House of Robots: Robots Go Wild - By J. Patterson & C. Grabenstein

This latest installment in the Patterson/Grabenstein series is as hilarious and touching as the others. If you aren't familiar with the series, it's all about fifth-grader Sammy Hayes-Rodriguez, whose mom is a famous professor of robotics, and whose dad is a well-known graphic novelist. Sammy's little sister, Maddie, has a life-threatening immunodeficiency disorder, and can't safely leave her bedroom. Thanks to their mom, Sammy is soon bringing a new "brother" to school with him - his Bro-Bot, E!

Follow Sammy and E's adventures through school and the community in this series of action-filled books. Told with a lot of heart, they are perfect for fans of robotics, but are really good stories for every reader to enjoy. There are villains in each book, a goofy sidekick (Sammy's second-best friend forever), and enough drama to hold anyone's interest.

The Exact Location of Home - by Kate Messner

Geocaching is pretty popular these days, and this book will tell you all about this fun activity.  Along the way, it will take you on the emotional journey of a young teen boy and his friends, leaving you with an aching heart, a thirst for exploring your neighborhood, and a new perspective on poverty and homelessness.

Kirby Zigonski is not your typical teenage boy.  First, his dad is missing, his mom won't tell him why, and they are about to get evicted from their apartment.  Second, Kirby is a whiz with electricity, and can repair just about anything.  This time, though, Kirby may have found a problem that he can't figure out how to fix.  His two best friends (both girls) try to help, but Kirby pushes them away, drawing closer to a mysterious stranger that he *hopes* is his missing father.

Kate Messner never disappoints.  Really.

A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans - by Laurence Yep and Joanne Ryder

I love stories told from an animal's point of view, and the viewpoint of this thousands-of-years-old dragon is a great example of the genre.  Miss Drake, as we know her, recently lost her "pet" human, but as the story begins, a new pet is just arriving.  Winnie is a charming and precocious young teen, and her great aunt seems to have told her everything she needed to know about caring for the family dragon.  Little did Winnie know, however, that the dragon had plans of its own!

This captivating story imagines life in modern San Francisco, but with hidden magical life all around.  Take Miss Drake, for instance.  She may be a fierce, full-grown red and scaly dragon, but she can transform into a fashionable French fashionista in the blink of an oversize eye.  There is a problem in every story, of course, and in this case it takes Winnie and Miss Drake a little while to realize that a seemingly wise act has resulted in setting wild magic loose on the city, possibly breaking ages-old magical rules, and threatening the destruction of land and life.  Don't worry; Our heroines are up to the task of taking the magic into their own hands, but the process promises quite a magical adventure.

This is a very interesting and well-written book, full of magic and girl power.

Woof - by Spencer Quinn

This deep-south mystery has all the elements of a great, suspenseful novel:  A brave kid main character, an unknown but evil bad guy, nasty people, helpful hints, a unique and clearly-described setting, and dog biscuits.  Well, here's the thing:  The whole story is told by a dog!

Yep, Bowser the mutt is not only the narrator of our story, but one of its heroes.  Along with his new girl (owner) Birdie, they need to solve a robbery and save the swamps near their home.  By the way, this takes place in the gator-infested swampland of rural Louisiana.  As long as Bowser gets his treats and a chance to pee on the tree in front of their house, it's all good.

Not only is it creative and interesting to have the dog tell the humans' tale in his own words, but it works far better than you would expect.  It's hilarious, too, as the author gives us a true dog's-eye-view, from sniffing butts to getting totally distracted by squirrels.  Bowser's love for Birdie shows through too, and this is a winner for dog-lovers and mystery fans alike.

Firstborn - by Tor Seidler

This is the fictional story of a pack of wolves in Yellowstone National Park, featuring a huge pack leader named Blue Boy.  It is realistic and fascinating, but it is also a ripping good tale that will have you turning pages with enthusiasm.  Surprisingly, the whole book is narrated by a bird!  Maggie the Magpie (she doesn't like the name either) is our fearless narrator, and is as much a part of the story as any other character, though it's essentially a book about wolves.  This interesting choice of narrator works exceptionally well.

This book looks and reads a little like a wilderness book by the author's friend, Elizabeth Craighead George, author of Julie of the Wolves, and one of my favorites.  That is because it was on her urging that Mr. Seidler began studying and writing about wolves.

This is a carefully and intelligently-written story, and will appeal to animal-lovers, but also anyone who loves a good story, well-told.  There's even a little wolf romance, for those who like that kind of thing.  If you want to learn more about wolves, this is definitely the book for you.

Seriously, Norman - by Chris Raschka

International spies, bomber salesmen, weird parents, odd coffee-loving tutors, lots of new words, and four friends with a shared love of old movies and saving the day.  This is a zany but brainy, quirky but just-right story about young Norman and his worries about his father, whose job as a bombastic bomber salesman may be endangering them all.  Can his best bud Leonard and the twin girls from next door form a quadrumvirate (noun: a group of four powerful or notable people) without getting sidetracked by Norman's muddle-headed mother or taken out by two furry-hatted European spies?  Probably, but not definitely.

This is kind of a weird story, but I loved it.  Norman didn't do so well on his standardized test, so his parents hired a tutor, one Mr. Balthazar Birdsong, who seems more intersted in having Norman read the dictionary and watch clouds than in preparing him for the test.  In the end, though, Mr. B's lessons turn out to have been just what Norman needed to find his courage and save the day.

This book will get you curious about New York City, kites, dictionaries (my son asked for a dictionary of his own after we listened to this audiobook), and of course, hot chocolate.  It's well worth the read, even if the cover has you scratching your head (as it does me).  It's a well-voiced audiobook, too.

Honey - by Sarah Weeks

This is a very fun and sweet book, that has absolutely nothing to do with honey.  However, it does involve a dog, a beauty salon, tuna noodle casserole, an annoying 6-year-old girl, a wonderful teacher, a grumpy teacher, and some dandelions. Oh, and a dead mom.  Yeah, there's that.  Don't worry, though. It's a happy story, but some characters have to deal with a few issues along the way. You know, kind of like life itself.

Really, this is the story of young teen Melody, and her quest to find something she didn't even know she had lost.  Through the story, we meet her friends and family, a delightful stylist named Bee Bee, and her grandpa.  Lots of bad cooks, which strangely becomes a plot line. It's a swiftly-moving tale of growing up, learning secrets that your dad never knew when to tell you, and finding delight where you least expect it.

The strangest thing: This book got me interested in nail polish.  Really.  Nail polish.  Read it and you'll understand.

Serafina and the Black Cloak - by Robert Beatty

Serafina is Chief Rat Catcher at the historic Biltmore Estate in North Carolina, home to one of the richest men in America.  The year is 1899, and strange happenings are afoot at the mansion. Not just strange - terrible!  Children are disappearing, one each night.  A mysterious and dangerous strangers is stalking the halls of the mansion in the dead of night, and the only thing that can stop him is... a scrawny, dirty 12-year-old girl?

This is an excellent piece of historical fiction, set in the author's own backyard and introducing the reader to a fascinating piece of American real estate and point in time.  This book combines true-to-life descriptions of the setting with local legends, and tosses a scary fantasy/mystery over the top to keep us on the edges of our seats.  It works.

Thank you to my young friend Lilia for introducing me to this book, and loaning me your copy.  This is a real girl-power story, and you will be amazed by Serafina's courage, as well as her secrets, which even she doesn't know about at first.  It's a bit scary at times, but scrape up a bit of courage yourself, and check it out.

Shark Wars - by E.J. Altbacker

I had seen these books on the shelves, but had resisted picking up the shiny-covered series because it looked kind of ridiculous. Now that I've read the first book, though, I am hooked!

This is the story of the world's oceans - from under the water!  It turns out that shark rule the seas, through groups known as "shivers".  Each shiver has a leader, who is supported by a "line," the next five strongest sharks in the shiver.  You won't be surprised to learn that the sharks in the story behave like you would expect: Sneaky and violent.  Not all of them, though...

Meet Gray, a reef shark who, with his best friend dogfish, leaves his shiver to go off and explore the big blue.  Before long, they are swept up in one new shiver, then another, and their world is turned on its head.  These peace-loving but sharp-toothed fish want nothing more than a good meal and an adventure, but they find themselves in the middle of a battle for control of all the world's oceans.  As you might have expected, Gray turns out to be a pretty important shark.

This is not only a great adventure story, but it is a strong and touching tale of friendship and loyalty.  I loved looking at the world from a shark's point-of-view, and the characters, good and bad, were portrayed so clearly that I felt like swimming along at their side.  This is one excellent story for sailors and landlubbers alike.

The White Giraffe - by Lauren St. John

This story takes us to South Africa along with Martine, poor thing. You see, Martine is a young teen from England whose parents died in a fire that she managed to escape from.  Before long, she was trundled away to her grandmother's home in South Africa, on the grounds of a wild animal reserve.  This was not the outcome that anyone wanted, and when Martine arrived, she could tell right away that her grandmother wanted nothing to do with her. Welcome to Africa.

However, there is quite a twist to this story.  Martine isn't your ordinary girl, and has a rare gift that ends up making all the difference.  As she navigates life in her new home, she makes a number of discoveries about the reserve, her family, the animals, and herself.

Why "The White Giraffe?"  There is a legend on the reserve that an exceedingly rare white giraffe lives nearby, sacred to the native people and hunted by greedy poachers.  This mysterious creature will prove central to Martine's sotry in ways nobody had expected.

This is a touching but exciting story about a girl's quest to survive in a world that is full of twists and turns, and is a testament to the beauty of South Africa and to the importance of family and friends.  It is the first in a series of promising novels.

House of Robots - by James Patterson

Imagine that you're the fifth-grade son of a famous robot inventor mother, and one day she asks you to bring her newest invention to school with you. Two problems:  You are the second-most unpopular kid in your class (after your best-friend Trip), and the invention is a walking, talking nerdy robot that you are sure will ruin your life forever!

As E (the robot)  tags along with Sammy (the kid), we are dragged along on a very surprising and funny school adventure.  E is definitely a talented robot, and before long everyone at school finds out what a difference a robot can make.  Even the school bully gets a surprise, which leaves the reader cheering!  This is a fast-paced, smart story about fitting in, standing up, and giving new things a chance.

This is a great book for boys, and for anyone with an interest in robotics (along with the excellent Winter of the Robots, also reviewed on this site.)  It's one of my favorites so far among all the new series being pumped out by Patterson and his co-authors.

Tuesdays at the Castle - by Jessica Day George

Castle Glower is not your ordinary castle, and Celie is not your ordinary princess!  This 11-year-old has the interesting habit of mapping the castle, which is made all the more difficult by the fact that each Tuesday, the magical castle changes its layout! A new hallway here, new rooms there, you never know what a Tuesday will bring.

One fateful Tuesday brings more than changes: When Celie's brother graduates from Wizard College and her parents go to his graduation, a number of foreign visitors come to the castle, and they are NOT just there to pay their respects.  Before long, Celie has turned from the youngest sibling who nobody takes seriously into the only person who can save the castle and her brothers and sisters from their enemies.

This is a fast-paced, creative, magical, exciting story of adventure and courage.  What seems at first to be a silly magical princess story for young girls is ACTUALLY a rollicking adventure novel for readers of all ages.  The writing is excellent, the characters and setting intriguing, and the plot rolls out perfectly.  With a non-speaking magical castle as a main character, this is not your typical story, but it is unusually good, and I plan to read the entire series.

The Fourteenth Goldfish - by Jennifer L. Holm

It really has nothing to do with goldfish, FYI.  This is actually the story of 11-year-old Ellie, a girl with serious boy problems, but they're not what you'd expect.  As she navigates the new waters of middle school and shifting friendships, Ellie also meets a new boy, Melvin, who seems suspiciously similar to her cranky old grandfather.

As Melvin and Ellie get to know one another, she begins to discover new interests and strengths, and finds the courage to break out of the direction her parents have hoped she would follow.  She makes new friends, has quite an adventure, and while she doesn't save the world, Ellie finds herself.

This is a fun, curious, charming, and imaginative story.  It blurs the lines between friendship story and science fiction, and is a fast and enjoyable book to read.  I would recommend it to anyone who wants to be pushed to think deeply about science and possibility, those who have a sweet spot for cranky old people, and anyone who wants to enjoy a touching coming-of-age story about a brave young girl.

Mousenet - by Prudence Breitrose

Mice on the Internet? That's just the start of it.  When you read this book, you'll never look at mice the same way again.

This excellent book tells the tale of Megan, a nice but lonely 10-year-old girl who is thrust into the world of mice when her uncle invents a tiny computer and gives it to her.  Megan has a little trouble fitting in at her new school, perhaps because for the last two years it's been just her and her mom, studying sheep on a remote island and focusing more on their science than on keeping up with fashion or pop culture.  Her social problems are the perfect opportunity for the mice to befriend her, because wouldn't you know it, the mouse world had been waiting for an opportunity just like this.

Mice.  Seriously, wait until you read what these mice have been up to!  Not only does this book do a brilliant job of creating an whole sub-world full of thoughtful and sophisticated (but still very mouse-like) mice, but it digs deep into the human  characters as well.  It's one of those books that seems a little silly, but ends up being pretty deep without overdoing it.  This is one that will appeal to boys and girls, and adults and children.  It's not a super action-packed adventure, but will keep your mind racing and your fingers turning the pages.

The Abominables - by Eva Ibbotson

Five yeti, a small boy and his sister, and a burly truck driver with a pig tattoo.  From the majestic Himalaya mountain range to sunny England, this fun fantasy carries the reader across Asia and Europe and through quite an adventure along the way.

You don't need to believe in Yeti, or "abominable snowmen" to enjoy this book, but you do need to have the ability to smile and even laugh.  It's a nice story about a family (of mythical beasts), but it's also got plenty of funny bits to keep things light. There is adventure, suspense, danger, mystery, action, and a nice feeling of success by the time you've reached the last page.

This is the last book that Eva Ibbotson ever wrote. This woman is an amazing author, famous for such fantasy powerhouses as The Secret of Platform 13, Which Witch, and One Dog and his Boy.  She had a clear gift for interesting writing, and this book is a showcase of her skills.

Sorry You're Lost - by Matt Blackstone

It's not easy when your mom is dead, your dad won't really talk to you, your teacher kicks you out of class, and your best friend is so weird that nobody talks to him.  Oh, and your name is DONUTS. For Donuts (Denny) Murphy, seventh grade is not off to a very good start.

When Manny, that oddball friend, concocts a flabbergasting plot to raise a lot of money and solve all of their problems, Donuts agrees to help, which could be the best, or the worst, decision of his life.  Will money, a cool car, and cute dates to the 7th-grade-dance turn their lives around, or are these two destined for a life as oddball rejects?  Wouldn't you like to know! Just go read the book.

This book reminds me of Slob, another excellent book which I've reviewed on this blog.  Both of them are a bit sad, but also hopeful, with lots of funny stuff thrown in along the way to a nice ending.  This book has plenty of humor, from a clueless principal and Donut's crush on his "goddess" math teacher to Donut and Manny's ridiculous attempts to impress Allison, the queen bee of the 8th grade.  Add a little bit of a middle school romance, and this book has it all.

It runs a little slow (or maybe just depressing) at times, but that's important to the plot and it all balances out in the end.

Liar and Spy - by Rebecca Stead

This book has a few twists and turns, so let's call it a mystery. What it really is, though, is a story about some lonely kids in the city who somehow get connected, and through their friendship find ways to deal with the problems in their lives. Sounds boring, but it's not.  It's a book that will make you think.

Georges, Candy, and Safer.  Yep, those are the names of our three main characters, so you know the author has a thing about names. When seventh-grader Georges moves into a new apartment building with his dad, he doesn't expect to end up in the middle of a spy ring investigating a potential murderer in a dark apartment.  However, Safer has a way of shaking things up for him, and life is not likely to return to normal anytime soon.

Follow these kids through the everyday excitement of Georges' life and learn a thing or two about friendship, acceptance, and... candy.
This book has nothing to do with Stead's previous bestseller, When You Reach Me, though it definitely has some similarities.  City kids, unexpected twists, and friendship helping the characters to survive personal challenges.  This is an author to watch!

Warriors: Into the Wild - by Erin Hunter (Guest Review)

Shadow clan wants more hunting ground, there is not enough prey in the forest.What will happen to the four clans of the forest?

In this thrilling book, Rusty a house cat stumbles upon Thunder clan, one of the four cat clans of the forest, and is given the choice to join. During his first few days in Thunder Clan, the clan starts growing weaker, and Wind Clan gets chased out of their territory. Will Wind Clan return? will Thunder Clan grow strong again? Find out in this amazing book! 

This is the first book in an action-packed series of seven that I would recommend to someone who likes fantasy books that are full of action.

(This review was written by sixth-grader Isaac R. Thanks, bud!)

The Life and Times of Benny Alvarez - by Peter Johnson

This book was so much better than I expected.  It's all about a seventh-grade boy with an odd family, and ailing grandfather, and a curse: The cutest girl in his school is out to get him.  The final challenge: A poetry contest.  Yes, this seems a bit odd, but it totally works in this creative and captivating story.

Meet the Alvarez family: Benny's energetic younger brother Crash, his negative and oddball dad, his overly optimistic mom, his lovable big sister (who makes the best chicken noodle soup on Earth), his spaz dog Spot, and Benny himself, who his mom calls "Mr. Negativity."  It's true that he looks at the world as a glass half-empty, but in his mind, if you're expecting the worst, it's hard to be disappointed!  When a combination of surprising events happen, Benny is forced to finally decide whether he's going to be negative or positive, as his future and friendships hang in the balance.

The plot is tight, though this is far from an action/adventure book.  It's a school/family/friendship story about a believable and likable kid with everyday problems, who finds his own inner strength (with a little help from friends and family) to save the day at the end.  There's poetry, heavy use of a thesaurus, lots of humor, a bit of blushing (well, it's not Benny's fault he can't ever seem to look Claudine in the eyes!), and some more serious topics too.  It's a rewarding read that will touch both your funny bone and your thoughtful side.

Just Jake - by Jake Marcionette

This book was written by a sixth-grade boy.  That in itself is a good reason to check it out, but its interesting storyline, fun characters, and creative twists make it a good pick for any kid 2nd-7th grade, at least.

The story focuses on a sixth-grade boy named Jake (a coincidence?), and his first year of middle school in a new state, where he has no friends.  He hopes to transfer his popularity from his old school, but it doesn't work that way, and he's suddenly at the bottom of the social ladder, struggling to make any friends at all, to avoid the school bully, and to survive living with his explosive teenage older sister.  To his advantage, Jake is a creative guy, a good artist, and he is full of confidence.  Will those talents be enough to help him not only survive but thrive in his new school? You'll find out, but the journey through that sixth-grade year is not an easy one, and it's Jake's struggles and solutions that make this book a winner.

Read this book to be inspired. This author is pretty awesome (his character's favorite word), and if he can do it, why not you, too?