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.