Magyk

Magyk by Angie Sage

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Several students recommended this, so it became a necessary read.  The story is of a princess, found in the snow by Silas Heap, and taken home to be the daughter in a family of six wizard sons.  There were actually seven sons, but Septimus Heap, the baby supposedly died, and was whisked away by the midwife.  Jenna, the princess, lives happily with her "family" for 10 years, but has been discovered to be the princess.  DomDaniel, an evil wizard, is determined to destroy the princess and take over as ruler.  There is plenty of magyk (magic) in this first novel by Angie Sage.  It is understandable why this has been such a favorite.  It is a long novel, and could have used a little more editing, but definitely one to recommend to our middle schoolers.



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Shadow and Bone

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo was an unexpected pleasure.  Alina and Mal, two orphans in the town of Ravka, are brought to the Duke’s estate to learn to read and write.  Later they become part of the military regiment, Alina as cartographer, and Mal as a tracker.  Their regiment is called on a mission to pass through the “Shadow Fold,” a deep darkness created magically which divides the city, inhabited by flesh-eating volcra.  They enter the fold, and everything seems to go all right for a while, and then the volcra attack.  As Alina tries to ward off the attack of the volcra on Mal, she discovers that she has magical powers.  She drives the volcra off by creating powerful light, and thus is discovered to be a “Sun Summoner.”  With this power, it is believed that she might be able to destroy the Shadow Fold.  She is called to live in the Grisha palace in order to develop her talents with the help of the Darkling, a man with tremendous magical powers, and who is second in power to the King.  The story unfolds with plenty of unexpected twists and turns, and romance mixed in along the way.  Perhaps a little mature for 6th and some 7th grade, but should be acceptable for 8th grade readers.  



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Obsidian Mirror

The Obsidian Mirror by Catherine Fisher

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This beginning book in a new trilogy by Fisher is one that Fisher's fans can enjoy.  The story begins with Jake Wilde stabbing one of the actors in his school's performance of Hamlet.  Jake has deceitfully taken over for the actor playing Hamlet, and thus he is in able to really stab Laertes. His motive is be sent home to his guardian Venn.  And, he is successful.  Jake believes Venn has murdered his father, so he is bent on finding out the circumstances.  When he gets to Venn's Wintercombe Abbey, he find the story much more complicated than he figured.  Venn has a magical mirror, the Obsidian Mirror.  The magic of the mirror is that it is able to transport people through time.  This is what has happened to Jake's father.  Other characters come to the Abbey, and make the story more interesting, or more confusing if you don't follow closely enough.  But, overall it is a satisfying story that leads us carefully to the next book in the series. 



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The Hunt

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book is a book that should be reserved for 8th graders and above.  With that as a warning to my younger middle schoolers, I have to say, in spite of the graphic descriptions of the vampires gobbling bloody raw meat, and their desire to eat human flesh, it was easy to get into the story, but the squeamish may need to skip some passages. The story is of Gene, a human, who is masquerading as one of the vampires in order to save his own skin.  His parents are gone, but they instructed him well on survival techniques before they disappeared.  Humans are called Hepers in this story, and he has to make sure he bathes often to avoid smelling like a heper, and he has to make sure he shaves well, because vampires are not hairy.  He is able to survive pretty well until he wins the lottery for a Heper Hunt, where they will hunt down the remaining hepers that have been kept in captivity under a protective dome.  The selected lottery winners have to go through training for a few days before the hunt.  Gene is in a tough situation because without being able to bathe or shave regularly, he knows he will become prey. The hunters are primed for the hunt, and the story takes many unexpected twists and turns as Gene tries to stay undiscovered among the vampires.  The story leaves you hanging with several loose ends, so expect a sequel.



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Gregor the Overlander

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I finally got around to reading this book by Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins.  My granddaughter really loved this book, and I know why.  It is a delightful fantasy book about 11-year-old Gregor and his sister, Boots, who fall down a grate in the laundry room of their apartment in New York City.  They end up in a new world, Underland, that is inhabited by humans, giant cockroaches, spiders, rats and bats (and who knows what else).  Gregor, as it turns out, is part of an ancient prophecy, which involves a war between the rats and the humans, bats, and roaches.  Although he doesn't feel destined to lead, he is thrust into the role. I truly enjoyed following Gregor and Boots into the Underland.  Collins creates a magical world.  Definitely a must read for middle schoolers.



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Dark Life

Dark Life by Kat Falls

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Although a little slow at first, it wasn't long before this undersea thriller had me hooked.  It is the story of a futuristic community that has taken up residence in the ocean due to the rising oceans and lack of dry land. Those who remain "topside" live in extremely crowded conditions.  The main character, Ty, is the son of some pioneers who began the settlement.  Since he was raised in the ocean, he doesn't have much regard for the "topsiders," until he meets Gemma.  Gemma has come undersea to find her missing brother, and enlists Ty's help in doing so.  Ty and Gemma soon encounter the Seablite gang,a group of criminals that seem to be set on destroying the underwater community.  Things get worse when the Commonwealth Government (located topside) decide that the undersea community must take care of the outlaws themselves.  Of course Ty and Gemma end up in the thick of the adventure.  The story holds the interest not only with the twists and turns of the plot, but with the imaginative creation of this underwater community, where people born there seem to have evolved special gifts.  This should be a hit for middle schoolers and above.



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Code Name Verity

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The subject matter and some of the content of this book make it a book for 8th graders and above, but it is definitely a must read for that demographic.  The story is of friends, Julie and Maddie, who meet during WWII as they volunteer to serve their countries.  Julie has been trained as a spy for the French resistance, and Maddie is a pilot who works to carry military passengers between British Airfields.  The story begins with Julie. She has been captured by the Gestapo, and we find out she has been tortured.  She has agreed to give the Nazi's the information they want, so that she can have her clothes.  As she writes the information, she tells the story of her friendship with Maddie, tying in the information she assumes the enemy wants to know.  The second half of the book is Maddie's side of the story, including how she finds out that Julie is being captured and tortured.  It is a wonderful story of a deep friendship, but would be an excellent companion book for units on WWII.



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Bomb

Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Perfect non-fiction book for YA.  Sheinkin managed to make it read like a good spy novel.  It was easy to get engaged in reading about the Manhattan Project and Oppenheimer's (and others)development of the atomic bomb.  Although there were far too many people involved to keep them all straight, it still was easy to read and very engaging.  This will make a perfect non-fiction pairing with WWII novels in the Common Core. 



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Liar and Spy

Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Although a different story than her Newbery winner,When You Reach Me, Stead's book also has believable characters and delightful twists and turns that keep you reading.  The story's main character, Georges, a seventh grader, has just moved into an apartment with his out of work architect father.  His mother works as a nurse, and is now working double shifts at the hospital to make up for the loss.  School is not much better.  His best friend has ditched him to sit at the cool table, and others delight in bullying him.  When a kid at the new apartment puts up a sign for "spy club," Georges responds.  He makes a new friend, Safer, who has all sorts of ideas about spying and who in the building needs to be spied on.  Safer tests the limits of Georges friendship as Georges makes realizations of his own about friendship.  Perfect for the new middle school 6-8 next year.



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Blue Sword

The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Robin McKinley is definitely one of the best YA writers.  It is little wonder she won the Newbery Medal for the Hero and the Crown, and the Newbery Honor for the Blue Sword.  I used to wonder why so many of my 7th graders were drawn to this book years ago, and now I now why.  It is an excellent story about a young girl named Harry Crewe, who is sent to Istan to join her older brother after her father dies.  Harry feels a kinship to the stark landscape of Istan, so different from the green hills of her home.  When the King of Damar comes to ask for help from the people of Istan in fighting their common enemy, magical things start to happen.  And, this is the beauty of McKinley, she blends the magical so seamlessly with the ordinary happenings of the characters that it is easy to suspend disbelief. Thoroughly enjoyable for middle schoolers and old lady librarians.



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Starters

Starters by Lissa Price

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I have to say, this book was a delightful surprise.  At first I thought that it was just another dystopian spin-off.  I listened to Legend by Marie Lu not too long ago, and thought this was way too similar in the beginning.  The main character, a girl instead of the boy who begins Marie Lu's novel, is left to take care of her brother after a genocide spore has wiped out everyone who was not vaccinated.  The brother is sick, just like in Legend.  I thought it another "here we go again," dystopian novel as she struggles to take care of her brother in a hostile world.  Her parents have been killed by the spore. All that was true, but Price took the novel in a different direction when Callie decides she can support her brother by having her body rented by "enders", (the elderly), who through technology can inhabit the body of the young and live as a young person again. The company who arranges this service is called Prime Destinations, run by a mysterious old man.  Callie's financial problems look as if they will be solved as she completes without difficulty her first rental.  But on a subsequent rental, the  neurochip implanted in her brain malfunctions, and she finds herself in the life of the rich woman renting her.  The novel then twists and turns and resolves in a surprise ending. A sequel follows, but the novel can stand on its own. Great read for middle school and up.



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Second Chance Summer

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Taylor Edwards returns with her family to the family cabin in the Poconos for what promises to be one last summer with her dad.  Her father has stage four pancreatic cancer and has just a few months to live.  She hasn't been to the cabin for 5 years and is afraid of facing her old best friend and boyfriend because of the way her relationships ended with them so long ago. The summer progresses and her father's health declines, but family relationships and old friendships are renewed.  The novel captures the internal conflict of Taylor as she deals with extreme sadness and happiness at the same time. Great summer read,especially for middle and high school girls.  



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The Horrors of Andersonville: Life and Death inside a Civil War Prison

The Horrors of Andersonville: Life and Death Inside a Civil War Prison by Catherine Gourley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Although some of the reviews recommended this book for those as young as 5th grade, I think it is more appropriate for 8th grade and above.  It is a little too text heavy for our younger readers today.  The book would be a great addition to a Civil War unit, however, even if only using some of the primary sources quoted in the book.  The story of Andersonville is a sad, sad story.  The book illustrates the terrible conditions found in the prison: men living in squalor, with not enough food to survive.  There is no doubt that they were treated poorly.  The prison was designed to house 10,000 Yankee prisoners, but ended up housing 32,000 during August of 1864.  That figure alone is an indication of the impossibility of meeting the needs of so many men.  Nearly 1/3 of the men confined to Andersonville died.  After the war ended, the North wanted to blame someone.  The one singled out for blame was Henry Wirz, who was put in charge of the prison in 1864. Although he pleaded for help for the prisoners many times, there was no help provided. Circumstances of the war in the South left little in the way of help to provide, so Wirz paid the price by being convicted and hanged.  Again, a sad, sad story that will enlighten students on this period of history.



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False Prince

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The False Prince by Utah author Jennifer A. Nielsen, is one that will appeal to both boys and girls.  The premise of the story is that Connor, a nobleman of the king's court, has decided on a plan to bring back the lost and presumed dead son of the king to take over the throne.  The object is to avoid a division in the country.  He finds four orphan boys that resemble the son with the hope that he can train one of them well enough to impersonate the lost prince.  Sage, one of the boys chosen, is defiant and hard to manage, but knows as the other boys do, that if he is not chosen, he will be killed.  As the story unfolds, we find each boy vying for the title with varying degrees of success in pleasing Conner.  There is definitely treachery involved as more and more of the plot is revealed.  Although, first in a series, the book stands alone with an open but satisfying conclusion. 



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The Secret of the Yellow Death

The Secret of the Yellow Death: A True Story of Medical Sleuthing by Suzanne Jurmain

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Although I have heard about the Walter Reed Medical Center all of my life, I didn't really know anything about Walter Reed.  This book really gave a good picture of who this man was as he dedicated himself to finding a cure for yellow fever. In 1900 yellow fever was a serious threat, and no one knew the cause.  Reed and a team of medical doctors went to Cuba, where yellow fever was rampant, to try to isolate the cause.  Jurmain, the author, combed primary sources in order to gather this fascinating account.  It is hard not to wince when reading about how the men slept in the clothes and bedding of those who suffered with yellow fever in order to eliminate contagion from contaminated environment as a cause. The Cuban physician Carlos Finlay's idea that mosquitoes caused yellow fever ended up being the cause, but what a price the doctors paid in order to scientifically prove the idea.  They deliberately exposed themselves to infected mosquitoes and battled the disease that had killed so many people.  The book leaves the reader with a real respect for the doctors who sacrificed so much for the good of all.  Truly a fascinating read for middle and high school readers. 



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Who Could That Be At This Hour?

Who Could That Be At This Hour? by Lemony Snicket

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


This book, written in typical Lemony Snicket style, left more questions unanswered than it answered.  I still am not sure whether the boy (Snicket) in the story was with his real parents when he left them  to become the apprentice to S. Theodora Markson as she investigates a case in a town called Stain'd-by-the-Sea.  I'm not sure sure how he ever got connected with S. Theodora Markson, or why.  I'm not sure why the "Bombinating Beast" that they were trying to restore to its owner was so important.  And, that is just the beginning of questions that I had as I read this story.  I realize it is the beginning of a series, but I felt like I missed the first in the series somehow.  Certainly, not my favorite Snicket book.



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Legend

Legend by Marie Lu

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Although another dystopian novel, Lu creates an engaging new story, largely because her characters are so likeable.  In this country of the future, which involves California and surrounding areas, there is an oppressive government in total control of the people.  June, is a child of the government.  She is brilliant and talented, scoring a perfect score on the government trials, tests that all children have to take.  Day, on the other hand, is from the slums.  He has developed a reputation as a terrible foe to government.  Family situations drive the two together. June thinks that Day has killed her brother, so she is determined find him and destroy him. Day is trying to get a plague medicine to save his brother.  Their paths cross, and in spite of themselves, they are attracted to each other. The non-stop action, as well as a little romance should keep middle and high school boys and girls thoroughly engaged with this novel. 



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As Easy as Falling off the Face of the Earth

As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This gentle read by Lynne Rae Perkins was quietly entertaining. It was certainly a break from the dystopian stories that are a major part of YA literature these days. The story is about sixteen-year-old Ry on a train to summer camp.  While on the train, he opens the latest letter from the director of the summer camp, and finds out the camp is canceled, has gone out of business.  When the train stops, he steps off the train to call his grandfather to let him know what happened, and as luck would have it, the train leaves without him.  And, unfortunately, his grandfather doesn't answer the phone.  His parents are on a vacation in the Caribbean, and he can't reach them either.  He hikes into the nearest town, losing his boot on the way.  When he gets to the town he meets a man named Del.  Del definitely "marches to the beat of a different drummer," but he is kind.  He offers to drive Ry back to his home in Wisconsin.  Of course, it can't be that easy.  One calamity happens after another, as we follow Ry and Del in search of his parents.  Not an edge of your seat page turner, but certainly an enjoyable book.   



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Terezin

Terezin: Voices from the Holocaust by Ruth Thomson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a perfect book for use with the 7th grade Common Core unit "Courage in Life and Literature."  This well-researched and carefully presented book illustrates the story of the Holocaust from the voices of those who experienced it.  The book contains secret drawings, diary entries, excerpts from memoirs, etc., all giving a first-hand look at the atrocities experienced by Jews in WWII.  Great to pair some of the excerpts with the Diary of Anne Frank.



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Seraphina

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book was a little confusing at first, but turned out to be quite an intriguing dragon tale.  The narrator, Seraphina, is part human, part dragon.  She is extremely afraid of anyone finding out she is part dragon. Although there is a truce between the dragons and the humans, there is still an uneasy friction that is undercurrent to the peace.  Neither dragon nor human quite trust the other.  Seraphina, a gifted musician and assistant music teacher in the royal court, ends up as a friend to the Prince and Princess.  In fact, Prince Kiggs is quite enamored with her.  When Prince Rufus is found decapitated before the anniversary of the dragon treaty, there is suspicion that the dragons have broken the treaty.  Since Prince Kiggs has been impressed by Seraphina's knowledge of dragons, he enlists her help in finding the murderer.  It is hard not to be intrigued with Seraphina and her magical qualities in this magical world.  I found myself totally absorbed.  This will be a fun book for my fantasy readers.



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Seconds Away

Seconds Away by Harlan Coben

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Seconds Away, by Harlan Coben was a surprisingly good mystery thriller.  I didn’t realize it was number 2 in the series after Shelter until I was into it a little.  There were a few confusing parts, but overall, it was able to stand on its own.  The story is about Mickey Bolitar, who is staying with his Uncle Myron because his father was killed in a car accident, and his mother, overcome with grief, is sent to a mental institution.  As I mentioned, there were some lose ends that apparently come from the first book.  I was a little confused about the Abeona Shelter, whose secret mission is to save children.  But, I did get that Mickey’s friend Rachel was grazed by a bullet at the same time her mother was murdered.  And, I understood that Mickey, and his friends Ema and Spoon are caught up somehow with the Abeona Shelter, as is their friend Rachel.  They are intent upon finding out who murdered Rachel’s mother and tried to murder Rachel.  There is also a back story about a spooky neighbor, known as the Bat Lady, who tells Mickey that his father is still alive.   Lots of ends to tie together for sure, but the pace of the story is excellent, definitely a page turner, as Mickey and his friends try to solve the mystery.  This is a story I will highly recommend to middle school readers. 



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Little Rock Girl 1957

Little Rock Girl 1957: How a Photograph Changed the Fight for Integration by Shelley Tougas

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Little Rock Girl 1957: How a Photograph Changed the Fight for Integration, by Shelley Tougas, tells the story of how the photograph of 15-year-old Elizabeth Eckford trying to enter Little Rock Central High School amidst jeers of white students and other white people from the community captured the racially charged moment for all of history.   Photographer Will Counts, a local newspaperman, dressed deceptively in a plaid shirt instead of a suit, was able to move in very close to his subjects.  He recounts, when he “saw Hazel Bryan’s contorted face in the camera’s viewfinder; I knew that I had released the shutter at an important moment.”  The other black students who were assigned to integrate Little Rock Central High were called collectively “The Little Rock Nine.”  They were eventually successful in entering the school that year, but paid a great price because of the way they were treated at the school.   The book also covers the fact that years later, Hazel Bryan, the white teen yelling racial slurs at Elizabeth in the picture, tried desperately to redeem herself from the damaging photo by trying to befriend Elizabeth Eckford.  This powerful non-fiction book would make a great Common Core pairing with Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis. 



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Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95

Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95 by Phillip M. Hoose

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The non-fiction book Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95 by Phillip Hoose is one that I hope science teachers can use as they talk about climate change and extinction of animals.  Although the subject of this book, B 95, a rufa red knot, has survived20 years at the writing of the book, the species itself is threatened because of changes in places along his migration path.  The book explains the changes and the great effort that has been mounted, even by young people, to save the species.  The information about the bird itself is fascinating.  B95 weighs approximately 4 oz., but he has flown roughly 325,000 miles in his lifetime.  On one leg of his migratory journey that he makes each year, he flies 5,000 miles without stopping.   The book may be too information rich for many middle school readers, but for those with interest, it is fascinating.



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Sweet Venom

Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Sweet Venom was a surprisingly fun book.  One of the girls at Union read it, and really liked it, so I decided to give it a try.  It is the story of Grace, Gretchen, and Greer, triplets who were separated at birth.  Grace has just moved to San Francisco with her family to attend a new school.  She has led a sheltered and happy life.  When she gets to San Francisco, things change.  She starts seeing minotaurs and other ancient Greek Monsters.  This is amazing enough, but when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight a monster, her whole world turns upside down.  She finds out about Gretchen, who is her sister and endowed with special talents to fight these monsters.  When Grace starts doing some research about their parentage, they find out they are not twins, but triplets, ancient descendants of Medusa.  This is where their socialite triplet, Greer comes in.  The three are destined to keep the world safe from the monsters escaping from the portal, not an easy job.  I do think my middle school girls will love this book, just as the girl who told me about the book loved it.



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Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Riggs debut novel takes an interesting twist to the current "monsters in our daily lives," genre.  Sixteen-year-old Jacob is doubting the stories his grandfather told him as he was growing up.  He can no longer accept that there were children, as seen in the photographs his grandfather shows him from his childhood, that were endowed with strange gifts and abilities.  He still loves his grandfather, however, and is devastated when he witnesses his grandfather's death at the hands of a horrible monster.  No one believes Jacob's story about the monster, so he is sent to a psychiatrist to help him through this fantasy and his shock at losing his grandfather.  In order to confront the monster fantasy, he goes with his father to Cairnholm island, off the coast of Wales, where his grandfather was raised in a home under the hand of Miss Peregrine.  The hope is that he will see first-hand that there is nothing magical in the home where his grandfather grew up, and perhaps help him to deal with reality and dismiss the thought of his grandfather being murdered by a hideous monster.  He does find the home, but here is where the story takes an unusual twist and Jacob finds himself among the "peculiar children."  The story is a fun ride with enjoyable characters.  It should be a good choice for male or female middle schoolers and above. 



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The Raven Boys

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater is my new favorite.  I'm not sure whether it was the skilled reader (listened to the audio version), great story, or much improved writing of the author, or all three, but this book had me hooked from the very beginning.  The story is of Blue Sargent, the daughter of a psychic, and the only non-psychic in a family of psychics.  She does have a gift though, that of being able to amplify others psychic powers.  We are introduced to Blue in the beginning of the book with the statement, "Blue Sargent had forgotten how many times she'd been told that she would kill her true love."  And, the story has you hooked, even if she has no love interest at the time, and doesn't plan on finding one.  After she meets the boys from Aglionby Academy, an all-boys school for the rich, boys that she normally disdains, the story gets deliciously intriguing.  I couldn't wait for my commute to and from work to listen to this book.  Sadly, yesterday it ended.  Now, I can't to read (or listen to) the sequel, The Dream Thieves.  The caveat is that it is probably for only my more mature middle schoolers because of language issues.



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The Son

Son by Lois Lowry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This conclusion to the Giver series did not disappoint.  Although it contained many of the characters from the series, it works pretty well as a stand-alone story. (It was a long time ago that I read the Giver, and I didn't remember too many details).  The story is of Claire, the birthmother of Gabe, who   at the beginning of the story is introduced just as she is to give birth, at age 14.  There are problems with the delivery causing the child to be delivered by Caesarean section. This disqualifies Claire from continuing on her designated path as birthmother.  She is sent to the fish hatchery for work, but in the confusion, the pills that keep her from having emotions are overlooked and she starts to long for her son.  She finds a way to visit her son in the Nurturing Center, and can think of little else.  When circumstances demand that her son, who does not adjust as he should to the nursery, be eliminated, Josh kidnaps the baby, and Claire follows.  She ends up in a small village with no recollection of her former life.  Little by little memories surface, and Claire realizes she has to find her son.  With help she develops her strength and is able to leave the village and find Gabe and Josh, his kidnapper.  But, she encounters the Trademaster, who demands a she make a bargain with him before she can find her son.  It is a high price, but Claire cannot refuse.  I found myself thoroughly involved in the story, but I'm not sure my middle school students would have the same involvement.  Those who read The Giver, might, but not many would relate at this point in their lives to the longing of a mother for her son.  Still an interesting conclusion to The Giver. 



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Between Shades of Gray

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Although this book had overtones of many other books of this time period, I still felt it a compelling story.  It is the story of Lina, a fifteen-year-old girl, living a full and normal life in Lithuania 1941.  One night the Soviet Secret Police break into her home.  Her father has already been taken, and now she, her mother and her brother are being deported.  They have just a few minutes to gather some belongings. Then they are brought to a train and crammed into a boxcar bound for Siberia. The train is crowded and miserable, but that is just the beginning of their troubles.  After traveling for a long time in deplorable conditions, they finally arrive at a work camp in Siberia.  In these trying circumstances, Sepetys portrays the many facets of human nature. Lina's mother tries to see the best in others as well as their situation, but the bald man refuses to see good in anything. Sepetys, however, is able to round out the characters so they become more than stereotypes. As the years pass, they face even more dire circumstances and struggle with starvation,scurvy, typhus, and lice.  Lina is able to record the events with her drawings, which she passes along, hoping they will be sent to her father.  I truly was drawn into this story, which captures an often forgotten chapter of history. 



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The Last Dragonslayer

The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This first book in the series was a pleasant surprise.  Jennifer Strange, a foundling, has been indentured to Kazam Mystical Arts, and has recently taken over as manager with the disappearance of the former manager, the Great Zambini.  Smart and competent, Jennifer is doing a good job managing the magicians, even though their business is declining as their powers are seeming to wane.  Then the magicians begin having visions of the death of the last dragon, and part of their vision is that Jennifer is the last dragonslayer.  Jennifer adopts her new role with a serious desire to do the right thing by the dragon.  The dialogue and characters in this book are entertaining, especially the Quarkbeast, Jennifer's strange pet. Middle school students and above should enjoy Fforde's first venture into YA novels.



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Kill Order

The Kill Order by James Dashner

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Although I quite enjoyed Maze Runner, this book billed as a prequel to the the story, did not really answer many questions except how the "flare," got started.  It also left much to be desired as far as character development.  The author spent so much time creating one disastrous episode after another for the characters to work their way through, that we didn't feel much about the characters except a little sympathy for Mark who never got a break from the horrendous action from beginning to end.  There have been a couple of middle school boys who told me they absolutely loved this book, and, I'm sure for lovers of high-action video games would be the perfect book. It was one long video game, contrived escapes and all.  But, there is definitely a point where enough is enough, and the reader (at least this reader)wants to have something more than high action. There needs to be some softness or comic relief to contrast with the action. It wasn't to be found in this book.



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The Skull in the Rock

The Skull in the Rock: How a Scientist, a Boy, and Google Earth Opened a New Window on Human Origins by Marc Aronson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Because of the new Common Core, I feel I need to read more non-fiction.  This actually could be a good way to learn about a variety of subjects because YA non-fiction is usually short and written so it is easy to understand.  This book was perfect for this purpose and actually got me excited about the possibility of finding fossils.  It is about a scientist, Professor Lee Berger and his 9-year-old son, Matthew, who discovered two two-million-year-old fossils.  One was of an adult female and the other a young male.  Matthew had trained his eye to spot such things because of work with his father.  What a great experience for a young child.  There is a website www.scimania.org where scientists will be posting any new research on some aspect of the sediba, which is what this discovery of fossils is called.  I think this might be an interesting site to watch. 



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