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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