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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