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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