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.

Captain Nobody - by Dean Pitchford

Who is Captain Nobody?  It all starts during a football game, THE BIG GAME, where fourth-grader Newt Newman's older brother Chris, the star quarterback of the high school team, is out to make history.  He does, but not quite in the way he intended.

This story follows Newt and his two best friends, tall-girl J.J. and short but drum-crazy Cecil, as they navigate being the least-popular kids in fourth grade, but also as they struggle to find a way to come to terms with a tragedy that strikes Newt's family.  I really can't tell you what happens, but trust me that it is BIG.

Before you know it, Newt is dressing up in his brother's old clothes and calling himself Captain Nobody.  Of course, that isn't enough to make anyone a super hero.  Really.  Or, is it?  And what kind of superhero would "Captain Nobody" be, anyway?  That, dear reader, is the key to the whole story!

This is such an amazing, heartfelt, readable story that my 6-year-old and I, who just finished listening to it on CD in the car, have been lingering in the driveway because we just don't want to turn it off!  Equal parts funny and touching, this is a really fantastic book.  It is not part of a series, but stands alone as a testament to the power of courage and friends to make everything better.

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.

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.

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.

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?

How to Train your Dragon - by Cressida Cowell

I know this book has been out for a while, and has ten more books in the series, but I had forgotten all about it and haven't read it for five years.  My loss! My son and I just finished this book, and it was really wonderful.  I didn't like it five years ago, but have changed my tune.   I can see why it's been so popular, and why it was made into a movie.

This is a funny book, told first-hand by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, the least-heroic Viking in his long-ago village.  He is not only the biggest failure in his tribe, he also happens to be the chief's son.  When the boys are called to climb a cliff to the dragon caves and sneak away with sleeping baby dragons, it figures that Hiccup gets the scrawniest, most toothless of the whole bunch.  Will his luck ever change?  When his stubborn dragon gets Hiccup exiled forever from his village, things are definitely not looking up.

Join Hiccup on a grand adventure right in his own backyard.  This is a wonderful story, full of shouting, dragons, more shouting, more dragons, and some other stuff too.  This book will inspire would-be heroes, and will remind all of us that you just can't judge a book (or a Viking or his dragon) by the cover.

Magic Marks the Spot - by Caroline Carlson

Aargh, Matey!  This is a delightful pirate story that is far from normal, and is wonderful for its quirkiness.  Hilary Westfield has always wanted to be a pirate, and is well on her way with her own sword, ability to tread water for well over half an hour, and swashbuckling attitude.  There are two problems:  1) Her father is admiral of the Royal Navy, and has a life mission of ridding the kingdom of pirates, and 2) The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates has rejected her application for piracy on account of her being a girl, and has forwarded it to Ms. Pimm's Finishing School for Delicate Ladies.  Hilary is on her way to the dreaded school when a magical theft turns things upside down, and she must battle stern governesses, magical thieves, treacherous sailors, and rapscallion rogues of all sorts in her quest to solve the mystery of the Queen's missing treasure.

Armed with her trusty sword, and backed by a nervous gargoyle and a mismatched crew of unexpected friends and associates, Hilary sets off to Gunpowder Island, where her fortunes will explode, and she must sink or swim.

This is a witty adventure, full of twists and turns, interesting and surprising characters, and a perfect ending.  Boys and girls alike will enjoy this fantastic book.

The Odd Squad: Bully Bait - by Michael Fry

One is so tall that her classmates tease her relentlessly.  One is so strange that nobody wants to be near him.  The last is so short that he gets stuffed in his own locker every day. Life is hard for seventh graders Molly, Karl, and Nick, and there seems to be no way out.  When these three oddballs get forced to start a Safety Patrol together by their principal, things seem to be worse than ever.  However, helped by their apparently deranged Shakespeare-quoting school custodian, the three soon learn that working together, they can overcome their fears and actually turn things around.

The story is told by Nick (the shortest seventh grader in the history of the universe, according to himself), and centers around his interactions with Roy, the school bully.  Through the course of this graphic novel, Nick learns more about his tormentor and finds new strength and empathy that he never knew he had to make some really tough decisions that could either save them all, or ruin everything.

As a graphic novel, this is kind of Wimpy-Kiddish, with more of a story line, and more likable characters.  It wasn't an earth-shatteringly wonderful book, but it was funny, well-written and drawn, and touching at parts. I'd recommend it for a fun and easy read to anyone who enjoys graphic novels, school stories, and seeing bullies get what they deserve.

Cosmic - by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Liam is tall for his age.  He's 12, and just wants to be treated like a kid, but he looks so old that waitresses won't even let him see the kids' menu.  The school bus driver won't pick him up, because he thinks he's an adult.  The guy at the Porsche dealership gives him the keys for a test drive, because he think's he's a dad. Well, it's not ALL bad, it seems.

When Liam and his schoolmate Florida decide to act like father and daughter, it turns out to be pretty fun.  The faint mustache Liam has sprouted help them pull it off, and they get into all sorts of mischief, including a trip to China to visit a brand new theme park.  Before long, though, things get a bit out of hand, and Liam is telling his story... from outer space.  Okay, things got REALLY out of hand!

This is a hilarious story of one boy who isn't who everyone wants him to be, but who can't figure out who he really is until it's a bit too late.  If you're a bit tall compared to your peers, this book can be a warning.  For the rest of us, it is just a fun yet thoughtful adventure.

Fake Mustache - by Tom Angleberger

Fake mustaches are dangerous, at least when they are worn by criminal masterminds (even seventh-grade ones).  That is one lesson you can take away from this book.  Another lesson may be, "Never mess with a cowgirl."  Perhaps you'll come away with this piece of wisdom: Just because you're a slightly nerdy, shorter-than-average seventh grader who has no friends except for a criminal mastermind, that doesn't mean you can't save the world.  In other words, this is a pretty funny book.

I love the way this book is told in the first-person by Lenny Flem, Jr., a slightly-unsure-of-him-self teen with a weird friend and weirder family.  When he discovers his friend Casper's evil plot to use his new fake mustache to become President of the United States, it's up to Lenny to stop him.  Good news: Lenny soon enlists the help of Jodie O'Rodeo, teen TV singing cowgirl star (retired).  Bad news:  Because of a tip from Casper, the entire country believes Lenny is a bank robber, and the authorities are hunting for him.  With a little disguise of his own, Lenny soon hatches a plan, and the race is on.

It's a goofy story, but it's funny, well-written, and worth reading.  It's not going to win the Newbery or anything, but will probably make you snort milk out your nose from laughing so hard.  Warning:  Don't drink milk while reading this book.  Or if you do, keep a towel handy.

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.

Star Jumper: Journal of a Cardboard Genius - by Frank Asch

This is a book that will leave you wondering what is real and what is imagined.  Young Alex loves to create things with cardboard boxes and other bits of junk he's collected, but his biggest challenge comes when his pesky little brother threatens to foil his latest invention.  When Alex is forced to reveal his plans for escape into outer space in his cardboard spacecraft, he must find a way to prevent his brother Jonathan from ruining everything.

There is plenty of sibling rivalry, fancy space and inventor's talk, and creativity in this short but fun book.  The reader won't know where the truth ends and Alex's fantastic imagination begins as this book moves from the bedroom to far above the Earth.  It will appeal to young inventors, older siblings who have to deal with little pests, space fans, and anyone wanting a curious but rewarding short book.

Doctor Proctor's Fart Powder - by Jo Nesbo

Yes, this book has an awesome title, and check out that illustration!  Yes, he's flying, and no, it's not because of super powers.  Can you tell this book is going to be a little silly?

Surprisingly, it's not as silly as you would expect.  This is a serious story of friendship, scientific experiments, what it's like to be the new kid, and how to deal with nasty neighbors.  The plot is focused on Doctor Proctor, a lonely old inventor, his neighbor girl Lisa, and the new kid on the block, Nilly, who is not only very funny, but very, very small.  So small that he can get flushed down a toilet, for instance.  Oops, I shouldn't have given that part away.  When Doctor Proctor invents a powder for creating explosive (but odorless) farts (Yes, it feels weird typing that word!), the three begin a race against time as they fight to save the invention from the bully family down the street, and to use this outstanding new product to earn enough money to send... well that's just too much information for you!  Oh, and there's a big snake in the story too.  Really big.

It is a very funny book, though it is not ridiculous like Captain Underpants or other series like that.  It is a delightful chapter book with great use of language, humor, and illustrations, but also emotions.  The book was translated from Norwegian (it takes place in Oslo, Norway), so it must be sophisticated, right?

For a good laugh, for a good story, for a book that will make you feel good about the little people in your life, and for the best story every written about the positive things that can result from a good long fart, read this book.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda - by Tom Angleberger

With a title like that, this book was bound to be weird, and it was.  That's not necessarily a bad thing, though.  This is the story of a wide assortment of sixth graders, centered around Tommy the narrator and his sometimes-friend Dwight, the class oddball. When Dwight started walking around with a homemade origami Yoda on his finger, it was just one more in a long line of kooky Dwight behaviors.  However, when the little Yoda began giving amazingly smart advice to all of Tommy's friends, everything changed.  This book is kind of like Tommy's diary as he tries to get to the bottom of this Yoda phenomenon and figure out the truth.

It's a funny book, full of typically zany middle school characters and pretty believable sixth-grade language and interactions.  You see the good and the bad, and in this short book, will even see some characters grow and change.  If you want to understand what it might be like to be a sixth grader, living in a constantly-changing hard-to-understand world at a totally awkward point in your life, this weird little book may help.  If not, at least you'll have some good laughs.

Science Fair - by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Foreign terrorists with cheese in their pants?  A death-defying race through town in a stolen Oscar Meyer Weinermobile?  A dancing animatronic gorilla with classified technology hidden under its hat?  Darth Vader and a wookie breaking into a house in the dead of night?  Killer electronic robot owl defending a store in the mall?  A levitating frog?  Parents who make all of their food out of tofu?  FBI agents covered in orange Cheetos dust?  Nuclear Mentos?  This book is full of one wild, goofy idea after another, and it all comes together nicely in the end.

It's really the story of Toby, a dorky eighth-grader who wants to win the $5,000 prize at his school's science fair, but knows that the rich bratty kids whose parents pay for fancy projects always win.  When Toby uncovers an unfair and sinister plot, it's up to him and his friends to uncover the truth, save the science fair from cheating (and the United States from being destroyed by terrorists), and avoid capture by the many people who are hunting them down.  This book is a roller coaster of silliness, but also a pretty good scientific adventure.  I'd recommend it to readers who like funny books, bad accents, science, Star Wars, and inventing things. Also, anyone who's ever dreamed of uncovering secret plots and saving the world, or boring things like that.

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and other Natural Disasters - by Lenore Look

Alvin is one nervous kid.  In fact, in his second grade class, he hasn't spoken a word all year!  Get him on his favorite topic, which is all the terrible things that could happen to him at every moment of his life, and he won't stop talking.  Alvin is a great character, stuck between a nosy little sister and a too-cool older brother, and his adventures had me laughing all through the book.  In this second book of the series, Alvin's dad decides to bring him camping, and this has Alvin totally freaked.  The way he deals with his fear and the hilarious things that happen on the trip are very fun reading.  This is a very realistic, likable character, and a great new series.

This is a great short novel for second, third, or fourth graders, though the writing is witty enough that anyone older is also likely to enjoy it.  One thing that could help a child reading this book is to learn a little about Henry David Thoreau before reading, or as his name pops up early in the book.  

The Dunderheads - by Paul Fleischman

Here's a school story that will have you cheering.  A class full of oddball kids (sounds kind of like The Fabled Fourth Grade, doesn't it?) has to deal with an evil, nasty teacher, worse than Ms. Viola Swamp.  Her name is Miss Breakbone, and she is the nastiest of nasties.  She has an electric chair in her classroom, and gives herself a gold star whenever she makes a student cry.  When she confiscates one student's toy cat, which was to be a gift to his mother, she has gone too far.  When the students form a group (The Dunderheads) and develop a plan to get even with Miss Breakbone, the story really heats up.

Though this is classified in my local library as an "easy picture book", it's so much more than that.  It's more like a   mini-novel for third graders, but the interesting characters and detailed, hilarious wording and illustrations will make it a favorite of older children as well.  This will make an ideal fourth grade read-aloud for me, and I can't wait to try it out. This book is kind of like a simpler version of Gordan Korman's Swindle, but better, and with more memorable characters.  Check it out.  It will only take you ten minutes to read, but your laughter will continue for much longer.

Molly McGinty has a Really Good Day - by Gary Paulsen

Everything is going wrong for Molly.  She lost her notebook, in which she keeps every single detail of her very organized life.  Her wild and embarrassing grandmother is coming to school for Senior Citizens Day.  She ripped her skirt, got a black eye, and had her hair set on fire.  Could this day get any worse?  Yes.  This is a hilarious story of a girl, her friends, and her grandmother (and the boy she likes), all trying to get through one pretty extraordinary day at school, and learning a lot about life along the way.

This isn't what you'd think of when you think of Gary Paulsen, famous for Hatchet and other wilderness, outdoorsy books.  However, it is a surprisingly enjoyable book!  This is a great book if you like interesting characters, school stories, large purses, or weird grandmothers.  Girls will love the confused but brave main character, but boys will find things to like about the story as well.  I did.

Trial by Journal - by Kate Klise (and her sister)

What if a ten-year-old girl was put on the jury of a murder trial, and the jury was hidden away in a fancy hotel in the middle of an amusement park for the month-long trial?  What if that girl's teacher made her write a journal about her experience since she was missing so much school?  What if that girl snuck out and actually solved the crime before the trial was over?  Read this creative story and you'll have know exactly what if!   

This is a PHENOMENAL book!  The Klise sisters are extremely talented, and when they get together, the books they produce are hard to put down.  This book, like all of their stories, is told through a variety of drawings and words, put together in a very engaging and interesting way.  It's kind of like a graphic novel, but smarter, and less comic-bookish.  You need to think a lot while you read this book, and you can keep up with the unraveling mystery, maybe even solving it before the author does if you pay enough attention.  I cannot stress it enough - go read this book!