UnWholly

UnWholly by Neal Shusterman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


If you loved Unwind like I did, you will not be disappointed with UnWholly.  Shusterman continues with the perspectives of Connor, Risa, and Lev, but adds a new dimension to the story with Starky, one of the "storked" kids. Storked kids are kids left on doorsteps who are slated for unwinding from the beginning.  When Starkey ends up at the AWOL camp, he decides he needs to become the AWOL leader and usurp Conner's power.  We are also introduced to "Cam," who is a Frankenstein creation of unwound body parts.  These characters add a new dimension to the book, but Shusterman keeps our involvement with the characters we know.  Readers need to read Unwind to really understand how the characters are related.  The action, like in Unwind, is intense. Teens will be begging for the the final installment of the trilogy.



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Dead End in Norvelt

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I wrote a nice review of this book already, but it was in odd moments during my day, and the network  bumped me off before I published.  Basically, I really liked this 2012 Newbery winner.  The main character is named Jack Gantos, the author's name, so you get the idea that it is more than a little autobiographical.  The Jack in the story gets "grounded for life" when he accidentally shoots a bullet from his father's Japanese rifle,and at his father's request, plows down his mother's cornfield.  He faces a pretty boring summer until his mother tells him he has to help arthritic Ms. Volker write the obituaries for the town.  She dictates and he types.  This act of service gets him involved in more adventure than he would ever find in a regular summer.  Truly a fun, fun read.  Might be nice book for our library group next year. 



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Jungle Crossing

Jungle Crossing by Sydney Salter

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This enjoyable middle school read is by the author Sydney Salter, a local author.  We were fortunate enough to have Sydney come to our school to speak to our 8th grade students about being an author and writing.  She told the students that many of the books she writes are based on her journals from when she was a teenager.  This particular story is inspired by a trip she had to the Mayan ruins when she was a child.  Kat, the girl in the story, is thirteen when she goes to Mexico with her family.  Of course, she doesn't want to spend time with her family when she could be at her friend, Fiona's, mini-camp, but she is not given a choice.  During the trip she meets Nando, the young tour bus driver, who tells Kat and her sister a story within this story of a girl from Mayan royalty who is kidnapped from her people.  Kat learns some important lessons not only from her own experiences in Mexico, but from the experiences of Muluc as she struggles to find her way back to her home.  It's nice to have a book with a positive message to recommend.



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Death Cloud

Death Cloud by Andy Lane

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I couldn't help but think of a young Robert Downey Jr. as the lead character in this story of young Sherlock Holmes, although the cover suggests a character looking more like Justin Bieber.  Young Sherlock is fourteen in this story and has been sent to live with his uncle during the summer holiday.  The reader gets a look at Sherlock developing his deductive prowess as he tries to uncover the cause of two local deaths that appear to be caused by the plague.  He and his new friend, Matty, and his tutor Amyus Crowe soon discover the cause to be killer bees. Sherlock's skills are developed as he tries to find the perpetrator and motive for the crime. The book should be a hit with middle schoolers who enjoy action, adventure stories.



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Okay for Now

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Although not really a sequel to Wednesday Wars, one of the characters from Wednesday Wars is the main character in Okay for Now, Doug Swietek.  Doug moves to Marysville, New York, when his father loses his job. They move into a home that Doug calls "The Dump" and Doug decides that Marysville is the most boring place in the world.  Things change, however, when he meets Lil Spicer and the librarian, Mr. Powell.  Both give him a sense of belonging in this new neighborhood. Mr. Powell sees potential in Doug as an artist and helps to teach him, and Lil's friendship helps to balance out the abuse Doug takes from his father. The story is an engaging read with a nice blend of humor and pathos that make it a perfect middle school book.



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Chime

Chime by Franny Billingsley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I'm never sure when I listen to a book read with a lovely English accent rather I am just enamored with the reader, or if the book is especially charming.  In this case, I really think it was both.  This story of 17-year old Briony Larkin, is bound to be a hit with readers.  The story takes place at the turn of twentieth century England shortly after Briony's stepmother has died.  Briony is convinced that she is a witch responsible for her stepmother's death, and that she is also responsible for the brain damage of her twin sister Rose.  It is true she can see the "old ones" like the Boggy Mun who guards the swamp, and has vague memories of her misdeeds. She is full of self-loathing. Enter romance in the form of Eldric Clayborne, a self-proclaimed bad boy, who is absolutely charming, and genuinely kind.  Briony is confused by her feelings for him, since she is supposed to be a witch without feelings.  Their witty exchanges left me chuckling over and over again.  I truly enjoyed this book, and I think older middle school students (and adults like me) will as well.



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A Monster Calls

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This was an interesting tale about a thirteen-year-old boy whose mother is dying of cancer.  He is having terrible nightmares and a terrible time fighting bullies and "being invisible" to teachers ever since his mother began chemotherapy. Since his parents are divorced and his father lives across the ocean in America, he feels very much alone. Then one night at 12:07 a monster in the form of an ancient yew tree appears at his window.  The monster tells Conor some confusing stories as he appears several times, and then demands that Conor tell him a story.  Through all of this his mother gets worse, and with the monsters help he is able to confront her dying.  I'm still not sure if the monster was meant to be real or just the inner struggle Conor is facing.  Sad, but heart-warming story.



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Scorpio Races

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Stiefvater, in Scorpio Races, created a haunting tale that blends fantasy seamlessly into reality.  The story is divided between two narrators, Sean and Puck.  Both are natives of the island of Thisby.  Puck, whose real name is Kate Connolly, lives with her two brothers; her parents were killed not long before.  The island of Thisby is the home of the Scorpio Races.  It is also the home of the carpall uisce, magical horses that come from the sea.  The horses are dangerous to man, but can be tamed somewhat, and they are the horses that run in the Scorpio Races each year.  Sean has tamed a beautiful carpall uisce, and has a winning streak in the races.  Puck, decides she needs to ride in the races to save her family home with the prize money.  This is highly irregular because girls do not ride in the races, and she has decided to ride her domesticated horse, Dove. Training for the races brings Sean and Puck together into a sweet romance. The story has vivid description of the island of Thisby and the dark encounters with the carpall uisce.  There is a fair amount of violence in the book, so it might be for the mature 7th grader and above. 



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Wonder

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a delightful little book that I picked up because it has received such rave reviews.  I think that the reviews were quite accurate in this case.  It is definitely a book I will recommend to my middle school students and their teachers.  The story is about August Pullman, a ten-year-old boy about to start middle school. School is a scary prospect for him because he was born with facial "anomalies" according to his doctor, and because he has been homeschooled all of his life. Homeschooling to this point was a necessity because of the 27 surgeries needed to correct his face.  Even though he can now eat without having a feeding tube, his face still causes strange and most often rude reactions from people.   The story is told from the point of view of August (Auggie), his sister, and others that become friends with him.  The narration is effortless and the characters ring true.  A nice change from many of the dark books for young people these days.



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Girl of Fire and Thorns

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I found this debut novel for Rae Carson to be quite delightful.  The characters seemed well-developed, and I found myself relating to the main character, Eliza, and her religious commitment. Eliza is a Princess of Orovalle, but more than that she was chosen at birth, by some magical circumstance, to be the bearer of the holy Godstone.  One person is chosen every 100 years for this special honor.  Eliza has little self-confidence in spite of the Godstone, however, and soon finds herself in an arranged marriage to a weak king.  A combination of circumstances then come about which test Eliza's character and proves that she is truly a worthy bearer of the Godstone.  This is the first in a trilogy that should be a hit for the middle school crowd and higher. 



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Dragonfly

Dragonfly by Julia Golding

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Dragonfly is the YA Beehive Book Award winner for 2012, and deservedly so.  This is a book that I can totally recommend to the middle school and older audience.  It has appeal for both boys and girls since we have Princess Taoshira and Prince Ramul as lead characters.  There is plenty of action for the boys (and some girls like me) and a delicate love interest. It begins as Princess Taoshira has a marriage arranged to Prince Ramul of Gerfal, so that the countries can gain allies in the fight against the evil Fergox.  Ramul and Taoshira hate each other when they first meet, but when they are off on a get acquainted horse ride, they are kidnapped.  As they struggle to overcome their situation, a deep bond develops between them. This is good versus evil fantasy at its best.  Highly recommended.



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Cinder

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


There was a lot of controversy on my library listserve about this book.  Some loved it, some hated it, and some just quit reading it because they were bored. I think I fall into the camp of those who loved the book.  It was a little bit hard to relate to the characters at first.  The reader is introduced to Cinder, the cyborg, a human with some mechanical wiring and parts.  At first I wondered if I could ever really care about the character, but as I got further into the story, I really did.  As you might guess, Cinder is a modern telling of Cinderella, only Cinder lives as a cyborg with her step-mother and two sisters.  She meets Prince Kai, when he comes to her booth, (she is a mechanic) at the marketplace.  He needs her to repair his broken android.  They are immediately attracted to each other, but she realizes she is a lowly cyborg with a mechanical hand and foot, so she hides that from him as well as her feelings for him.  The story is obviously more complicated than the fairy tale and gets more so as we find out a deadly plague is spreading across New Beijing, and cyborgs are being called as test subjects to find a cure for the plague.  We also find out that the moon's Lunar Queen wants to form an alliance with earth by marrying Prince Kai.  Cinder, as you might guess, is in the middle of all of this.  And, although the resolution to the story was less than I had hoped, I found I really did care about this character, and hope for the sequel.



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The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I listened to the audio version of this book read by Jayne Entwistle and absolutely loved it--partially due to the delightful reading by Ms. Entwistle, but the story itself was thoroughly engaging.  It is the story of Modo, a child hunchback rescued by Mr. Socrates from a traveling freak show.  Mr. Socrates raises Modo totally isolated from the world.  He gains a vast amount of knowledge from books, and is also trained in the martial arts.  His preparation is for an assignment Mr. Socrates has in mind for him, an agent for the Royalist Permanent Association.  He and his fellow agent Octavia Milkweed, another trained orphan, work together to solve the perplexing problem of children disappearing from the streets of London.  They are a formidable team for sure for Modo has the ability to shape shift as needed.  The book is an amazing blend of Steampunk and mystery.  Truly a book that should delight middle school and older readers.



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This Dark Endeavor

This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


My husband and I listened to this book on a road trip. I think he thoroughly agreed with me that the book had all of the elements of a great book for boys: plenty of action, a little bit of a love interest from a boy's point of view, and then more action. The story is of twin boys, Victor, and Konrad who are sons of a wealthy family in the late 1700's. In this exciting adventure, Oppel creates the back story for Mary Shelley’s Dr. Frankenstein. The young Victor Frankenstein is a headstrong, arrogant, passionate young man who is determined to save his twin brother, Konrad, when he becomes seriously ill. To do so, he must venture into the hidden and forbidden Dark Library, a secret room in their home. Here he finds, with his cousin Elizabeth and his friend Henry, a recipe for an Elixir of Life, which he feels certain will save his brother’s life. The problem is translating the text of the ancient volume containing the recipe, and then finding the ingredients. In order to do this he has to enlist the help of Polidori, a banished alchemist. The ingredients for the Elixir are not easily obtained, but Victor, Elizabeth and Henry are up for the task. The quest leads them into some exciting situations that will engage even the most reluctant reader. Truly a great story.





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Thirteenth Child

Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The Thirteenth Child is a unique story told from the point of view of Eff, a thirteenth child, who is supposed to be bad luck because of her birth order as number 13. She is the twin sister of Lan, who conversely has special powers because he is the 7th son of a 7th son, so she always feels less than. She receives a reprieve from the extended family ridicule when her father, a professor of magic, takes a position at a college out west, but her feelings about being an unlucky 13th child travel with her. This alternate version of American history where there are magic steam dragons and other monsters to deal with as part of the settlement of the west is kind of a fun read. We follow Eff from age 5 to age 18 as she learns magic and has to determine if what she has always believed about herself is true.



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Virals

Virals by Kathy Reichs

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book has overtones of the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson. It is about a witty, intelligent girl, Tory Brennan, who is getting used to living with her estranged father after her mother's death. Her father is a marine biologist working on an isolated barrier island. She has become friends with an eclectic group of boys with similar interests, who also live on the island. When she discovers on the island an old dog tag (military ID), and sets out to discover who the tag belongs to, she and her friends are led into a unsolved missing person's case. The missing person case also indirectly leads them to the discovery of a stolen wolf-dog being used as a guinea pig for tests of a parvovirus, which should only affect dogs. The mutated virus affects the teenagers, however, and that's where overtones of Maximum Ride come in. After getting over the initial illness, they are left with amazing powers, which help in the solving of the case. The book was quite a fun read, actually, in spite of the sometimes overdone story. The characters were likable and believable. Students who have read the story grabbed the sequel, Seizure, so it looks like a hit.



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Icefall

Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Matthew Kirby is a great storyteller. This book,although not really following the current trends that I see students picking up in the library, I think it is a book they will truly enjoy. It is the story of Solveig, the daughter of a king, who is waiting patiently for her father's return with her crown prince younger brother and her older sister in a hidden fortress surrounded by mountains and a frozen sea. Although her father has sent men to protect the royal children, it soon becomes apparent that someone evil is part of the group. Suspense builds as they wait through the long winter. Through the problems, Solveig finds out her true self. Young or older readers will warm to this well-written tale of Solveig. Kirby hints a sequel may follow.



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Tiger's Curse

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Although the writing was weak, this book had an interesting story. 18-year-old Kelsey takes a temporary summer job at a circus. Her job is to help feed the white tiger. In caring for the tiger, she finds herself strangely attracted, and spends a lot of time next to his cage, writing and drawing in her journal. The tiger is soon sold to a businessman from India, and Kelsy finds herself accompanying the tiger back to India in another temporary employment opportunity. Once in India, Kelsy learns that the tiger is really a 300-year-old prince, who has been cursed. The tiger is able to turn into a man for 24 minutes every 24 hours. Kelsy is even more attracted to the man she calls Ren, (the tiger's name is Dhiren). Ren is able to convince Kelsey that only Kelsey can help him undo the curse. So, off they go into the jungle to solve the mystery of the curse. Naturally, there is attraction between the two, which adds to the story. Middle school girls and some boys really love this book. I read it at their recommendation, and I think I could safely recommend it to lovers of Twilight who are looking for something new.



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Divergent

Divergent by Veronica Roth

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I always seem to enjoy a good dystopian thriller, and this one didn't disappoint. With reminiscences of Hunger Games, this society is divided into 5 factions: Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). Each faction represents a desirable quality, with the idea that if each desirable quality is nurtured, society will function as it should. Beatrice is raised in the Abnegation faction, but when she is old enough to choose a faction after a period of tests to determine her strengths, she chooses Dauntlesss. But, Tris, (her new Dauntless name), is not able to reveal what her true faction is, even as she goes through the grueling physical and mental tests that are part of becoming a Dauntless.

Although the book had a little too much violence for my taste, I still really enjoyed the story. It had a nice touch of romance which lightened things up a bit. This book is for the more mature middle schooler, 8th or 9th grade, but definitely one to recommend.



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Forge

Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The book is really a sequel to Chains, although I didn't realize it until I was into the book. I found out later that it is to be a trilogy. The story shifts from Isabel's point of view in Chains to that of Curzon, the male slave that Isabel helps rescue from Bridewell Prison. Curzon, apparently has separated from Isabel and joins the Continental Army, befriending a white boy named Eben. After experiencing the deprivation of the troops, circumstances lead him back to his owner, who now also owns Isabel. The rest of the book is spent on the relationship between Isabel and Curzon and their struggle to be free. Anderson has done her homework on this book. Because of its accuracy. the book would make a nice addition to the American History Social Studies core. Great story, and an easy way to understand history.



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Girl Stolen

Girl, Stolen by April Henry

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book will really pull you in. It begins with sixteen-year-old Cheyenne Wilder curled up in the back seat of her car while her step-mother goes in to get a prescription filled for Cheyenne's pneumonia. Her step mother has left the keys in the car so Cheyenne can turn the heat on if she gets cold. The keys in the Escalade are an open invitation to Griffin, who ends up stealing the car with Cheyenne in the back seat. The situation turns from bad to worse, however, because we soon learn that Cheyenne is blind. Griffin takes her home to his car-thief father, who is at first unhappy with his son for making the car theft so much more complicated. When the father finds out that Cheyenne is the daughter of the president of Nike though, he soon decides that it is an ideal opportunity for negotiating ransom. The details of the plot are a side story to the relationship that develops between Griffin and Cheyenne as Griffin tries to protect her from those who would do her harm. She feels his kindness and a strange kind of trust balances between the two of them. This engaging read is one that will appeal to girls or boys who love an exciting real life story.

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Ten Miles Past Normal

Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O'Roark Dowell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I listened to the audio of this book at the same time as I was reading My Life Undecided. I found that I often got the stories crossed because in some ways they are similar. Janie Gorman is a girl trying to fit into her high school. She, like the main character in My Life Undecided, Brooklyn Pierce, ends up hanging out in the library during lunch because things are so unbearable at school. Both girls pursue boys that are wrong for them. However, Ten Miles Past Normal, has a more serious side. Janie has to do a project for school that helps her to get to know an elderly man who worked with his wife for civil rights during the civil rights period. She deepens her understanding not only of the period, but of herself and her relationship to the world. This combined with her additional discovery of self as she learns that she really does want to play bass guitar for reasons other than hanging out with her secret crush Jeremy Fitch, makes her an interesting character to read about. The book should be a hit with middle school girls.

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