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.