Princess Academy

by Shannon Hale

Miri lives in the tiny town of Mount Eskel. The citizens here barely eek out a living mining and selling linder, a beautiful stone only found on their mountain. Few know how to read, and their main contact with the outside world are traders from the city, who are only interested in getting linder for as cheap as possible. When a divination states that the next princess will be from Mount Eskel, the big-city Danlanders are horrified that their future queen might be a country bumpkin, so all girls of a certain age are required to attend the Princess Academy. The Academy will teach them history, poise, manners, and diplomacy, etc., so that any girl chosen will be prepared for royal duties. Miri isn't sure if she wants to be a princess, but knows that becoming a royal would improve her family's standing. She's excited to learn, and to meet the prince, but her growing feelings for Pater, her childhood best friend, complicate her emotions. She does know, beyond a doubt, that she wants to be Academy Princess, which is reserved for the girl who gets the best marks (sort of like the Princess Academy valedictorian!)

This story is so full of twists and turns and magic and adventure and romance that I can hardly begin to describe it all here! Why, oh why, didn't I read this book sooner? From the title, you might think this is another sappy, Disney-esque princess book, but it's so far from that. Miri is funny, and strong, but full of self doubt. Her voice is real, and the writing is so beautiful. You will never forget her.

I also must mention that I listened to this as a Full Cast Audio production. Each character had a different actor doing the voice work. It was absolutely incredible, and I wish all audio books were recorded this way!

The Whispering Skull

by Jonathan Stroud

Lockwood and Co. does it again! This time they're after the Bone Glass, a magical mirror made of the bones of seven spirits, which supposedly will let whomever gazes into see to the other side. Unfortunately, anyone who has ever looked into it has promptly died. After George has a near miss with the glass, it disappears, and the Lockwood group battles the Fittes group to see who can find it first. Lucy has a secret weapon, though. The skull inside the ghost jar (from book one) has revealed itself as a Type 3, and in between insults, is giving her clues. Can they get to the Bone Glass and destroy it before those snarky Fittes agents?

I absolutely love these books! The pages almost turn themselves, and they are so much fun. This one isn't quite as good as the first, but I think that's because it reads more like a hard-boiled mystery and the first was pure horror (which I tend to prefer.) It must be noted that the ghost jar also sounds an awful lot like Bartimaeus, but I won't hold that against him! The cliffhanger ending was great. The story tied up, but if we want to find out what's in Lockwood's secret room, we'll have to read the next one. Definitely one of my favorite new series.

Dark Life

by Kat Falls

It's the future, and the world as we know it has fallen apart. It's so bad that living underwater has become an option, and some brave "pioneers" have chosen to set up their lives there. They farm on the ocean floor, and raise fish that they they send "topside." Ty and his family live below, and he loves his life under the sea. Everything was going swimmingly until the Seablite gang showed up and began terrorizing the settlers. The topside government charges the settlers with capturing the gang, and Ty wants to help. Meanwhile, he meets a very cute topsider named Gemma. She's an orphan, looking for her older brother, and she thinks he might be below. Ty and Gemma have to work together to solve the mystery of her missing brother, and save the colony from the evil gangsters.

I think this is a great book for guys, especially for the ones who enjoy fast-paced adventures like the 39 Clues series.

Conversion

by Katherine Howe

There's something wrong with the girls at St. Joan's Academy...

One day, everything is normal. Boys, college applications, grade point averages. Then Clara, the most popular girl in school, collapses in class with what appears to be a seizure. But afterward, she continues to have tics, and her speech is strange. One by one, other girls begin to get sick, but their symptoms are different from Clara's. They suffer from things like total hair loss, constant shaking, and coughing up strange, inedible items. The community is in fear, and the media blows the situation up and exacerbates the hysteria.

Colleen, who hasn't been infected yet, is studying The Crucible in class, but hasn't done her assigned reading yet. She starts to get mysterious text messages encouraging her to read it, and when she does, she thinks she may have figured out the mystery of the illness at St. Joan's.

The story is told in alternating perspectives, from modern day teen girls, to the girls who accused the innocent citizens of Salem during the infamous Witch Trials. An interesting new twist on a fascinating time in our nation's history.

The Midwife's Apprentice

by Karen Cushman

First called Brat, then called Beetle, our main character finally chooses for herself the name Alyce. She has nothing, and no one to love. No home, no family, until she saves the life of an orange cat who seems to be just as unfortunate as herself. She is discovered sleeping in a dung heap by a grumpy old midwife, and becomes her apprentice.

There is no real drama here, other than Alyce growing to believe in herself, fighting off horrible bullies, and learning how to birth babies in a time when many women died in childbirth. This is a beautifully told story, with rich historical details, and a main character you just want to hug. (After she cleans up from the dung heap, of course!)

The Night Gardener

by Jonathan Auxier

Molly and Kip, immigrants come to America to escape the Irish potato famine, are on their own, and looking for employment. They hear of the Windsor house, and want to see if perhaps the Windsors are looking for servants. But the Windsor house is in the "sourwoods," and the only person who'll tell them how to get there is a creepy old storyteller they meet on the path. Upon arrival, they find a family of four, in poor health, and a house with a giant tree bursting through the foundation and walls. The tree has a secret, and soon Molly is as wrapped up in it as the Windsors.

This book has the feel of an old Grimm's fairy tale. Scary, but not TOO scary.

Far Far Away

by Tom McNeal

Jeremy Johnson Johnson hears voices. Or rather, he hears the voice of Jacob Grimm. Yep, THAT Jacob Grimm. The ghost of Jacob is Jeremy's constant companion. They live in a town called Never Better, but the name is misleading. Kids are disappearing, and if Jeremy can't solve the mystery, he might be next.

I don't know how to describe this book without ruining any of the surprises, so I'll just tell you how much I loved it! When the mystery is finally revealed, I promise, it will knock your socks off!

The Mostly True Story of Jack

by Kelly Barnhill

Jack is a person who just doesn't get noticed. In fact, he feels invisible most of the time. When his parents split up, he goes to Iowa to live with his aunt and uncle, and his life gets even weirder. Letters home always end up back in the mailbox, and it seems his parents are finding him easy to forget. Unfortunately, he does get noticed by the town bully. Soon he realizes he's fighting more than a local bully, as he begins to investigate the town's overabundance of missing children. Can Jack win against an ancient soul-stealing evil, or will he lose his in the process?

I'm not sure what to say about this book. It started out great, but for me, it got confusing and convoluted pretty quickly. The characters all blended together, and I had a hard time keeping them straight. If you really love quirky, weird, mysteries, this might be for you, but it was hard for me to finish.

A Matter of Days

by Amber Kizer

The Bluestar virus has wiped out the world as we know it. Nadia and her little brother Rabbit were given a super-secret vaccine by their Special Forces uncle, so they are the only people they know who survived. Their Uncle Bean gave them specific instructions to try to get their mom to take the vaccine (she was too stubborn to take it, and therefore croaked pretty quickly) and then try to get to West Virginia. He claims he'll be there waiting for them with their Pappy, whom they've never met. Since they're starting in Seattle, this turns into a quite a trip. They meet a few other survivors along the way, who happened to have a natural immunity to the virus.

This is a pretty simple story of a journey, and focuses more on how these two survive than anything else. It was interesting, but not one I'll rave about. For you people out there who just can't get enough of the end of the world.

This is What Happy Looks Like

by Jennifer E. Smith

When Graham Larkin accidentally hits one key too many and sends Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig by mistake, she can't pass up the opportunity to respond. They begin an email friendship that quickly turns flirtatious, and pretty soon, they're emailing every chance they get. They never exchange numbers, or even names, for fear of ruining the magic, but they know they live all the way across the country from each other--Graham in California, Ellie in Maine. There's something Ellie doesn't know about her pen pal, though. He's a movie star. Like, the hottest teen star in the country.

Graham finds out that his newest film project needs to be set in a quiet beach town, and suddenly he knows just the place. He suggests to the producers that they work in Ellie's hometown, and when he gets there, he sets out to try to find her. When he does, the connection is immediate, but Ellie has a secret of her own. Will they be able to get past all the drama in their lives and be able to be together?

This is not normally my kind of book, but I had heard so many good things about it I just had to give it a try. I'm so glad I did! Funny, sweet, and hopeful in all the right ways.

Inside Out & Back Again

by Thanhha Lai

Ha and her family live in Vietnam, and love their beautiful home. But the Vietnam War is raging, and begins to get closer and closer to their town. She has already lost her father. He's missing in action, but her family maintains hope that he will someday return. As the war rages on, it suddenly becomes clear that it's not safe for them to stay. They become refugees, boarding a navy ship headed to America, with only what they can fit in a small backpack. They finally arrive in Alabama, and a family takes them in. Ha deals with bullies at school, struggles to learn a new language, and deeply misses the fresh papayas that once grew in her yard. This is a story about adapting when you don't want to, figuring out who you are, and learning to accept the difficult things in life.

The Naturals

by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Seventeen-year-old Cassie has a rare gift. She can read people instantly-- what kind of car they drive, where they shop, even how they eat their eggs. She thinks she inherited the skill from her mom, who made her living as a psychic. Unfortunately, her mom disappeared five years ago, and is presumed dead, due to the amount of blood at the crime scene. One day, at her waitressing job, a handsome young man leaves a business card for her, asking her to call. The number is for an FBI agent. She has been recruited for the Naturals, an elite group of teens with special gifts, working for the FBI. She's told her recruitment has nothing to do with her mother, but when gruesome packages begin to arrive with her name on them, it's obvious the killer thinks otherwise.

I couldn't stop reading this book! It's fun, fast-paced, and full of twists and turns!

Rat Life

by Tedd Arnold

It's 1972, and life in Todd's small New York town is pretty boring, until the police find a body in the river. Then he meets Rat, a mysterious guy who's just a little older than Todd, but has already fought in Vietnam.When Rat offers Todd a job at the drive-in movies where he works, Todd accepts, and gets to know the odd boy called Rat a little better. The more he learns, the more he wonders about Rat, the body in the river, and if they could be connected.

This is great writing, and I think this book is highly under-rated. The first few chapters are completely unforgettable, and immediately make you feel connected to Todd. (Warning--it's unforgettable because it's super sad.)

A Snicker of Magic

by Natalie Lloyd

Felicity's mama is a wanderer. She has a hard time staying in one place for very long, so Felicity and her little sister don't get too comfortable anywhere. When they wind up in Midnight Gulch, where mama grew up, Felicity falls in love with the town, where there is a little bit of magic, but there used to be more. She wonders where all the magic has gone, because Felicity carries a little bit of magic around with her. She sees words like auras--they float around a person's head and tell her a bit about what they are thinking or feeling. She's so happy in Midnight Gulch, living with her no-nonsense aunt Cleo, meeting her uncle for the first time, and helping out the town's mysterious benefactor, The Beedle. But mama's already got the travel bug brewing again. Can Felicity settle her mama's heart down enough to finally make a home?

If you like books like Savvy, or A Tangle of Knots, you'll eat this one up, too!

Cold Calls

by Charles Benoit

Three teens, Eric, Shelly, and Fatima only have one thing in common. They're all getting some very disturbing phone calls. The caller demands that they bully another kid at their school. If they don't, the caller claims to be able to reveal their deepest, darkest secret to the world. In order to keep the caller from talking, all three bully another student just as they were told, and end up in an anti-bullying program together. When they realize they're all there for the same reason, they team up to try to solve the mystery of the caller's identity.

It's kind of  far-fetched story, but there are two mysteries, so you have to keep reading. First, you're dying to know what the secrets are that these teens are so desperate to hide, and second, you want to know who's calling and why.

The Amulet of Samarkand

by Jonathan Stroud

Nathaniel is an apprentice to a magician in a sort of magical modern day London. As an apprentice, he's not supposed to perform magic on his own, but he sneaks around and summons a djinni, a very difficult and dangerous task. Half of the story is narrated by Bartimaeus. He's sassy, and funny, and arrogant, but he's been around for thousands of years so he thinks he's entitled. When Nathaniel forces Bartimaeus to steal the Amulet of Samarkand from a very evil magician, they are both launched into an epic adventure.

This is a must for fantasy and Harry Potter fans!

The Perfectionists

by Sara Shepard

I've never read the Pretty Little Liar books, but I am a huge fan of the show, so thought I'd try it out. Not bad--it's very, very, similar to PLL. The cute girls, the high fashion, the hoodies, the burying stuff in the yard. Yep, all there. And she took her time setting up the background of all the characters. It was awhile before I could keep them all straight. I totally enjoyed it, though, in a brainless, I don't have to think while I read this kind of way. Don't expect an ending, though, because there's not any semblance of a conclusion. We'll have to read book two to find out how it ends, apparently.

Note: This will be published in October 2014. I'm guessing it will probably only be at the high schools.

Sasquatch in the Paint

by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Theo's six inch growth spurt the summer before his 8th grade year makes him the tallest kid in school, and a shoo-in for the basketball team. Unfortunately, he's terrible at basketball. He considers himself a nerd, and his main extra-curricular is the "Aca-ympics," a high-pressure academic team event, affectionately dubbed the "Brain Train." After his first basketball game, a heckler, (who turns out to be a cute but weird new girl named Rain) call him Sasquatch, and it sticks. His basketball experiences just get worse and worse, even when he tries to get some practice at park pick-up games. He gets in fight, a mysterious motorcycle guy is picking on Rain and stalking Theo, and Theo's dad is dating again, but trying to hide it. He feels like his life is falling apart, and then, he's accused of stealing. He might get kicked off the basketball team and the Brain Train if he can't set things right.

This is a funny, heartwarming story about basketball, loss, grief, dealing with bullies, and so much more.

Summer of the Mariposas

by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

Five sisters, cinco hermanitas, are swimming where they shouldn't. They love this little spot in the river, though, where the water bubbles up into a little alcove. They've snuck to this spot many times before, but today, there is a body floating in their playground. They are afraid to call the police, for fear of getting in trouble for being there in the first place. They drag him out, find his wallet, and see that he lives across the border in Mexico, very near their abuelita, their father's mother. Their papa, a once popular Tejano singer, has left them with no explanation. This body has given them an excuse to make a journey to Mexico to find their abuelita, and maybe their papa.

Odilia, the oldest, has the first of many mystical encounters with La Llorona, just before they leave. She gives Odilia some cryptic advice and a magical earring, and the girls, dead body in tow, are on their way to Mexico. (La Llorona, by the way, is a famous Mexican folktale. Many others are sprinkled throughout the story, like Chupacabra, etc.)

This is a retelling of The Odyssey, which, to be fair, is not one of my favorite stories in the first place. I found it hard to believe that five little girls would ride to Mexico with a dead body propped up in the car next to them, and while I realize I'm supposed to suspend my disbelief a little bit here, I just couldn't get past it. The story of the sisters and their falling-apart family was the best part of the book, but unfortunately, so much more time was spent on the mystical elements, which just weren't as interesting to me.

Night

by Elie Wiesel

This book has been on my "to read" list for a long time. Outside of Anne's diary, it's the quintessential holocaust story. Weisel jumps right in, spending very little time on occupation, taking us quickly into the story of his transport. He was able to stay with his father during his time in the camps. While this provides him some comfort, it also creates many stressful situations. I found this to be sort of the crux of his story. His never-ending, undying love for his father shapes his entire camp experience. That love influences all of his decisions, whether or not it endangers his own life. At one point during my reading, he almost seemed judgmental of others who did not make the same sacrifices for family, but brings this up himself at the end, and smooths out those rough edges for me as a reader. (Not that I would judge any holocaust survivor for anything, including judging another person, but it was an interesting aspect of the story for me.)

As far as holocaust stories that create a visceral response for me go, I found Diary of a Young Girl, Boy on the Wooden Box, and even The Boy Who Dared much more compelling. Those stories just interested me more. However, Weisel's writing is absolutely beautiful,and his wife's work on the translation is amazing.

Graduation Day

by Joelle Charbonneau

So now Cia is set to carry out the plan that was put in place in Independent Study. Can she/will she kill to end all the killing? And who can she trust to help her?

There's a lot of Cia thinking about her moral dilemma in this one, and even more back and forth on who she can and can't trust. It's a little exhausting.

BUT... I almost never read book two in a series, much less book three. Overall, I really enjoyed this fun series.

Out of My Mind

by Sharon Draper

Melody Brooks lives in a world that is unimaginable for most of us. She was born with cerebral palsy. Her movement is limited, and she cannot speak at all, save for a few grunts and shrieks. Fortunately, she has wonderful parents, who see that her mental capabilities are on par (if not above) her peers. She simply can't express what's in her mind. Up until 5th grade, she has spent her school days in the room with children who have profoundly special needs. But now, her school is mainstreaming Melody and her classmates into the regular classroom, where she is introduced to new opportunities, but also to new challenges.

There are some great things about this book. We get to walk in Melody's shoes for awhile. It's eye-opening to feel the frustration she feels, and live with her as she experiences her triumphs and setbacks. It's an emotionally compelling story. There are parts that will turn your stomach, and parts that will make you cheer.

Here's what drove me absolutely CRAZY about this book. Melody's parents are awesome. Her aides at school are awesome. Her home caretaker is awesome. But her teachers are terrible. All of them. In very, very dramatic ways. Perhaps I'm sensitive about this, being a teacher and all, but her teachers are so shockingly terrible, it took away the book's credibility for me. I have never heard a teacher say or do anything even remotely as awful as these teachers. In fact, most of the adults, except for the ones who are paid to care for her, are as insensitive and cruel as the horrible kids in this book.

So many students love this book, so I think it's definitely worth a read if you are looking for a realistic drama, but for me, it wasn't the greatest.

The Vengekeep Prophecies

by Brian Farrey

Jasper Grimjinx comes from a long line of great thieves. No one in Vengekeep respects or trusts them, and they're constantly trying to figure out ways to stay out of trouble. Jasper's mom thinks she has crafted a way to get them out of the worst types of messes, but ends up setting off a chain of terrible prophecies. Jasper thinks he knows how to save the town, but he has to go on a quest for some rare and dangerous ingredients before he can even try. Joined by some unlikely sidekicks, Jasper embarks on a crazy adventure full of magic and mayhem.

Vengekeep is a really cute book. It's a fun story, with good characters, and a fast-moving plot. I felt like it fell down a little bit in the world-building area. (I'm kind of already sick of that word, but I'm not sure how else to describe it.) The expressions, creatures, foods, etc., just seemed a little forced. As a reader, I didn't QUITE buy it. But still, an easy, quick, entertaining read.

Independent Study

by Joelle Charbonneau

Cia is at the University now. She has completed her Testing, and her memories, as feared, are gone. But when she finds the messages she recorded for herself, she has just enough information to distrust the establishment, and once again, put herself and Tomas in danger. While not quite as good as the first, Charbonneau keeps up the action and suspense in this book, and leaves us with an ending that makes it pretty much impossible to not be excited for Graduation Day.

The Rithmatist

by Brandon Sanderson

Joel wants so badly to be a Rithmatist. What's that, you ask? A person who can draw circles and lines with chalk, that will defend against chalkings. Which are chalk drawings that can and will eat you alive. WHAT?

First of all, it doesn't get much more original as far as ideas for a story go. Between each chapter, the illustrator maps out one of the defensive strategies used by Rithmatists. By the end of the book, you know the rules of this world so well, you basically feel like you could defend against the wild chalklings. And you would, if it wasn't so darn scary.

Joel goes to an Academy where Rithmatists and regular students alike attend. He's been sneaking into Rithmatist-only classes for a long time, though. Even though he knows he missed his chance to become one for real, he wants to know everything he can about them. When Rithmatic students start to disappear, and only drops of blood remain in their chewed up defensive drawings, he knows he has the tools and the knowledge to help. He just has to convince someone to let him.

I was drawn into (ha, ha) this book immediately, and was so absorbed I swear I was thinking in chalk drawings. Scary, mysterious, and totally fascinating. Really and truly different from anything I've ever read.

Flora & Ulysses

by Kate DiCamillo

Flora is a cynic, and with good reason. Her parents are divorced, and her mom seems to love her lamp more than her own daughter. Flora lives for her comic books, so when her neighbor Tootie runs over a squirrel with her new Ulysses 2000X vacuum, and Flora revives him, she thinks he MUST have super powers. Turns out, being sucked up in that vacuum DID change the squirrel, whom Flora now lovingly calls Ulysses. He can type, fly, and write poetry. Unfortunately, every super hero must have a nemesis, and for Ulysses, that is Flora's mother, who only sees the squirrel as a rodent who must be dispatched, and fast. Flora and her neighbor's nephew, temporarily blind William Spiver, must protect Ulysses at all costs.

I love little cynical Flora, and her awesome, hilarious sidekick William Spiver. I listened to this on audio, and the narrator is amazing. This story works great as a read aloud, and her ability to give each character a different voice was a big part of the fun for me.

Yes, the young characters use big words that maybe a ten year old wouldn't use. But this story also stars a squirrel who types poetry, so I'm okay with it. The Newbery Committee made a great choice this year.

The Testing

by Joelle Charbonneau

I have a love/hate relationship with this book. I really wanted to hate it.

Here's what it's about. So there's this girl Cia, and she lives in a messed up future version of the United States. You see, we've destroyed ourselves with war, and by not taking care of the earth, and all that good stuff. Now, the powers that be have created The Testing. Only the best and brightest get to go (have to go?) to the big city to participate. They are put through a series of ordeals in which many, many, young people die a very violent death. There's a boy, too. Tomas. He's soooo dreamy. He tells Cia he loves her, but she's not sure if she can trust him.

Sound familiar? Yeah, I thought so. And honestly, I cant' even tell you, "But wait! This is different!" Cause it's not. But for some reason, even though I rolled my eyes through the whole thing, I just kept on reading, which I don't tend to do if I'm not interested in something. I finished it. And then, there was a sample chapter for the next book in the series. I read that, too. Today, I checked out Independent Study.

I cannot explain my behavior. It just is what it is. This is the Twilight of dystopias. Stupid, cheesy, but somehow, oddly compelling.

We Were Liars

by E. Lockhart

Cady comes from a life of privilege. Her family owns an island off the coast of Massachusetts. She and her cousins have spent every summer of their lives on the island. Cady's mom Penny fights constantly with her two sisters, Bess, and Carrie, over who has the nicest house on the island, and all three sisters drink too much, way too often. This causes the three older cousins, Cady, Johnny, and Mirren, to try to create their own little oasis of sanity by simply sticking together. They're joined by Gat, the son of Carrie's boyfriend, but he's Indian, and he's not wealthy, and this causes issues, especially when Cady begins to show a romantic interest in him.

At some point during the summer they were all 15, there was an accident, and Cady was injured. She doesn't return to the island until summer 17. No one will talk to her about what happened, and her memory is sketchy. As Cady starts to put the pieces together, so will you, mostly likely with a growing sense of unease.

So this book is one of those with a crazy twist at the very end. Maybe because I was expecting it, it just didn't really catch me off guard. But I love E. Lockhart, and the writing is beautiful, as usual. She definitely paints a picture of these snotty New Englanders that sticks in your head. Her strength here is her characters, even though the plot is what seems to be getting the most attention.

The Underneath

by Kathi Appelt

Part fairy tale, part legend, part animal adventure, this book defies categorization. It's certainly not for everyone, but I guess it was for me, because I can't stop thinking about it. All of my emotions while reading this book weren't good, and there were a couple of places where I just couldn't take any more sad, but I kept going. The writing is lyrical--very poetic and flowery. Sometimes it worked, sometimes not as much. But at all times while I was reading this, I was feeling SOMETHING. Scared, defeated, hopeful, relieved--I felt it and felt it strongly.

There are two stories going on here. We have a pregnant cat who seeks refuge under a rickety house, and befriends the hound dog chained up there. The house's owner, Gar Face, is the embodiment of true evil. He is a sociopath in a children's book. It's terrifying. The other story takes place 1,000 years before. We hear the story of Grandmother Moccasin, now sealed and buried in a jar because of her awful deeds, but about to be set free by the very next rain storm. She is also pure evil. Nothing made these two bad. They just are. I think that's a hard concept to work into a book for young people, but the author has done it, and done it well. Doesn't make it any less scary. The two stories tie together at the very end in a pretty satisfying way.

A weird, weird, book, but so different from anything I've ever read.

Eleven

by Patricia Reilly Giff

Sam has a non-traditional family. His parents are gone, and he lives with his grandfather, Mack. One day, he finds a newspaper clipping in the attic. Unfortunately, Sam can't read. He can only tell that it's a picture of him as a child, and that is has the word missing. He begins to wonder if Mack is really his grandfather after all. He enlists the help of Caroline, the new girl in school, to work with him on a class project. He hopes that when they get to his attic, she will be able to read the clipping and solve the mystery.

Overall, this was a pretty disappointing read for me. It might be because I listened to it, and the reader was really dry. Very little inflection in her voice, so perhaps if I had read the print version I would have felt differently. This is marketed as a mystery, but the plot had very little tension, and the resolution was just kind of what you think it's going to be. Not a bad story about friendship, family, etc., but not what I expected.

Wonder

by R.J. Palacio

How do you describe a book like Wonder?

Auggie Pullman was born with a severe facial deformity. This book is about his fifth grade year, his first time in public school. It's told from several different perspectives--his, his sister's, some of his classmates, etc.

I listened to this on audio, and it was really well done, so I don't know what a regular reading experience of this would be. I'm glad I listened, though, because when Auggie talks, you listen. He starts the story, and as he describes what it's like to live in his body, I couldn't help but think back to times when perhaps I wasn't as kind or as sensitive as I could have been. You almost feel guilty that he has to live with this, and you don't.

And then his sister Via begins to tell her side of the story, and while you still feel for Auggie, you feel for her, too. You suddenly feel, well, like she lets you off the hook a little. Via is my favorite. When she started talking about the Punnett square, and calculating the odds that her own children might one day have Auggie's health problems, then casually mentions that she won't be having any, I almost lost it.

With each different voice, the reader gets to experience the emotion of Auggie's condition from another perspective, and it's really magical. This story is a celebration of a parent's unconditional love for a child, the power of simple kindness, and a reminder that life's biggest blessings don't alway come packaged as expected. Everyone should read this book.

Lockwood & Co.: The Screaming Staircase

by Jonathan Stroud

England has a Problem. There are ghosts, and they are everywhere. When the ghosts first started appearing, people soon realized that psychic ability, including the ability to see ghosts, begins to diminish as one gets older. Someone had to fight the ghosts, and it had to be children. Ghost fighting agencies began to spring up, and the living learned that iron filings, salt, silver, and lavender were good tools for protection. They created ghost lamps to ease the public mind. Tools and light can only do so much, though, and ghost fighting is a dangerous job. After an unfortunate incident at her last agency, Lucy Carlyle finds employment at Lockwood & Co. There are only two other employees--the mysterious, confident, Lockwood, and his slovenly partner, George. When their first case together almost gets them killed, the press is so bad they fear they'll lose the company. Then they get an offer they can't refuse, but they'll have to risk their lives again to save the agency.

Wow, wow, wow. This is one of my favorite books of the year. First, we really need to talk about this cover. It brings to mind Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and worst of all Scooby Doo. But puuuhhlleeeezzz don't judge this book by its cover! It's just terrible. Makes it look like this is a book for third graders. Let  me assure you... it is not. Students always ask me, "what's the scariest book you've read in this library?" From now on, I'll be walking them straight over to F STR. Toward the end, I was absolutely terrified, and I don't scare easy. This was my first Jonathan Stroud book, and I feel like I've been depriving myself all these years. I can't wait to dig into some of this other novels, and hope that there will be other Lockwood & Co. mysteries coming soon!

One Came Home

by Amy Timberlake

In post-Civil War Wisconsin, one of the most interesting things that happened in town was the huge (miles wide) flock of Passenger Pigeons coming through their area. This event attracted "pigeoners" from all over the country, who sought to make money off flesh, feathers, etc.These were not always trustworthy men.

Georgie's sister Agatha was everything Georgie wanted to be--brave, smart, and beautiful. But when the pigeoners came through Placid, Agatha disappeared. A few weeks later, a body was brought to Georgie's family. Or rather, what was left of it. A few scraps of the beautiful blue-green dress that belonged to Agatha, and a bit of skull with flaming red hair. The clues are all there. Agatha has been murdered and left for the animals to tear apart. But Georgie won't believe it. She sets off in the same direction as Agatha on a mule named Long Ears. She means to find Agatha, but ends up finding much more.

A great mystery, really good writing, and a very interesting story about these now-extinct pigeons that I bet you've never heard before.

The Last Dragonslayer

by Jasper Fforde

Jennifer Strange is, at age 15,  in charge of running Kazam, an employment agency for magicians. This used to be a great job, but in the Ununited Kingdoms, where magic's power is quickly dwindling, it's quite a challenge. Her employer, Mr. Zambini, has mysteriously disappeared, and Jennifer feels like she's in a little over her head. When one of the precogs (they can see the future) has a vision that the last dragon in the land will be slain the following Sunday, Jennifer's world turns upside down. She finds herself in the middle of a huge fight for the Dragonlands, and learns that the fate of the Ununited Kingdoms is in her hands.

This book took me quite awhile to get into. In fact, I almost abandoned it. I'm so glad I didn't though, because about halfway through, it took a turn for me. For one, I fell in love with Jennifer's sidekick, the Quarkbeast, and I now wish I could have one for my very own! Also, either I got used to Fforde's style of humor, or the second half of the book actually got funnier. Either way, I ended up liking it quite a bit.

The Tragedy Paper

by Elizabeth LaBan

When Duncan goes back to his small private boarding school for his senior year, he can't believe his misfortune. He's been assigned the worst possible room on the boy's hall. Each year, the senior who lived there the previous year leaves a "treasure" for the new resident. Sometimes it's cash, sometimes a puppy, sometimes it's nothing more than junk. Duncan finds a pile of CDs, and thinks his treasure falls into the junk category, until he begins to listen.

Tim, the previous resident of Duncan's room, has recorded his story. How he came to the school in his last semester, and how he fell in love with one of the most popular girls in the class in the airport on the way there.

We hear the story from two viewpoints, Tim's and Duncan's, but it's Tim that I most connected with. He is an albino, which means he has no pigment in his skin or hair. He struggles mightily to not let this condition define him. As a reader, you can feel his love for Vanessa, who unfortunately is in a relationship with a boy who doesn't treat her well. She loves Tim, too, but we wonder if she will ever be able to see past Tim's albinism.

As Duncan listens to the CDs, we begin to realize that something horrible happened at the end of Tim and Vanessa's senior year. The suspense waiting to find out what it is was almost unbearable. I loved this book. The writing, the characters, the story, were all spot-on, and I think it will stick with me for a long, long time.

Tesla's Attic

by Neal Shusterman and Eric Elfman

When Nick's mom is tragically killed in a house fire, he and his dad and brother move to Colorado Springs to make a fresh start. The attic of their new house seems to be full of junk, so Nick has a garage sale to clear things out. The garage sale attracts more than just the neighbors, though. The Accelerati, a group of mysterious (and not so nice) men in pastel suits want the garage sale items, and will do just about anything to get them. This is no ordinary junk... Nick has found the inventions of Nikola Tesla, and these items do amazing things. Can he and his group of friends save the items, and themselves, from the Accelerati?

Suspenseful and funny, this is a great start to a fun new trilogy!

The 5th Wave

by Rick Yancey

Maybe I'm biased, because I love me some aliens, but this book was SO. MUCH. FUN!

Basically, there's an alien apocalypse. They're wiping out the human race, but they're doing it in stages. We pick up the story at the end of the 4th wave, or, if you prefer, stage of human destruction.We meet Cassie first. She's alone, and trying to survive in this crazy new world. She's being hunted. She doesn't know who she can trust, which makes her very dangerous.

I just don't feel like I can say any more about the plot without stealing away the suspense for you!

This is definitely a thriller. A just for fun, escape from your daily life, get totally absorbed type of book. So the pages turn themselves, and it's awesome when that happens. But it's even greater because it's Rick Yancey. He can tell a killer story, but (shock and awe!) the man can also WRITE!

I hate books that set out to be a series opener, and this clearly is. However...it's so good that I forgive Mr. Yancey. Can't wait to see what happens next!

Counting by 7's

by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Willow is a genius, but not just any genius. One of the off-the-charts, totally weird, super crazy smart about the strangest things type of genius. She's socially awkward, but doesn't care. She's an adoptee, and an only child. She loves her garden and her parents more than anything. But then something terrible happens, and her carefully constructed world falls apart. This is a story about grief, and it's a story about healing, told in the voice of a girl like no one you've ever known.

I loved I'll Be There, Ms. Sloan's other book, so much that I was almost scared to read this one for fear of disappointment, but I shouldn't have been. You'll cry your eyes out and laugh out loud with Willow. One of my favorite books so far this year.

I Hunt Killers

by Barry Lyga

Jazz's dad is a famous serial killer, and has been in prison for the past few years. The murders weren't a secret from Jazz. In fact, his father basically trained him how to follow in his footsteps. Jazz doesn't want to be like his dad, but he isn't sure if he can trust himself, or if anyone else should. And that's where this book gets annoying. Fast. I couldn't get past Jazz's self-doubt to truly enjoy the mystery, even though that part was paced really well, and I did care enough to keep reading. When you finally get to the conclusion, though, you find that it's not really much of a conclusion at all, and that it's all set up for the next book in the installment. Sigh.

This one is only in the high schools, guys, so if you still want to read it, you'll have to find it at a bookstore.

The Fairy Ring

by Mary Losure

This could have been a great book, because it's a fascinating true story. In 1917, Frances moved to England to live with her older cousin Elsie and her family. One day the girls were playing in the field behind the house, and Frances swears that she sees fairies frolicking around. (Interestingly enough, even to her dying day, she maintained that her sightings were real.) On a whim, Elsie, who is an artist, draws a fairy, mounts it on a hat pin, and asks to take the family's camera into the field. (At this time, the camera is a new invention, and it's very complicated to get even one good photo.) They pretend the fairy photo is real, and show the photo to their family.They take a few more in this manner, and it eventually catches the attention of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the famous author of the Sherlock Holmes novels. He believes they are real, and begins communicating with the girls, who are a little freaked out by all this attention. They become known nationwide. Some are believers, but others denounce the girls as frauds.

I loved the story. The fact that these girls caused such a ruckus with a painted fairy on a stick is hilarious. There were just a few areas that I felt needed further clarification from the author. Several times it seemed there had to be more to the story, but we, as readers, weren't getting it. A kind of cool read anyway, just to get the details on this famous hoax.