Nightmares!

by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller

Charlie Laird's mom has recently passed away, and his dad remarried a woman named Charlotte. They all move into Charlotte's creepy purple mansion, and that's where Charlie begins having nightmares. His nightmares get scarier and scarier, and all involve an evil witch that suspiciously resembles his "Stepmonster." Soon his nightmares become more than just scary dreams. The witch can enter the waking world. When she kidnaps his little brother, Charlie discovers that he can also enter the Netherworld. It's up to him to save his brother, and the entire waking world.

Not the most original story in the world, but it's kind of cute, and the audio book is read by the author. (He's a pretty famous funny actor.)

NEED

by Joelle Charbonneau

Kaylee's brother needs a kidney, and suddenly, she's provided with a huge temptation. A new social media site has popped up among the kids at Kaylee's high school, which promises to grant requests as long as you do whatever the site requests of you. But there's a price for each NEED granted, and the game is soon out of their control.

I had such high hopes for this book. I'm a big fan of The Testing series, but this one isn't even in the same ballpark. The characters are completely unbelievable. Seriously, these are some dumb kids. The premise sounded fascinating, but it was just poorly executed. And the resolution was a real eye roller. I stuck with it, hoping it would all wrap up in the end, but ultimately, just not for me.

The Shade of the Moon

by Susan Beth Pfeffer

This is definitely the weakest of the four books, but it's great to see what happens to everyone. Pfeffer doesn't pull any punches--this one is a real heartbreaker.

This World We Live In

by Susan Beth Pfeffer

In this third installment, Julie and Alex have hooked up with Miranda's dad and stepmom. They've been traveling together, and Hal brings them all home to stay with Miranda and her mother and brothers. The Evans kids grow up fast in this book, and a lot of loose ends are tied up. I don't want to be a spoiler, so I'll leave it at that!

The Dead and the Gone

by Susan Beth Pfeffer

I'm not sure what it is about these books that I find so appealing. It's not like they're great works of literature. It's not like I don't see the flaws in the stories, because I do. It's just that I enjoy them way too much to not give them great reviews.

This is the same time frame as Miranda's story in Life As We Knew It, told from the perspective of a Puerto Rican boy living in New York City. Alex Morales has everything going for him--a great family, a scholarship to a Catholic private school, and good odds of getting into Georgetown for college. When an asteroid hits the moon, and his parents don't come home, he's left to care for his two sisters alone. Many of his struggles are the same as Miranda's were, but just because you know the volcanic ash is coming for Alex, you don't feel for him any less. Fascinating, terrifying, gut-wrenching, and heart-breaking, these books are like a train wreck--you just have to keep looking.

Life As We Knew It

by Susan Beth Pfeffer

When an asteroid hits the moon, knocking it closer to earth, life as Miranda knew it changed forever. Tidal waves destroy coastal cities, volcanic ash darkens the air, and communication with anyone but your neighbors is all but impossible. Miranda's older brother makes it home from college, but her dad and pregnant stepmom decide to risk traveling and are soon unreachable. She's left with her two brothers, her mom, and their elderly neighbor who is a family friend. At first, things don't seem too bad. Electricity is spotty, but available, and they have plenty of canned and boxed food to survive. But it's the slow unraveling of society that makes this novel special--the steady but sure decline of humanity that would be inevitable if an event like this were to occur. There are a few holes in the world-building, such as stating they were out of natural gas, the electricity is off, and somehow they are cooking dinner. (This is all before they began using the wood stove...) But I guess I can look past all that because this is the kind of book you want to tell everybody about.

The Nest

by Kenneth Oppel

I started this book yesterday, and I finished it yesterday. Talk about intense.

Steve's parents have a new baby, but he's sick. He's in and out of the hospital, and his parents say it's something very rare that the doctors don't know much about. And then one day, Steve gets stung by a wasp and has an allergic reaction bad enough that the ER doctor prescribes him an Epi-pen. That night, he has a dream. A very strange looking angel tells him that she and the other angels will fix the baby. Steve knows it's just a dream, but it makes him feel better, until he meets the "angels" again, and realizes that maybe their intentions are not what they first seemed.

As Steve becomes more aware of what is actually happening, the story gets more and more frightening. Kids will just be terrified of the wasps; adults, and especially parents, will want to give the kids they love an extra hug. Shudder. What a strange and unforgettable ride.

Dumplin'

by Julie Murphy

Aw, Willowdean! You can't help but smile and nod your head as you read this book. Will's dad isn't around, and she has spent her whole life with her mom and her very overweight Aunt Lucy. When we meet her, Lucy has just died of a heart attack, and Willowdean is reeling. She shared a special bond with Lucy, and she misses her terribly. Willowdean has weight issues of her own, and it's never really bothered her before, but then she meets Bo. He's gorgeous, and even though she thinks he's way out of her league, he likes her. All of a sudden, her insecurities rear their ugly heads. She can't bring herself to tell her best friend, Ellen, that Bo has been kissing her behind the dumpster at work, and the secret makes her feel farther and farther away from her tiny, beautiful friend. One day, while going through her Aunt Lucy's things, Will finds an application for the local beauty pageant, and gets a crazy idea--one that will turn just about all of her relationships on their heads.

The best part of this book has to be the characters, and while it's probably billed more as a romance, it's the friendship story of Ellen and Willowdean that steals the show. The group of misfits that Will hangs out with are hilarious and believable. Her flawed but loving mother is perfectly drawn. In fact, the only character who feels a bit flat to me is Bo. Even Mitch, the other third of Will's love triangle, is just so spot on. This book definitely deserves all the praise it's been getting recently!

(This one won't be in our middle school library, but you can find it at the public library or at a bookstore.)

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy

by Karen Foxlee

Ophelia, whose mother has recently died, finds a strange boy locked away, who says he needs her help. He's been imprisoned by the Snow Queen, and has been for many, many years. She's supposed to find a sword for him, but it's a dangerous mission. The story is basically Ophelia looking for the sword, dealing with her mother's death, and being puzzled about her sister's strange behavior. This sounded exactly like my kind of book, but I couldn't connect with the characters, or get involved with a plot that seemed a little bit too much like a weird Narnia rip-off. And the ending... What? Was it supposed to be a twist? I was just left scratching my head.

The Hollow Boy

by Jonathan Stroud

There's an outbreak of the Problem in Chelsea, and it's worse than any of the agents have ever seen. All the major agencies are working it to no avail, and as usual, Lockwood & Co. hasn't even been consulted. Lockwood has hired a new assistant for the group, Holly Munro, who is as cute and perfect as she can be. Lucy hates her, and so does the Ghost Jar, which leads to some pretty hilarious sarcastic comments from him. Thanks to George's fabulous research skills, the team does eventually get to work on the Chelsea outbreak, with help from some unlikely people. Is it scary, you ask? Oh, you bet it is. The Whispering Skull somehow lost the edge that I found so appealing in The Screaming Staircase. It was more hard-boiled detective than terrifying ghost story. But the fear factor is all back in The Hollow Boy, and then some. Stroud doesn't talk down to his readers, or pull any punches, and he leaves us with a killer of a cliffhanger. Absolutely on my favorites list, and I can't wait for the next one.

Circus Mirandus

by Cassie Beasley

Micah's grandpa is sick. In fact, he might not have much time left. Micah is devastated, until he finds out that the Circus Mirandus, from the magical stories his grandpa has been telling him his whole life, is real. Long ago, the Lightbender promised Grandpa Ephraim a miracle, and now it's time to collect. But first Micah and his friend Jenny have to find the elusive circus, and then, Micah has to make Jenny believe. He also has to convince the Lightbender to make good on his years-old promise, which won't be easy.

I really could gush about this book for quite some time. Even though I knew long before Micah what Grandpa's miracle had to be, I don't know that kids will figure it out, and even if they do, I don't think they'll care. There are shades of Big Fish, The Princess Bride, and even Harry Potter. There's an inexplicable shivery goodness here that comes with magical realism done right. This is Ms. Beasley's first novel, and I'm putting her on my watch list. I know I would have absolutely inhaled this as a kid, and I think my students will, too. An absolute joy to read.

Sorta Like a Rock Star

by Matthew Quick

Amber Appleton is a strange girl, but to be fair, she has a strange life. She lives on a school bus with her alcoholic mom, and believe it or not, that living situation is an improvement over bouncing from house to house every time her mom changes boyfriends. Somehow, Amber manages to keep her positive attitude, until something happens that might shatter even the princess of hope. This book isn't really about plot, though. In fact, it kind of felt like nothing much happened until halfway through. Still, the characters are so wildly off the wall that you can't help but love them. Just a few include: a mild-mannered marketing teacher, a PTSD-ravaged Vietnam vet, a group of teen boys who would go to the ends of the earth to protect Amber, an autistic boy raised by a hard-driving lady lawyer, and Bobby Big Boy, a scruffy little mutt aka B Thrice. While Amber's sticky sweetness does grate from time to time, her self-centered but well-meaning persona was pretty right on as far as real teenage girl goes.

Chasing Lincoln's Killer

by James Swanson

I love most things Civil War related, and this was a detailed and interesting account of the events that led up to Lincoln's assassination, and the chase that ended with Booth's death. While I definitely enjoyed it, it left me wanting a little more. I would have loved to have learned more about Booth himself. There's really very little information here about how he became such a radical for his cause, but in fairness, maybe that's a story for another book.

The Imaginary

by A.F. Harrold

Amanda, sassy and adventurous, has an imaginary friend named Rudger. She found him in her wardrobe, and he has become her constant companion. It's all fun and games until Mr. Bunting shows up, a grown-up who can still see Imaginaries. (This is not the natural order of things, and Mr. Bunting is bad... very bad.) When Rudger and Amanda are separated, Rudger is led to meet other Imaginaries, but they're all in danger unless he can stop Mr. Bunting. Suspenseful, creative, original, and amusing--this book will appeal to a wide audience. The illustrations are absolutely necessary and totally integrated into the story. One in particular scared me so bad that I screamed when I turned the page and it was staring me in the face!

The Cod's Tale

by Mark Kurlansky

A short, pretty interesting overview of the history of cod and how it shaped civilization, from Vikings to modern day. I did learn a few things! The writing was a little choppy, though, and the little side stories and recipes, etc., in the margins didn't integrate well into the story.

El Deafo

by Cece Bell

When Cece was four, she had a serious bout with meningitis, and unfortunately lost much of her hearing. She chronicles the process by which her four year old self realizes she can't hear. It's equally fascinating and heartbreaking. But the majority of her story focuses on her upper elementary years, where she goes through a revolving door of friends, casting off those who talk to her too loudly, try to teach her sign language, and more. (Who can blame, her, though!?) One day, she realizes that the Phonic Ear, her fancy hearing aid, allows her to hear her teacher peeing in the bathroom, and she dubs herself El Deafo, creating for herself an alter ego with super hearing super powers!

This is the first graphic novel I've ever read where I forgot I was reading a graphic novel. The story and the images flowed beautifully. I alternately shook my head at Cece and cheered for her, but mostly, I laughed. A sweetly funny story with a real and flawed protagonist.The picture of Cece in elementary school at the end of the book would melt anyone's heart!

Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek

by Maya Van Wagenen

Okay... here's what I like about this book. 1) Her overall message about the pursuit of popularity, and how it's basically something that is unattainable. It's great for teens to see others struggle, and make it to the other side. 2) I was born in South Texas, and thought the Brownsville setting was right on and pretty hilarious. She's right when she says that the story wouldn't have been the same if it had taken place somewhere else. That's about it. I just didn't find her experiment, or the excerpts from Betty's book, charming or funny. I was sad for her friends as she started table hopping in the cafeteria to make new friends, only to alienate the old ones. The fact that this young lady is so focused on becoming popular that she would do something this drastic is slightly disturbing. You might argue that this is simply a voyage of self discovery, but it's clearly not. She really, really, wants to be popular. In fact, she practically shivers with delight when her arch-nemesis tells her that everyone knows her name, and actually calls her popular. If the purpose of this book is to put a great message out there for teens, I'm not sure this is it.

by Sibeal Pounder

Tiga Whicabim doesn't know she's a witch until Fran the fairy shows up in her tiny shed of a home, shows her that her name is an anagram for I AM A BIG WITCH, and takes her down the sink pipes to Ritzy City. There she discovers that witches' hats are only pointy due to the journey up the pipes to our world, that witches love jam, and that she is one of nine girls slated to battle it out in the Witch Wars. The winner of Witch Wars gets to rule Ritzy City as Top Witch, but the stakes are higher for Tiga. If she loses, she'll have to go back to her shed with her horrible caretaker, who feeds her only cheese water. Not to mention the fact that she doesn't know a single spell. She'll have to work hard to outsmart mean girl witches Felicity Bat and Aggie Hoof, but luckily her new friend Peggy vows to help. The young witches, along with the sassy little fairies, make for a colorful and unpredictable cast of characters. Whimsical black-and-white illustrations throughout help readers envision this fantastical locale.

Serafina and the Black Cloak

by Robert Beatty

I'll admit it. I'm a total sucker for a dark and forbidden forest. I just can't resist it. Sometimes those forests deliver the thrills and chills I'm looking for, and sometimes they don't. Serafina delivers, big time.

Seraphina and her Pa live in the basement of the Biltmore mansion, but no one knows they have made their home there, and no one knows Serafina exists. She's a strange little girl for all of her isolation, and believes she is the Chief Rat Catcher for the Biltmore. (She's really good it, actually!) One night, she witnesses a terrifying man in a black cloak pursue, and magically devour, a little blonde girl. He tries to get Serafina, but she manages to escape him. She then makes it her mission to try to help the blonde girl, and keep anyone else from becoming his prey. But to do this, she endangers everything her father has tried so hard to protect.

Forbidden

by Eve Bunting

After Josie's parents both die of the flu in the same week, she is sent to live with her father's brother. Immediately upon arrival, it's clear she's not welcome, and that her uncle and his wife are only taking her in for the money. The whole town has a secretive, creepy vibe, and it doesn't take long for her to realize there is true evil here. Her one source of happiness is Eli, a handsome young man who befriends her. She's falling for him, but his grandmother warns her that Eli is "forbidden."

This novel's greatest strength is its atmospheric setting. You can almost feel the dampness seeping into your bones, and Josie's helpless frustration is palpable as she, and the reader, realize what's actually happening in this town.

Isle of the Lost

by Melissa de la Cruz

All the evil villains of Disney movie fame have been exiled to the Isle of the Lost. A huge dome covers the island, keeping them from using any magic. They are relegated to eating scraps and wearing castoffs of the good citizens of Auradon, ruled by King Beast and Queen Belle. The children of Maleficient, Jabar, Evil Queen, and Cruella De Vil (respectively Mal, Jay, Evie, and Carlos) don't know any other life away from the island. Every aspect of their existence is focused on becoming more evil, and finding nefarious ways to entertain themselves. When Carlos invents a device that is meant to provide them with more cable channels, he inadvertently opens a hole in the dome, allowing a tiny bit of magic to reactivate Maleficient's scepter, the Dragon's Eye. The four go off on a quest to find the staff, each for their own selfish reasons. All the while, though, the descendants of the most evil villains to ever walk the earth are starting to (gasp!) show signs of caring for each other. And over on Auradon, Prince Ben, son of Beast and Belle, is having visions of a beautiful blue-haired girl he's never met, even though he's betrothed to Princess Audrey, daughter of Aurora. Disney lovers and fairy-tale fans alike will need to get their hands on this book.

In the End

by Demitria Lunetta

Most of this story takes place at Fort Black. Amy arrives there, and again, draws unnecessary attention to herself and finds danger around every corner. She meets a young man named Jacks. She's required by this society to fall under the protection of a man, which we all know Amy doesn't need. (First of all, she's "Guardian trained," AND she has the synth suit. Which apparently just whisks away all moisture, mostly negating the need for a shower, which is mentioned many, many, times. Ew. But I digress.) So Jacks is starting to fall in love with her, but she still has mixed feelings about Rice. She's searching for Ken, Kay's brother, but hasn't had much luck. In the After had this sort of building tension that made all of the plot flaws and kind of annoying moments worth it. This wasn't terrible, and I was glad that everything wrapped up in just two books, but it was a bit of a let down.

Freak the Mighty

by Rodman Philbrick

Max is super tall, and Kevin is super tiny, and they're both misfits. Max's dad is in jail, and he doesn't feel like he's very special or very smart. Kevin has major health problems, but what he lacks in body he makes up for in brains. Together, they are Freak the Mighty, and they help each other through some tough times. I guess I'm just kind of over the crazy smart little kid stereotype a la Jerry Maguire. A short, sweet, little read, but not too exciting for me.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

by Elizabeth George Speare

The Witch of Blackbird Pond is the simple story of Kit, a wealthy girl from Barbados whose last family member on the island dies. She stows away on a ship to Connecticut to find her mother's sister, and encounters a way of life that is completely foreign to her.

This was one of my very favorite books as a kid, and I'm quite certain I read it ten-plus times. I was a little hesitant to reread it as an adult, for fear that some of its magic would now be lost on me. Instead, it felt like having lunch with an old friend.

I LOVE Kit Tyler. She was my hero as a girl, and she's my hero now. It's interesting to think about what little me must have seen in her. She's brave. She's generous. She's headstrong, but she knows when to call it quits. She's loyal, practical, and hard-working. She's stubborn and a little bit arrogant. She hates the snow, and because of her, I still have an unfulfilled dream of visiting Barbados one day.

Even though it has been many, many years since I last read this book, I knew exactly what was going to happen when Prudence dropped her doll in the water. That scene, among many others, was burned in my mind. That's good storytelling, and that's good writing.

In the After

by Demitria Lunetta

Amy is living in a world that has been destroyed by scary green creatures that eat humans.THEY are really fast, and really nasty. She only survived because her mom, presumed dead, was paranoid, and had many years ago had their house surrounded by an electric fence. That seems to keep THEM away. One day, on a supply run, she comes across Baby, a toddler that she takes home with her and begins to think of as a little sister. For years, they survive on their own, but it doesn't last forever, and they eventually have to leave, taking them on to another place that seems safer on the surface. But is it just danger in another form?

Granted, there are some serious plot inconsistencies. For example... Amy is worried about the sound her breathing makes while she runs on a treadmill. Has Lunetta ever run on a treadmill? Cause they are loud. You know, with the foot pounding and all. THEY have supersonic hearing and could possibly hear her breathing. But they won't hear the running? I don't get it.

But... despite many eye rolling moments, I found myself kind of obsessed with this book, and involved enough that from time to time I got startled any time I heard a noise while reading. I really did find myself pulled into this world. Characterization? Eh. But as far a plot tension goes, she nailed it. I powered through it, and was extremely irritated with myself that I finished it on a Friday and had to wait until Monday to check out the sequel.

Olive's Ocean

by Kevin Henkes

Martha Boyle's life is rocked when she hears a knock at her front door the day before she leaves for summer vacation. A woman introduces herself as Olive's mother, a girl Martha's age who was hit by a car and killed a few weeks before. The mom found an entry in Olive's diary that said that she hoped she and Martha could become friends, and that Martha was the nicest person in school. The diary page haunts Martha. Olive was a strange girl--an outcast--and Martha barely knew her. When she arrives at the coast to visit her grandmother, Olive is never far from her mind, but she's also got her own issues to deal with. The group of five brothers who live down the beach provide some interesting distractions, as does her deepening relationship with her grandmother. This is a beautiful coming of age story, with a lovable main character, and colorful extras. I think Martha's story will be with me for a long time.

Heap House

by Edward Carey

Welcome to Heap House, a sprawling, dark, dingy mansion, situated in the middle of a vast pile of junk. It's home to the Iremongers, a strange and reclusive extended family. They intermarry to preserve their bloodlines and consider themselves almost royalty. People with partial Iremonger blood are their servants. Their identities are tied to "birth objects," commonplace things that represent and shape who they are from birth. Clod Iremonger is 15, with a bath plug for a birth object. He is unhappily engaged to his cousin Pinalippy. Clod has a skill that makes him seem odd in the eyes of the other Iremongers; he can hear the birth objects speaking. They only speak their names, but their voices are always with him. He is resigned to his dreary life until he meets Lucy Pennant, an orphan who is told she has a little Iremonger blood and forced to work at Heap House. Lucy changes the way Clod sees his world, but her arrival sets off a chain of events that might mean the end of Heap House. Black-and-white illustrations are as deliciously unsettling as the text. Characters are rich with personality, from Clod's frightening Granny who has never left her bedroom, to his bath plug, who manages to be sassy even though the only thing he says is "James Henry Hayward." Stories don't get much weirder, but that's precisely what makes it so magical.

The Thickety: The Whispering Trees

by J.A. White

Kara and Taff are right where we left off--deep in the heart of the Thickety. They soon run into the infamous witch Mary Kettle, who claims she will help the pair by teaching Kara how to hone her skills as a wexari, a special kind of witch who can cast spells without a grimoire. The Forest Demon has many obstacles for Kara, though, and their lives are constantly in danger. Monsters abound, and the detail with which they are created makes them extra scary. The siblings never know who they can trust, and the emotional roller coaster is incredibly tense. The ending, once again, is a total shocker!

I just really love this series. What an imagination this guy has! My only complaint is that the main cliffhanger that left me gasping at the end of A Path Begins is STILL a cliffhanger at the end of The Whispering Trees. I was really hoping to get some resolution there, but I guess I'll have to wait until the next book to satisfy that curiosity. These are just the type of books I would have loved as a kid, but they're simply too good for adults to miss. Great sequel, Mr. White. I hope you are furiously writing, because I can't wait to see what's next!

Speaker for the Dead

by Orson Scott Card

It's 3,000 years after Ender's Game, but due to the complexities of interstellar travel, we still have Ender, as a 35 year old man. Yay! He has become Speaker for the Dead, a position revered, and slightly feared, by this society. He is working at a University. Valentine is pregnant with her first baby, and he's looking forward to being an uncle. And then, he gets a call to speak the death of a researcher on the planet Lusitania. Much to Valentine's chagrin, he decides to go. The voyage takes only weeks for Ender, but 22 years for everyone else. By the time he gets to the planet, he knows that Valentine's baby will be a young adult, while he will not have aged at all. Despite the personal pain it will cause, he's still nursing guilt about the Buggers. There's a different alien life form on this planet, affectionately called the Piggies, and his sense of responsibility wins out. This is the story of Ender's time on Lusitania, attempting to find redemption for himself, while helping the humans who have colonized there. When he arrives, he finds the welcome less than warm, and there are unfortunately other deaths that need speaking.

I listened to the audio book, and at the end, the author himself talks about the fact that this was the book he intended to write all along--that Ender's Game was the intro he had to write in order for Speaker to make sense. While I loved this a tiny bit less than Ender's Game, it still pulled me in with it's wildly imaginative new world. Unraveling the mystery of the Piggies was great fun, and the character feel like old friends now. I can't wait to continue my adventures in the Enderverse!

Ship Breaker

by Paolo Bacigalupi

It's the future, and the world is not in a good way. Nailer is a ship breaker--one of a group of people living at the poverty line, trying hard to eek out a living (and maybe strike it rich) by scavenging for oil and copper off of wrecked and abandoned ships. The people form communities called crews. They swear blood oaths to defend and protect one another. When Nailer encounters a beautiful, almost dead rich girl on a wrecked clipper, he is faced with a huge decision--finish her off and be set for life, or nurse her to health with the chance of making a completely new life with her and her people. His decision leads him on a harrowing, nail-biter of a journey.

Ender's Game

by Orson Scott Card

Ender is a third--a third child--only born so that he can be used for whatever purpose the government sees fit. They've chosen Ender, as a very young boy, to attend battle school. There has been a global war with the Buggers, an alien race that the average human knows very little about. The powers that be fear another invasion, and are grooming children to defend humanity against this eventuality. Ender leaves behind on earth a beloved sister, Valentine, and a despised, and sociopathic, brother, Peter. As Ender trains to defeat the Buggers, Valentine and Peter plot to turn the government on its head by creating false identities on what basically amounts to internet forums. (This book was written in 1986, and what Card gets right about what the "future" looks like is really quite extraordinary.)

I found all three of these characters to be exquisitely drawn, and even the minor characters like Graff are so fully fleshed out that you can't help but care about them. There are twists and turns and aha moments galore, and when I wasn't with this book, I was thinking about it.

Ender's Game is now one of my favorite books ever.

Gracefully Grayson

by Ami Polonsky

For as long as Grayson can remember, he has wanted to be a girl. He doesn't share his secret with anyone--not his aunt and uncle, whom he has lived with since the death of his parents, and definitely not his two male cousins. His depression is palpable until he leaps on an opportunity to try out for the school play. He makes a bold decision--one that just might help him come to terms with who he is, but it won't be easy, and will come at a price.

The interesting thing about this book is that Grayson himself can't even really articulate how he feels. It brings to light the confusion and isolation that these kids must certainly struggle with as they try to align their emotions with their realities.

This book isn't perfect. Some of the minor characters sort of blend together, and at times it was TOO sad. I felt like my heartstrings were being purposefully tugged, and had to put the book down a few times to take a break from the darkness. But there is light in Grayson's story, too, and it's worth the journey to get there.

Forget Me

by K.A. Harrington

Morgan's boyfriend Flynn Parkman got hit by a car, while she watched, and now he's dead. A few months later, she decides to put a photo of him on FriendShare (a fictional Facebook), as a tribute, and it asks if she wants to tag him as Evan Murphy. When she looks closer at the picture of Evan, she's horrified to see that Evan looks exactly like Flynn. Questions begin to arise in her mind--how well did she really know Flynn, and could he actually still be alive? Her search for answers leads her through an exciting and dangerous chain of events, with twists and turns galore. This book was fun, fun, fun! Great characters, a mystery you won't figure out, and a fast read. I think you all will love it!

Jackaby

by William Ritter

It's 1892 when Abigail Rook lands on the shores of New England after running away from her London home, seeking adventure. By chance, she encounters Mr. R.F. Jackaby, a Sherlock Holmes-ish type character who somehow knows exactly where she has recently traveled. He tells her, very matter of factly, that he knows because of the spirits and imps who have attached themselves to her. She thinks he's crazy, but soon encounters him again when responding to an ad for employment. She's just desperate and curious enough to decide to go to work for him. Turns out he's a sort of rogue detective who uses his psychic ability to see what other people can't to solve crimes. (Much to the chagrin of the police in town.) Together they begin to investigate a series of grisly murders, but it's hard to catch a killer when he's not even human! If you're looking for something to read after The Screaming Staircase, give Jackaby a try!

The Crossover

by Kwame Alexander

Twins Josh and JB are basketball stars in their last year of middle school. We hear the story through Josh's point of view. He's got a couple of things he's worried about. 1.) Winning the basketball championship. 2.) His brother has a girlfriend, and is totally wrapped up in her. 3.) Josh does not have a girlfriend and is kinda jealous. The star of this book isn't really the plot, though. It's the verse. You could read this book in an hour, since it's in poetry form, and the poetry is fun, accessible, and real.

UPDATE! This book just won the Newbery Medal!

The Infinite Sea

by Rick Yancey

There is a lot going on in this book, and at first it was hard to follow all the perspective changes. But once you accept that you're not really hearing much of Cassie's voice anymore, it gets a little easier.

Now the aliens have gone as low as they can go, and the ramifications are even more unthinkable than they were before. While we get to see what's going on with Cassie, Ben, Evan, etc., this story is really Ringer's to tell. With twists and turns and over-the-top drama on every page, I have no complaints about the plot, or where Yancey takes the story. The ending is definitely crazy enough to make me want to read another book in the series. I just wish it had been paced a little better--everything happened way too crazy fast, making it harder for me to connect with the characters. But still, super fun and a must read if you loved the first.

Turtle in Paradise

by Jennifer L. Holm

Turtle's life with her single mom in 1930's New Jersey is shattered when her mother's employer decides she can't have a housekeeper with a kid. Jobs are, of course, hard to come by during this time, so Sadie Bell has no choice other than to send Turtle to live with her estranged sister in Key West. When Turtle arrives on her aunt's doorstep, she finds a frazzled, surprised, woman and a whole bunch of boy cousins she never knew she had. There's a lot packed into this tiny little book, from treasure hunting to diaper rash remedies. It's hilarious and heart-wrenching all at once, with an ending that took my breath away. This book could so easily have been over the top cheesy, but Ms. Holm skillfully took her time pulling the story together, and made something really beautiful. I just loved it.

And if you're the kind of person who skips author's notes, don't skip this one. The author's personal connection to the island, and her description of the historical context of the book were fascinating. I've been to Key West once for only a day, and now I really want to go again armed with my new knowledge!

Beyond the Door

by Maureen Doyle McQuerry

Timothy is a normal boy, until he discovers he is a part of an ancient battle between good and evil. There are epic battles, no one is who they seem, and an evil rat bites Timothy's mom, so he has to go to a magical market to try to find the cure. This one was not my favorite, but if you love any kind of mythology, maybe give it a try.

Savvy

by Ingrid Law

The Beaumont family has a secret. When they turn 13, they get a "savvy," a special, (and kind of magical) skill. Two days from 13, Mibs has no idea what hers will be. Her brother summons storms with his every emotion, and her  mother gets everything she tries just right without making mistakes. Her grandma can capture radio shows in glass jars.  On this most eventful of weeks, Mibs and her family suffer a terrible blow, finding out that Poppa has been in an accident, and is in the hospital, unresponsive. On her birthday, she thinks her savvy has revealed itself, and is hopeful that she can use it to save Poppa. But first she's got to get to the hospital in Salina. Mibs, and an unlikely group of colorful characters, end up on a pink Bible bus going the wrong direction, but that's where the fun begins!

The Thickety

by J.A. White

This book sucked me in from the very first page. Oh my goodness. Where to start?

The setting is one of the coolest things about this story. There's an island, and it's off the coast of "the World." We don't really know what "the World" is, but we know the islanders fear it. On the island is The Thickety, a forest where a terrible demon lives. The Thickety is growing, too, and there are islanders whose sole job is to cut and burn it back. No one. Ever. Goes. In. The. Thickety.

When Kara is five, her mother is executed for witchcraft. She is accused herself, but let off the hook by one of the creepiest creatures I've ever encountered in literature. No one lets her forget, though, and she and her little brother Taff are either bullied or ignored by the rest of the islanders. When she is (sort of) forced to go into the Thickety, she is led to discover a grimoire (magical book) buried there, and brings it back to town. Using it awakens her own magical powers, and she discovers she is, indeed, a witch. The grimoire is dark, and addictive, and as readers, we fear that magic might destroy Kara. When her nemesis, Grace, gets her hands on the book, that's when the real fun begins.

And that ENDING. Oh, the ending. Didn't see that coming. Not even a little bit.

Panic

by Lauren Oliver

There's nothing to do in the tiny, crumbling, town of Carp, New York. To kill time, blow off a little steam, and potentially make some cash, the high school seniors play a game called Panic. Each senior is required to donate a dollar a day until graduation, then the day after, those who want to play announce their intention by doing a dangerous cliff dive. The pot is usually over $50,000, and just about everyone wants to use it to get out of Carp.

Heather is only at the dive to support her best friend Natalie who has decided to play, but her boyfriend breaking up with her that night quite literally pushes her over the edge. Now she's in the game. The story is alternately told by Heather, and then by Dodge, a guy with a serious score to settle. Each challenge in Panic gets more and more dangerous, and I was chewing my nails through this whole book. Flawed characters that I cared about and several twists that I didn't see coming were enough to make me fly through it in a day. What a fun read!

This one isn't in our library, so head to the public library for Panic!

Greenglass House

by Kate Milford

Milo lives in the historic Greenglass House, an inn once notoriously known for being on the smuggler's route. It's usually quiet during the holidays, as it's pretty hard to get to in the ice and snow. Milo can't wait to have some time with his parents just relaxing, but an unexpected guest ruins everything. That guest is soon joined by several others. They don't seem to know each other, but Milo thinks it can't be a coincidence. When items start to go missing, and the guests begin to accuse each other of theft, Milo teams up with Meddy, the daughter of one of the inn's employees, to try to solve the mystery. To spice things up, they make it a role-playing game, and take on different names and characters while they investigate. Everything is definitely not what it seems to be at the Greenglass House.

Cute mystery with fun characters and a twist at the end! This one is for those of you love books like The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Westing Game.