundane day, he arrives home to find a CIA spy in his living room. James Bond sauve and debonair look-alike Alexander Hale explains that the CIA wants to hire Ben--they have been watching him for some time. Ben can't believe his luck! How did they find him? --Agent Hale explains that due to his 728 searches of the CIA website, Ben has caught their attention. Hale offers to send Ben to Spy School--all very hush-hush and top secret, of course. Ben's parents think he's off to attend Science Camp.

The moment Ben steps foot onto the grounds of the Academy, bullets start whizzing through the air. Someone's trying to kill him! Then, he's attacked in his dorm room by an armed assassin, but Ben fights him off in the pitch darkness using only his wits and a well-aimed tennis racquet.

The school is covering something up and it's up to Ben to find out what it is before he's hunted down and killed. With the help of Erica Hale (Alexander Hale's daughter), Ben searches for clues and puts himself in danger as a target for someone who trying to kill him and steal the secrets of Pinwheel--a top secret program that Ben is supposed to have invented--someone planted that lie in his files hoping to catch the mole at the Academy.

This gem of a spy story featuring loveable, nerdy kid Ben will amuse tween and teen readers. The mole and the mole's story set up for a sequel quite nicely. Readers will cheer as Ben is able to catch the mole and outsmart the adults, the administration and all the CIA agents.

Some of the funniest lines are when Ben asks Agent Hale if the Department of Education knows that there are test questions on their standardized tests inserted by the CIA. Hale responds, "I doubt it. They don't know much of anything over at Education."

When Ben meets Erica, he is speechless by her beauty and describes it by saying,"She even smelled incredible, an intoxicating combination of lilacs and gun-powder."

Professor Crandall in defending the CIA quips, "The people who run the CIA might be incompetent, paranoid, and borderline insane, but they're not psychotic."

Chapter titles are dripping with CIA chic, too. Titles include, "Intimidation," "Ninjas," "War," "Surveillance," "Ambush," and "Detonation" to name a few.

Highly, highly recommended grades 5-up. This is the funniest book of the year and I predict it will be on many state's recommended lists and Best Books of 2012.

No language, no sex, just good old funny spying and espionage.

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

Guy Pick: Everything You Need to Survive the Apocalypse

Everything You Need To Survive the Apocalypse
by Lucas Klauss
Simon Pulse
2012
403 pages

What happens when you don't know what you believe? Being raised by an atheist father and trying to heal a hole in his life from missing his dead mother, Phillip has just been abandoned by fellow geeks Mark and Asher. On top of that, he is being brutally bullied by a ruthless, heartless, sadistic track coach who dreams up demonic workouts that nearly kill him. That's when Phillip twists his ankle and meets Rebekah, a girl from his school who just happens to be an "unconventional" beauty.

When Rebekah invites him to her church for youth fellowship, Phillip tells his father he's going to a study group and sneaks off to the church to try to get to know Rebekah better. Wouldn't you know it? Ferret--the evil track coach--is a member of the congregation and helps with youth group. Phillip is feeling out of place not only because of the coach, but he's freaking out that Rebekah might actually like him, and he's not sure what to feel about religion. With all the unanswered questions in his life, Phillip isn't sure what to believe. After all, his mom "got" religion before she moved out into her own apartment. She said she'd be back and that her leaving the house was only temporary but then she died unexpectedly. What kind of God takes your mother from you?

Best friend Mark gets a new BMW for his birthday and that changes everything. What was supposed to be "their" car for the three friends to hang out and go places in is now Mark's car to go places with his two new friends from German class. Asher and Phillip feel betrayed.

Klauss balances just the right amount of teen angst, wit and irony with a large dose of sarcasm and snarky attitude. Readers will identify with Phillip as he struggles to decide what to believe in, and those teens who question their parents' beliefs--I think nearly every teen at one point--will appreciate a clever novel with a huge heart.

The cover art is appealing but doesn't do this book justice and the title and mention of stockpiling food and water doesn't really play into the story. Readers may be confused by the title, thinking this is a dystopian book, but the apocalypse is one of the heart--not one of society or the planet.

I wish the back cover had information about the story instead of quotes from other writers. Teens want to know a little about the book, not what other adult writers think of it, and the page count--403 pages--may be a little daunting for some readers.

Recommended grades 9-up. Language, alcohol, partying, mature situations, questioning of religion and the existence of God.

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

Paranormal Pick: Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25
by Richard Paul Evans
Simon Pulse
2011
336 pages

Visit the official website


Amazing, amusing, and fun, Michael Vey will appeal to teens--male and female.

Thrilling and electric (yes, pun intended, you'll see) Michael Vey is a great read! And what a character! Michael is an ordinary high school boy with extraordinary powers--he's electric! Somehow, he is able to direct electricity and shock others with enough power to knock them unconscious or even kill them!

His best friend Ostin (pronounced Austin, like the town in Texas but Ostin's mother didn't choose to spell it right) and Taylor, a pretty and popular cheerleader are the only ones who know about Michael's special abilities. Taylor is rather special, too. She can "reboot" people, making them forget whatever it was they were just doing or thinking. She can also read minds. Ostin is a total nerd; a scientific and research genius but has no special physical powers.

Together the three teens from a club called the Electroclan and are investigating how Michael and Taylor got these special "gifts." Ostin is onto something when he figures out how Taylor and Michael were born in the same hospital in California and a strange outbreak of newborn deaths occurred around the same time. Only seventeen newborns survived--Michael and Taylor are two.

What if the other fifteen kids all had special powers, too? And what if someone was looking for them? And what if that someone has bad--really, really bad-- intentions?

When Michael's mother is kidnapped, he knows he has to go save her. He will use his powers and call upon his friends and a couple of frenemies for help.

Action-packed adventure, well-paced, and thoroughly enjoyable, this novel is going to be huge! Books two and three are likely to enjoy a large following--maybe even an upcoming movie, perhaps?

Highly recommended for lovers of paranormal and action. Grade 7-up. No language, no sex.

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

Non-Fiction Pick: Wicked Plants:The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother & Other Botanical Atrocities

Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother & Other Botanical Mysteries
by Amy Stewart
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
2009
233 pages with bibliography

Blogger's Note: I never review non-fiction books--until now! I found this book fascinating and entertaining!

Wickedly entertaining and full of fun facts, this engaging non-fiction book will appeal to non-fiction readers and anyone who has a passion for weird and/or macrabre pearls of wisdom. Did you know that if a human eats only corn in his diet and nothing else, he will develop pellagra--a niacin deficiency? Or that the common spud (potato) is related to the much-maligned deadly nightshade plant?



The author teaches that plants are beautiful but many are deadly. Deadly plants are used in magic, too; for example, in the popular Harry Potter series Professor Snape brews wolfsbane (aconite) to assist Remus Lupin in his transformation to a wolf.



Plants are divided into categories of deadly, intoxicating, illegal, destructive, and dangerous. Deadly plants include corn, rhubarb, red kidney beans, potatoes, and cassava. Plants that we normally eat can make us deathly ill and even cause death in some cases.



Intoxicating plants are the betal nut, wormwood (absinthe), and tequila.
Illegal plants include coca, tabernanthe iboga, and opium poppy.



This entertaining compendium will amuse and enlighten. Even the grass we choose for our yards can be dangerous!



Highly recommended for ages 12-up, grades 6-up. Reluctant readers will find this small book fascinating and a quick read.



FTC required disclaimer: I saw this title at the local bookstore and then saw if offered by the publisher. I received this novel from the publisher. I received no monetary compensation for this review.

YA Pick

House of Dark Shadows

(Dreamhouse Kings, Book One)

by Robert Liparulo

Thomas Nelson, Inc.

286 pages, with reading group guide



Xander King is not happy to be leaving his friends in Pasadena and moving to a small "hicksville" town in the mountains of northern California. His father has taken a new position--principal of Pinedale High School. The King family buys a creepy, abandoned Victorian house in a heavily wooded rural area. Soon, as expected, even creepier things begin to happen. Giant footprints are left in the dust. There are strange voices and creaky noises; things go bump in the night. Victoria, Xander's little sister, sees a huge intruder standing in her room.



Xander and his brother David discover a closet that has a secret portal. They step into the portal and out of a locker--in the hallway of Pinedale High School. Other portals lead to much more dangerous destinations.



Xander's dad has a secret, and when Xander discovers what it is, it threatens the safety of the entire family.



Part scary, spooky thriller, part strange, twister killer mystery, part time travel sci-fi genre, this debut YA novel will appeal to readers of spooky stuff like Mary Downing Hahn and lovers of Anthony Horowitz's Horowitz Horror.



Recommended for reluctant readers, grades 5-9 and anyone who enjoys creepy old houses. Book Two is Watcher in the Woods and now available.