Small Spaces

by Katherine Arden

Truly creepy/scary books are not easy to come by at the middle grade level, but this one definitely gets there. Ollie has just lost her mom--it's just her, her dad, and her books now. She loves books, so when she sees a woman about to throw one into the river, she knows she has to rescue it. The woman is straight up distraught the Ollie has her book, but she's not giving it back. She starts to read it, but hasn't finished it before her class field trip to a farm goes downhill really quickly. Is the book connected to what's happening to Ollie's classmates, and can she save them from a truly bizarre fate?

The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away

by Ronald L. Smith

Simon is really interested in aliens. He's also terrified of aliens. Then on a camping trip with his family, he sees an owl, blacks out, and wakes up with what he believes is an implant in his stomach. When he shares this with his family, they of course don't believe him, and take him to a therapist, who basically gives him a bunch of pills to fix his problems. In between the chapters about Simon, there are chapters of a "novel" that he is writing, which was really hard for me to connect with, and I found myself skimming over. The ending is rushed, and you're left just sort of shocked that the book is over, and that was it. I hate to say it, but what a waste of a beautiful cover.

The Fade

by Demitria Lunetta

Haley's family has moved from Chicago to rural Wisconsin, into a creepy old house with a sordid past. She immediately begins to feel a presence there, and soon learns that several years ago, a whole bunch of pretty girls went missing from her house and some of the surrounding homes. She knows they want something, but can't figure out what, and soon enlists the help of Coop, a cute local boy she meets at a party.

Dry

by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Alyssa has been living under water restrictions in Southern California ever since she can remember, but then one day, the taps actually go dry. FEMA is more concerned about a different natural disaster on the other side of the country, so government help is coming in slow. It doesn't take long for the true nature of Alyssa's neighbors to come out as everyone is struggling to just stay alive for one more day. What's scary about this book is how fast the characters reach a critical situation. Within a matter of days people are dying, and not just from dehydration. The domino effect of having no water and how the Shustermans play that out is interesting. Unfortunately the multiple point of view technique didn't really work here. I had a hard time distinguishing between characters, often having to go back to the beginning of each chapter to remind myself who was talking. Interesting, and a quick read, but not Shusterman's best.

The Missing Piece of Charlie O'Reilly

by Rebecca K. S. Ansari

In this beautifully inventive debut, Charlie O’Reilly has lost his little brother. He wished him away the night before his birthday, and now he is missing. The worst part is that no one, including his parents, believe Liam ever existed. Every trace of Liam is gone, and Charlie’s insistence that he was real has driven his mother into a deep depression. His only solace is his friend Ana, who vows to help him find Liam, even though she can’t remember him either. When Charlie finds a note in his room suggesting they talk to Jonathan, his new assistant baseball coach, they discover there might be hope to save Liam after all. However, the quest won’t be without risks, and they may have to give up more than they expected to find him. Readers will bite their nails and cheer for Charlie and his friends every step of the way. A sympathetic villain adds depth and complexity to the story, and plot turns abound, both delightful and heartbreaking.

The Whispers

by Greg Howard

Oh my goodness. This book. It's funny, sweet, sad, shocking, moving, suspenseful, heart-breaking and heart-warming.

Riley. He's an 11 year old South Carolina southern boy. He loves his dog, his mama, Jesus, being outside, and his grandma's cooking. He also has a major crush on the farm boy down the road, but only his best friend Gary knows about that. Life is pretty good, until his mama goes missing. Riley's world is turned upside down. It doesn't help that his older brother is a real jerk, and since his mama went away, he can't think of the last time his daddy even said his name. He thinks it's his fault his mama is gone, and he's convinced the cops are idiots and it's up to him to bring her home. He remembers a story she used to tell him about creatures called the whispers. If you bring them a tribute, they will give you your heart's desire. Riley thinks if he can just find the right offering, maybe the whispers can help him bring mama home.

The Dogs

by Allan Stratton

Cameron's mom lives in fear that her ex-husband will find them someday and cause them harm. Cameron was so young when they got divorced that he wonders if his mom is over-exaggerating his father's potential for violence. He's not allowed to see him or talk to him, and the older he gets, the more Cameron resents his mom, and the situation. After weeks of seeing a car parked in front of their home, she decides they need to move. Again. She rents an old farm house in the middle of nowhere. Their landlord is the creepy old man who lives one farm over. And then, Cameron begins to see the boy whenever he closes his eyes. Who is this boy in the coonskin cap, and what does he want with Cameron?

I absolutely loved this quiet little thriller! A middle grade mystery with a believable premise, some actual scary moments, and characters readers can connect with? Yes, please!

Hey, Kiddo

by Jarrett Krosoczka

This couldn't have been an easy book to write. Jarrett's childhood is truly tragic on so many levels. The image of him curled up asleep in front of his grandparents' bedroom door because he was afraid was absolutely heartbreaking. As is often the case in situations like this, the "good guys" in the child's life may not be what others would consider to be positive influences. His portrayal of his grandmother, while mostly flattering, also gives an honest depiction of her darker side that sort of explains why this family is what it is. Kroscoczka doesn't seem to pull any punches. It was a hard story for me to read, and as much as I try, I struggle with a graphic format and it dragged a bit at times. But this book isn't for me. It's for the kids (lots of them) who are living this way right now. It's for the ones who might think they don't have a chance to escape their circumstances. And I love that it's a story told in pictures, which might make the message a bit more accessible to some kids.

Thunderhead

by Neal Shusterman

Wow! It's very rare that a sequel measures up to the first in a series, and it almost NEVER surpasses it, but this one most definitely did. So much so that it almost feels like Scythe is truly just a set up so that he could tell this part of the story. I'll steer clear of plot summaries to avoid Scythe spoilers. I'll just say that if you liked Scythe even a little bit, you have to add this one to the list.

Scythe

by Neal Shusterman

In the future, no one dies. Disease has been eliminated, and bodies mangled in accidents can be fixed with a short hospital stay. But there's not enough room for everyone on this planet, so somebody has to go. Enter the Scythes, people trained to kill at random for the good of the world. They are mysterious, feared and respected, almost god-like. When Citra and Rowan are chosen to be a Scythe's apprentice, they are both reluctant to take the job, but know that it would be best for their families. As they learn "the art of taking a life," they also learn that the "perfect" world in which they live is actually far from it. Lots of twists and turns and exciting action make this a winner!