Scary Stories for Young Foxes: The City

by Christian McKay Heidicker

I'm so sad this series is over! All the magic of the first book, with lots of wonderful new characters to love, and lots of references to our old friends, Mia and Uly. Just like the first, much of the suspense of this book comes from trying to guess who the storyteller is. This one was a wonderful and emotional reveal at the end that I won't soon forget. 
 

Scary Stories for Young Foxes

by Christian McKay Heidicker

Just the kind of book I would have devoured as a kid! Is it really scary? Yes, because the life of an animal is dangerous and frightening, and this guy is really, really, good at somehow making the reader feel connected and engaged with a bunch of baby foxes. Glad it got some Newbery love, too. This is the kind of book that makes readers, and I can't wait to share it with students, and read it to my son when he's a little older.

His Royal Whiskers

by Sam Gayton

In this creative fairy-tale adventure, an evil, selfish, bloodthirsty czar rules the land of Petrossia with an iron fist. His six-year-old son and only heir, Alexander, has been turned into a kitten. The czar's henchman inform him that it's all the fault of Alexander's two friends, Pieter and Teresa. Pieter is an Abadabacus, a master mathemagician employed by the czar. Teresa, described as a "Spice Monkey," is a servant who swings from ropes collecting ingredients for the kitchen staff. But Teresa isn't all that she seems. She's been dabbling in alchemy, and it will take her, Pieter, and a whole lot of magic to convince the czar to keep their heads attached to their bodies. Puns, wordplay, and footnotes keep readers on their toes. What is lacking in character development is made up with numerous plot twists and unpredictable outcomes.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!)

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 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.

The Spindlers

by Lauren Oliver

When Liza wakes up one morning and sees her brother Patrick picking the letters out of his Alpha Bits cereal, she knows he's not himself. When he spells out I-H-A-T-E-Y-O-U, she realizes that the Spindlers have his soul. Their babysitter told Liza about the Spindlers years ago, and since then, she has dutifully said the protective spell with him every night before going to sleep. But not last night...

Liza must go Below to try to save Patrick's soul from the spider-like creatures.Along the way she meets Mirabella, a human-sized, lipstick-wearing rat, and other creatures too numerous to name here. Can she save Patrick, or will the Spindlers eat Liza's soul, too?

Lauren Oliver does it again. Her writing is so convincing, so engaging, so FUN! This is just the type of book I would have loved when I was younger, and I hope that you like it, too!

The Raft

by S.A. Bodeen

Robie's parents are researchers on Midway Island, which is a small (think 2.4 miles!) island about 90 miles from Honolulu. It's beautiful there, but can be boring and lonely for a 15 year old, so Robie goes to visit her aunt in Honolulu for some city life. When her aunt is called out of town unexpectedly, she thinks she's got a week to herself, but soon realizes she might be a little young to be in the city alone. She jumps on the three-seater charter flight, the only way to get back to Midway, but a storm causes her plane to crash into the Pacific. She doesn't know the co-pilot, but he saves her, and is her only companion on the raft, although he drifts in and out of conciousness. This is a good old fashioned survival story. Robie has to find food, dodge sharks, and pray for rain. As the tension mounts, and you get closer to the end, a creative twist might make you see Robie differently, and will definitely break your heart.

I read this in one sitting. On an airplane... Really!

The One and Only Ivan

by Katherine Applegate

Ivan is a gorilla who lives in a "circus" housed in a shopping mall right off the highway. He's the main attraction, along with his friend Stella the elephant. The animals aren't treated well, but Ivan has only slight memories of being taken from his home, and the deaths of his parents and sister. When the owner purchases a new elephant, baby Ruby, Ivan sees the deep sadness in Stella, and makes an almost impossible promise to her that he will make sure Ruby doesn't spend her life at the circus.

Ivan's story is told from his point of view, so we see life through the eyes of a gorilla. He likes to throw "me-balls" (poop!) at the humans gawking at him through the glass, and he loves watching westerns on the small television in his cage. It's sad and uplifting at the same time as he slowly gains awareness of his predicament by caring for young Ruby. This book is based on a true story, which makes it even more interesting, and heartbreaking.

Another very cool thing about this book is the way Ivan uses art to communicate. It's an integral part of the story, and if you're an artist, you'll appreciate what this story says about the importance of art in our lives.

Down the Rabbit Hole: An Echo Falls Mystery

by Peter Abrahams

Ingrid hates her name, but loves acting, soccer, and her red Pumas. After an orthodontist visit one day, her mom is a little late picking her up, and she doesn't want to miss practice. She decides to run to the soccer fields, but gets lost, ending up at the house of local crazy lady, Cracked-Up Katie. Against her better judgment, she goes into Katie's house and lets her call Ingrid a cab. Katie acts strangely when Ingrid tells her she's into acting, and Ingrid hears footsteps upstairs, even though Katie lives alone. The next day, Katie is found murdered. In an attempt to stay out of trouble, Ingrid doesn't tell anyone she's just been at Katie's house, and she begins to pile lie upon lie.

I was so stressed out for Ingrid throughout this book--you know she hasn't done anything wrong, but you're so scared the police won't believe that if she gets caught. While it's no great surprise to the reader who the killer is, it is definitely a surprise to Ingrid, and it's great fun watching her piece together the clues.

Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy

by Tui T. Sutherland

Five dragonets are hatched under a mountain, in the care of a group of rebel dragons, the Talons of Peace. They are key to a prophecy that will end the war raging between the dragon tribes. They clearly have a destiny, but no one is sure about Glory’s role, a beautiful Rainwing. She was not one of the original five, but a replacement for an egg that was cruelly smashed in an attempt by power-hungry dragons to thwart the fulfillment of the prophecy. When Glory’s life is threatened, the dragonets stage a daring escape from the mountain, but are captured by the Skywing queen Scarlet. She forces them to participate in gladiator-like competitions for her amusement. When she tires of watching a particular dragon, each competitor is eventually forced to fight Peril, her champion, whose very touch is made of fire. A fight with Peril is certain death, and she instills fear in all who meet her--all but the Mudwing dragonet Clay. The two develop a cautious and unlikely friendship. As the dragonets fight to survive, and Clays’ relationship with Peril deepens, thrilling secrets of their pasts are revealed. Fully fleshed-out characters have unique personalities influenced by the distinct traits of their tribes. Plot twists and turns abound, and will keep readers cheering for the dragonets to the end. 

Sword Mountain

by Nancy Yi Fan

On Sword Mountain, the social status of birds is based on where they live and the color of their feathers. Baby eaglet Dandelion is a dark-feathered valley bird, indicating low birth. Soon after hatching, she’s attacked by an archaeopteryx, a vicious soldier bird. She narrowly escapes being eaten, but her parents are killed. Fleydur, a once-exiled prince, finds the broken little bird and introduces her to palace life. Her high-born, golden-feathered classmates aren’t that nice to her, except Cloud-Wing, the most handsome and popular eaglet at the palace. But he soon he goes off to a special school to prepare him for battle and she loses her only friend. Luckily, Fleydur, who seem to be back in favor with the Council, adopts Dandelion, and suddenly, she’s a princess! But Dandelion’s not satisfied with her new station in life. It’s not fair that Cloud-Wing gets to learn to fight just because he’s a boy. She eventually gets her chance to fight alongside Cloud-Wing when a thief steals a magic stone and tries to frame Fleydur. Readers who haven’t read the first installments of this series may struggle. New plot lines appear abruptly and fizzle out, and motivations for the characters’ actions aren’t always clear. Cutesy devices, such as changing indefinite pronouns like “everyone” to “everybird” quickly wear thin. While it’s an interesting side note that the author is a freshman at Harvard, it’s not enough to overcome the flaws in this overwritten, underdeveloped tale. 

Liesl & Po

by Lauren Oliver

Liesl is a little girl who has just lost her beloved father. After his death, her evil stepmother locks her in the attic, alone, barely keeping her alive with tiny bits of rotten food. But she's not alone. One day Po appears to her. Po is a ghost, but it's been a ghost so long it doesn't remember if it was a boy or a girl. Po has another being with it, named Bundle, but Bundle doesn't know if it was a dog or cat when it was alive.

The ashes of Liesl's father are at the undertaker's. A magic dust that grants all things life, created by an evil magician, are with Will, the magician's apprentice. He goes on an errand, gathering items from the undertaker for the magician's spells, but when he leaves, he is tired. He takes the wrong box. And that's when the story gets interesting...

There is no better way to describe this fairy tale than "heartwarming." If you're a fan of books by Kate Dicamillo, (Tale of Despereaux, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane) you'll love Liesl & Po. It's beautiful writing, a sweet story, and characters you'll never forget. I absolutely adored this book.

Smells Like Treasure

by Suzanne Selfors

Homer Winslow Pudding, nephew of the late, great treasure hunter Drake Pudding, received, upon his uncle’s untimely demise, a dog named Dog and a gold membership coin for L.O.S.T., a secret treasure hunting organization. When a letter from L.O.S.T. arrives, stating simply, “Your time has come,” Homer can’t wait to get started. His membership in L.O.S.T. will help finance his search for the treasure of legendary pirate Rumpold Smeller, and Dog will get to use his secret skill—smelling treasure, which is the only thing he can, in fact, smell. Unfortunately, attempting to claim his seat in L.O.S.T. turns out to be more difficult than he imagined. His one-time friend, Lorelei, stole the membership coin in 2010’s Smells Like Dog, and now she’s back, claiming Drake actually bequeathed the coin to her. She demands that L.O.S.T. let her challenge Homer for the seat, and alas, the bylaws support her request. What follows is a funny, suspenseful, adventure that stretches the borders of the imagination. A heartwarming and quirky cast of characters add to the fun. Rumpold Smeller’s tale is woven throughout Homer’s, a story within a story with its own delightful surprise ending. Homer and Dog are a strange, silly, and loveable duo.

This one isn't published yet. It will be out in May!