Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul Wimpy Kid #9 by Jeff Kinney Funny Illustrated Fiction Realistic Fiction * * * Stars (Pretty good) Greg Heffley’s mom has the brilliant idea of taking an educational family road trip after she reads about it in a glossy issue of “Family Frolic” – her favorite magazine. It’s pretty much a disaster from start to finish. The Heffleys have crammed everyone and everything into their van and … Read more
The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer Holm Science Fiction Tween – grades 5-8 * * * Stars (Pretty good) Ellie, sixth-grader, takes it in stride when her grandfather – who has cultured the elixir of youth from a heretofore unknown jellyfish – comes to live with her and her mother after being arrested for breaking into his own lab. Because his elixir works. And he’s now the same cantankerous and opinionated old man (who loves Chinese … Read more
Nest by Esther Ehrlich Historical Fiction Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Tween (Grades 5-8) * * * SPOILER ALERT! * * * Eleven year old Naomi “Chirp” Orenstein is an avid birdwatcher growing up with her older sister in the early 1970s on Cape Cod. The Orensteins’ lives are forever changed when Chirp’s mother is diagnosed with MS (multiple-sclerosis). Mom – a dancer – sinks into a deep depression when her … Read more
Magic Thief Magic Thief series #1 by Sarah Prineas Fantasy * Star (A waste of time!) Magic Thief was a boy who lived on the streets and stole things in order to survive. He then became an apprentice of a well-known wizard and saved the decaying magic in the city. I didn’t like it because there was absolutely NO climax in the story. There was also NO build-up to a climax at all.
I Kill the Mockingbird by Paul Acampora Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Lucy, Elena, and Michael are best friends who will be starting high school in the fall. They lost their 8th grade English teacher, Fat Bob, to a sudden heart attack earlier in the school year and to commemorate his memory and celebrate Lucy’s favorite book (which is also on their summer reading list) the three become literary terrorists and begin … Read more
Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Jason Blake is twelve years old and autistic. He is smart and perceptive and has a very rich inner life, but it’s hard for him to verbally express himself and his feelings. He communicates best through his writing and has been sharing it on a website/online community called Storyboard for the past 3 years. Recently, he’s been exchanging emails with … Read more
Half a Chance by Cynthia Lord Realistic Fiction * * * Stars (Pretty good) Lucy’s family moves to New Hampshire and she becomes friends with some of the summer resident kids who also live around the lake. They spend their days together on “Loon patrol,” reporting on the activities of the loons nesting around the lake, kayaking, and hiking. When Lucy’s father – a famous photographer – tells her he’ll be judging a photography contest … Read more
The Silversix by AJ Lieberman Artwork by Darren Rawlings Graphic Novel Science FictionTween Graphic Novel/Science Fiction/Dystopia Phoebe is able to avoid detection for a year after her parents die in a shuttle explosion orchestrated by the evil Mr. Craven of the Craven Mining Corporation (which has a monopoly on the world’s fuel source – Hydro-2), but then someone manages to track a file transfer from her parents’ ship to her apartment, and she’s taken into … Read more
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein Realistic Fiction Suspense Thriller * * * Stars (Pretty good) Just before the new public library is to open, Mr. Lemoncello – a famous game designer, whose monetary contributions helped fund the endeavor – sponsors an essay contest to choose twelve twelve-year-olds to spend the night at a special library lock-in. Kyle and his friend Akimi are among those chosen, and they team up to play games … Read more
The Lemonade War By Jacqueline Davies Juvenile Fiction Realistic Fiction When we first meet Evan, he is not in a good mood. Then we are introduced to his younger sister, Jessie and we learn his bad mood has to do with her. Anyone who has a younger sibling can relate. These two have a lot of fun together, but when they learn that things are going to change in the upcoming school year, that’s when … Read more