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.

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.

The Terrible Two - by Jory John and Mac Barnett

It's a perfect prank.  The principal's car is halfway up the school stairs, parked sideways and totally stuck.  The question is, who did it?  Miles Murphy, the new kid in town on his first day at his new school, wishes it had been him.  In his old school, everyone knew that he was the #1 Prankster, but here he is forced to admit, there just might be some competition.

As the hilariously fierce yet bumbling principal Mr. Barkin locks on to Miles as a "trouble maker," the story begins a wild ride of pranks, secret identities, curious cows, gullible bullies, non-existent cool kids, and ultimately, a true friendship.  Who is the true prankster, and will Miles be able to compete with his or her brilliance and creativity?  And what is with this "School Helper" kid Niles, who follows and annoys Miles from day one?  I'm not telling you - just read the book, silly!

This is an excellent story, well-paced and full of strangely likable but annoying characters.  The pictures lead it toward the graphic novel category, but it stops short of being as heavily illustrated as a Diary of a Wimpy Kid book.  The co-authors, both hilarious authors on their own, are a truly dynamic duo in this project, which has already spawned a sequel (The Terrible Two get Worse).

I highly recommend this book, as well as its companion website: www.terribletwo.com.

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.

The League of Seven - by Alan Gatz

Bringing together a band of teenage oddballs in a futuristic/old-fashioned America, this steampunk story will capture your imagination and leave you cheering!  The heroes are flawed but worth cheering for, the villains both oddly familiar and ridiculously unimaginable.

Like all steampunk stories, this one relies on lots of futuristic 18th-century technology, such as brass laser guns, airships, submarines, and robot babysitters.  When Archie finds out that his parents have been brainwashed by giant insects, he must set out across the country to Old Florida to rescue them.  Falling in with two mysterious but distinctly talented new friends, it is up to the three to stop not only a crazed murderous inventor (Thomas Edison), but the largest monster in history, who lies trapped under the swamps.

This story has plenty of mystery, lots of action and suspense, and enough dramatic twists to keep any reader turning pages.  It is highly imaginative and a bit inspiring.  You may find yourself, like I did, wishing you could climb aboard their airship for just one short adventure.

The Julian Chapter: A Wonder Story - by R. J. Palacio

Redemption.  It's all about making things right, and for Julian, the antihero of the unforgettable and life-changing book Wonder, it's the last thing you'd expect.  In this short sequel, author R.J. Palacio retells the story from Julian Alban's of view, and it is NOT what you'd expect.

I can't say too much about the story without spoiling both this plot and that of the original book, Wonder.   All I can really say is that there ARE at least two sides to every story, and it is worthwhile listening to all of them before making judgments about people.  This goes for storybook characters and real people as well.  Julian may have been the ultimate bully and bad guy, but when you dig a bit deeper, you may be surprised by what you uncover.

This book is a MUST for anyone who has read Wonder, but don't you dare read this first.  If you haven't read Wonder, I can only wonder... what are you waiting for??  Any age, gender, political affiliation, or other classification doesn't matter; this book is for you.

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.

The High-Skies Adventures of Blue Jay the Pirate - by Scott Nash

Have you ever found yourself wishing for a rollicking old-fashioned pirate story... in which the characters are all BIRDS?  Probably not, but this story may change your mind.

Blue Jay is a demanding captain of a flying pirate ship in a land which seems to be filled with all birds.  When his crew captures a giant egg, they think it is pure treasure... until it turns out to be a goose.  Luckily, geese are considered near-gods in the bird world (Birdlandia), but unfortunately, this particular gosling quickly outgrows Blue Jay's ship, but cannot yet fly. However, when the pirates find themselves at the sword-point of a nasty gang of crows, their goose may not be cooked after all.

With interesting characters, including a star-nosed mole and a number of feisty little warrior birds, a unique story line and incredible drawings by the author, this is definitely an interesting and unusual adventure and an enjoyable book.  The problem is the target audience: The language may be a little advanced for the kiddos who may be most likely to pick up this book, and the ideal audience of middle-grade readers may think bird pirates are too silly, or may recognize the author as a regular on the picture-book circuit for younger readers.  It's a story worth anyone's time, though, as long as that reader has a sense of adventure!

The Lost Kingdom - by Matthew Kirby

Imagine travelling back to the mid-1700 American colonies, and preparing for the adventure of a lifetime into the uncharted western wilderness.  Now imagine that your journey is organized by Ben Franklin, with the goal of connecting with a long-lost colony to aid in the fight against the French. Let's make this even cooler: You're travelling by air using ridiculously cutting-edge technology, in the first airship in history.

This exciting story combines a real period of history and actual people from that time with a fictional (in some ways fantastical) plot.  Enjoy the story, connect it to some history and names that you've heard of (including George Washington), but don't believe a word of it.  Here's your introduction to a new genre: Alternate History.

The main character is teenage Billy Bartram, who tells the tale first-person.  Billy accompanies his famous botanist father on the expedition as his sketch artist, and through Billy's eyes we experience the excitement and terror of their journey, the shock of his father's prejudice against the natives, the suspense of an unidentified spy, and the confusion that comes when a child first realizes that not all adults are trustworthy or honorable.

What an amazing book!  The characters and setting are interesting and well-scripted, and the plot is fast-paced, twisting, and captivating. Matthew Kirby has come back with another winner.

The False Prince - by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Who is Sage, but a ragged orphan who must steal to get enough to eat?  In this fictional olden kingdom, he seems to be less than nothing. However, when the rich nobleman Conner selects him, along with a handful of boys, to take part in an epic act of deceit, it turns out that there may be more to Sage than meets the eye.

Twisting and turning, this book leaves the reader guessing at the characters' intentions and loyalties as the story builds until the very end. There is an earth-shattering revelation mid-way through the book, but that doesn't stop the suspense at all.  This is an AMAZING book.

Jennifer Nielsen knows how to pack a punch, and this first-in-a-trilogy (all three are now in print) novel will appeal to readers of all ages, but especially middle-grade boys and girls who crave adventure and suspense, who don't mind a bit of fighting and violence, and who love a tightly-wound plot and intriguing characters.

I wouldn't know about this book at all were it not for my good friend Mr. Potter.  Thanks again, dude.

The Storm Makers - by Jennifer E. Smith

Sometimes books with awesome covers can end up being pretty bad, but this one was as good as it looks.  It feels like a story we've heard before:  A normal boy is minding his own business when a mysterious stranger arrives, and suddenly the boy discovers he has special powers.  The interesting twist here is that the main character is the boy's sister, the super power doesn't really work, and the bad guy seems kind of like a good guy.

The boy in question is 12-year-old Simon, who recently relocated from Chicago to a rural Wisconsin farm with his parents and twin sister Ruby.  A terrible drought is hitting much of the nation, and the big worry is whether the family can make farm life work when nothing will grow.  When Ruby catches a disheveled man sneaking out of their barn one morning, things start to get interesting.  What is Simon's power, and why isn't it functioning correctly?  What is Ruby's role in the story?  Can two kids on a farm save their country from a not-so-natural disaster?

It's an interesting story with good pacing, some fun surprises, and a satisfying ending that hints at, but doesn't require a sequel.  To top it all off, it's beautifully illustrated by Brett Helquist, the master.

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict - by Trenton Lee Stewart

I opened this book expecting it to be my new favorite book. Why?  This comes at the end of an amazing series, the Mysterious Benedict Society and its follow-ups, and it focuses on possibly the most intriguing character in those stories, Mr. Benedict himself.   Was I disappointed?  Not a bit.

Although not an action-packed story, this book is nonetheless full of quick wits, realistic adventures,  mystery, reading, problem-solving, courage, and unlikely friendship.  It's got a little of everything, and a bit of something more:  Wonder and Genius. Can you tell I am a big fan of Trenton Lee Stewart?

When you begin this book, you meet young Nicholas, the precocious orphan with a remarkable memory who is just heading to his last-chance home, a very odd and problematic mansion full of mean boys and inattentive caretakers.  Before long, Nicholas puts his impressive mental talents to the challenge of solving a decades-old mystery before his arch-nemesis, and to the ultimate goal of getting himself out of this dead-end life and into a successful path to a rich, orphanage-free future.  Of course, nothing in this poor boy's life is easy, and this task may be his most difficult and hopeless yet.  Or not.

Mr. Stewart's latest book is a wonderful balance of just about everything, and is a must-read for anyone who's read his series, and even those who have not.  Like any of Roald Dahl's best work, this book is a stand-alone, unforgettable novel of an extraordinary boy whose pluck and wits help him make the best out of a troublesome life.  Go read it.

 

The One and Only Ivan - by Katherine Applegate

What's so great about the great apes, anyway?  Reading this book, you'll figure it out.  Ivan is a gorilla, and this is his story.  You don't get to read many books told from a gorilla's perspective, so don't pass this one up.

It's a sad, but hopeful tale of Ivan and his animal friends, all part of a small curiosity zoo at a random interstate shopping center.  The author drops us right into the middle of the story, where we find plenty of struggle.  The zoo owner struggles to make ends meet, the animals struggle to keep their spirits up, the kind custodian struggles with his conscience as he sees things slipping downhill, but there will be no struggle for this book to hold your attention.  The chapters are very short, and we are truly transported into the mind of a gorilla, for better or worse.

This is a fantastic book, and I highly recommend it.  There's not much action, but plenty of drama.  If you love art, wild animals, friendly mutts, custodians' daughters, or stories that break your heart before they stitch them back together with magic, this is for you.

The Keys to the Kingdom One: Mister Monday - by Garth Nix

Who would have thought the minute hand from a clock could a) be the perfect weapon, b) cure asthma, and c) help an average teenage boy rescue a magical kingdom from one of seven all-powerful nasty guys.  This book is a bit odd, but is very well-written, fast-paced, and captivating.  Some bits are hard to get used to, like one character named Will, who is actually a small part of a will.  You know, the paper that explains what should happen to your stuff after you're gone.  And that's a main character, so you see what I mean about the oddness.

Strange or not, this first book in The Keys to the Kingdom was amazing and hard to put down.  It was intriguing, mysterious, amazing, and even thrilling.  The levels of fantasy in this book get more extreme as the story moves on, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.  The bad guys chasing Arthur (our main character) are really bad, and you wonder where the author gets his ideas, or if he, perhaps, is just a little sleep-deprived. Regardless, it makes for a fun read!

The Lost Children - by Carolyn Cohagan

Lots and lots of gloves.  A city where everyone must wear gloves at all times!  A dad who never really talks, won't look his daughter in the eyes, and is obsessed with gloves! Weird mouthless dogs that terrorize entire villages.  A very small bad guy.  A very big good guy, who is also a bad guy.  A magical shack. A humongous orphanage.  An age-defying mystery.  Strange holes in the ground.  A surprising energy source.  Three kids who are nothing alike, trapped in a world none of them really understand, trying to do something they really don't want to do, and both dreaming of and dreading what will happen once they've done it.  A tremendous, captivating story.

I know, what kind of story description is that?  Could I be any less clear?  Probably, so don't push your luck!  The truth is, this is a strange book, with all sorts of unexpected events and interesting twists.  It is both a fantasy adventure and a story of friends who find it difficult but necessary to work together in the face of great danger.  It's also the sad story of a girl and her dad, and the shocking secret that holds them apart.

I borrowed this from my friend Kylie, and liked it so much I went out and bought my own copy.  It's a keeper.

The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman - by Meg Wolitzer

Scrabble Time!  Yes, I bought this book because I'm a major Scrabble fan, and it did not disappoint.  The story focuses on four sixth-graders from different parts of the country who all end up at the Youth Scrabble Tournament in Yakamee, Florida.  Each player ended up there through a very unique set of circumstances, and it's fascinating to watch the different story lines as they twist and weave, and finally join together.  

This is a great introduction to competitive Scrabble, and it accurately depicts life as a young Scrabble player.  It's also a very well-written story with a number of interesting characters and sub-plots.  The title is important to the story, but is really only one of the plot-lines.  There's a slight fantasy element to the story, which doesn't really add much to the book, but it's solidly Realistic Fiction.

Pick this delightful book up if you enjoy Scrabble, reading about young friendships (good and bad), skateboarding, "tween" life, cheating bullies, or secret friends who are really good at drawing aliens.

The Game of Sunken Places - by M. T. Anderson

This is a creepy book.  Two teens accept an invitation to a distant uncle's mansion deep in the Vermont woods, and when they get there realize that they're being pulled into a game like they have never played before.  Their first clue that something odd is afoot is when the uncle takes their clothes away (and burns them) and gives them starched shirts and knickerbockers to wear, as if it were hundreds of years earlier.  When the boys find a mysterious game board in their room and start to play, the wheels of something grand and terrible are set in motion.

This story follows friends Brian and Gregory as they battle forces of ancient darkness in a game neither of them really understand, but which has consequences as great as death itself.  Mystical creatures appear in the woods, mysterious messages need to be deciphered, and both boys must call upon every bit of their courage to make it to the thrilling end of the game, where they realize they were fighting something else entirely.

This is a great adventure, a thrilling collection of twists and turns that will chill you and delight you simultaneously. It has a slow start, but creeps along until you are totally sucked in and going mad with questions that don't seem to get answered quickly enough.  If you like creepy adventure stories and games, this is your book!

The Puzzling World of Winston Breen - by Eric Berlin

If you love solving puzzles and mental challenges of all sorts, this is the mystery novel you're looking for.  There's hidden treasure, a cranky librarian, shadowy evildoers, tasty pizza, and a retired police officer who doesn't seem to realize he's retired.  It all begins when young Winston, the puzzle-loving genius, finds a used wooden box with a fake bottom containing clues to a grand mystery. The only problem:  He gave the box to his sister for her birthday, so the clues belong to her.  Before long, the two of them join up with an unlikely cast of treasure hunters in a race to solve the mystery.  There's danger, trouble, and intrigue, but there's also that pizza I mentioned.

This book is FULL of puzzles, some part of the story, some just tossed in there, with answers to all of them at the back of the book.  Luckily, even if you decide to skip the puzzles, you'll have no problem following the story. The plot is a relatively straightforward mystery, but it's interesting enough to be worth reading.  You can definitely tell it was written by a puzzle geek, but that's what makes is good for the puzzle-loving upper-elementary or middle school reader.

Troublemaker - by Andrew Clements

How do you change your reputation? Fifth grader Clay Hensley was doing everything in his power to show his school that he could be just as big a troublemaker as his big brother, and he was succeeding.  His file in the principal's office was as thick as a phone book!  When his brother was arrested and then released from jail six months later, things began to change, though.  Clay decided to change his ways, but found that reversing your behavior, let alone you reputation, is not as easy as he had hoped.  Can Clay turn his life around, and when something terrible happens that everyone blames him for, can he convince them that he is, finally, an innocent guy?

This is a story about right and wrong, but also about the blurred line between those two ideas.  When does joking around turn into something worse, and once you've crossed that line, how do you get back?  Young and old readers alike will enjoy seeing how Clay deals with these questions in this fast-paced, interesting book.  Just like most of Mr. Clements' books, this is also the story of an adult who realizes that he has just as much to learn as Clay about how to behave.