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.

Heart of a Samurai - by Margi Preus

You will not believe that this is the author's first book! It's simply an amazing adventure story of the high seas in the 1800's, from Japan to New England and back again.  We meet Manjiro, a teenage Japanese fisherman who is stranded by a shipwreck and eventually picked up by an American whaling ship.  That begins Manjiro's odyssey, which includes adoption, learning to live in a small American town, dealing with all sorts of prejudice and anger, and growing into a man with a real mixed and conflicted cultural identity.  Will this poor stranded fisherman ever achieve his dream of becoming a samurai?

This is an amazing story, an epic tale of adventure, courage, and the power of the human spirit to overcome all odds.  I recommend this to everyone!  Especially history buffs, those who have an interest in Japan, fishing and whaling, life in the 1800's, classic sea adventures, and amazing writing.

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.

Ghost Hawk - by Susan Cooper

Little Hawk is a Native, living in what will later become Massachusetts as the first wave of English settlers arrive.  This story follows him as he grows from a boy to a man, living three months on his own in the wilderness in search of his manitou (spirit).  Upon his return to his village, Little Hawk finds something that changes the course of his life, and our story.  There are too many surprises in this book for me to say much more, for fear of telling too much.  It is a bit of a mystery, and a delightful supernatural romp through the world of early Native Americans.

Half of the book focuses on a totally different character, an English settler named Tom.  Between Tom's story and that of Little Hawk, we get a good feeling for the challenges, restrictions, but also the pleasures of life during the early 1600's in the American northeast.  Susan Cooper has drifted away from her typical magical mythology writing (The Dark is Rising and The Boggart), to craft a believable, but somewhat ghostly, historical adventure novel.

This is a perfect book for future historians, fans of early American stories, believers in the supernatural, or for any young (or old) person who is willing to look at history from multiple perspectives.

Give Me Liberty - by L.M. Elliott

Colonial times were tricky: Where do you throw your loyalty, with the Patriots or the Tories?  For indentured servant  13-year-old Nathaniel, the revolutionary fever in Virginia has thrown his world upside down, and left him wondering not only what is right, but what is possible.

This story follows Nathaniel from his work on a Virginia cotton plantation to Williamsburg, where he finds a new master in kindly school-teacher Basil, whose love of language opens Nathaniel's eyes to a broad range of thinking.  As he works for a Loyalist carriage-maker and befriends a firebrand boy set on rebellion, Nathaniel feels torn. Finding himself in a situation where he must choose between the law and helping an escaped slave, Nathaniel digs deep and finds strength he never knew he had.  Soon war breaks out, and Nathaniel follows Basil to the battle lines, eyewitnesses to an explosive episode in American history.

This thrilling and brainy novel of the Revolutionary era will hold the interest of most readers, especially history buffs and liberty lovers.  There is drama, friendship, sacrifice, warfare, and some excellent flute-playing.  This is a great addition to this classic genre.

(I need to add an update:  While I enjoyed this book, a student book club of fifth-grade girls that I gave it to last spring did NOT enjoy it. Too slow, they said.  Not very exciting.  Huh. That just proves, once again, that I am not a fifth-grade girl!!)

Dangerous Waters - by Gregory Mone

This is not the Titanic story you're expecting, except for one thing:  Not to spoil anything, but THE SHIP SINKS.

What is this story?  It is the tale of young Patrick Waters, an Irish lad whose brother just landed a job as a coal man on the Titanic.  Due to remarkable circumstances, Patrick ends up on the ship as well, and that's where the adventure begins.

Meanwhile, a dangerous man can be found sneaking around London, trying to steal a very valuable book which contains a remarkable secret.  His search leads him onto Titanic, and before you know it, all of our main characters' lives are intertwined.

This is a thought-provoking book, but also an adventurous, fast-paced tale.  Patrick is an Everyman type of hero, and the bad guys are truly bad.  Violence, mystery, a bit of love, and of course... a shipwreck.  What more can you ask for?

One thing you could ask for is a little less fancy language, and more plain-speak.  As in his novel Fish, Mr. Mone can get carried away with his wording, making his books a bit more appropriate (or fully understandable) for teens than for younger middle-grade readers. While I appreciate an author who doesn't "dumb down" his writing, it does take away from his stories, but just a little.  All in all, this is a rousing adventure on the high seas, and I recommend it to anyone who's not afraid of a little iceberg.

One Dead Spy - by Nathan Hale

Nathan Hale is/was one cool dude.  The original Nathan Hale was awesome because he was a spy for General George Washington during the American Revolution, and risked (and lost) his life in the fight for liberty.  The author Nathan Hale is awesome because he wrote a book about a dead guy with the same name as his, and because his illustrations and sense of humor are just outstanding.

This graphic novel is a biography of the short-lived American spy Nathan Hale.  Told by the spy himself to his own executioner (hangman) through a series of flashbacks, this is also a great summary of the first part of the American Revolution and its causes.  It's really a wonderful book for anyone interested in this time period, and a good introduction to early American history and military history for reluctant, or any readers.

This series has two books (#2: Big Bad Ironclad), and I can't wait to see what else the author comes up with. Excellent book!

Forge - by Laurie Halse Anderson

This is a heartbreaking work of historical genius. The sequel to Chains, this is the story of Curzon, an escaped slave who ends up accidentally joining George Washington's revolutionary army.  At first he seeks some way to escape, but before long he begins to appreciate the soldier's life, and to feel part of something larger and more important than himself. When he is identified by his former master, things get tricky, and getting to a happy ending requires not only all of Curzon's wits and talents, but those of his newfound friends as well.

The book is an excellent portrait of life in Washington's army, and paints the conditions of the soldiers in Valley Forge in excruciating detail.  It also raises important questions about slavery, loyalty, and friendship, some of which do not have clear answers.  It is a book about hope, dreams, and glory, but also about suffering, fear, and loss.  It is an impressive and challenging book, and one of my favorites of the year.

You need not read the first book to fully enjoy this one.  In fact, I liked this much more than Chains.

Icefall - by Matthew J. Kirby

If you were a Viking princess (and I assume you are not), and your father the king was fighting a war and wanted to keep you and your siblings safe, he just might send you to a remote frozen island just like Solveig's dad sent her to.  Two princesses and the crown prince must wait out the winter with a troop of brave but bored soldiers to guard them, and nothing but a glacier to keep them company.

Yes, it's an exciting-looking cover, and when I started reading this story I was a bit disappointed by the lack of action, the slow pace, and the deep character studies.  It turns out I just had to wait a little while, and the action picked up, made all the more thrilling by the information I had learned during those early chapters.

When I say it's thrilling, I should also mention the intense mystery. Someone trapped on the island is a traitor, but nobody can figure out who.  Before long, everyone suspects everyone else, adding to the excitement and suspense.  The end is powerful and unexpected, just as you may suspect from a Viking girl-power historical mystery drama.

Perhaps the best part isn't even the plot, but the author's amazing use of language.  It reads almost like poetry, or perhaps like the tale told by an ancient Viking bard.  This is a great book for anyone who likes storytelling, Vikings, exceptionally brave girls who have been underestimated, and large stinky nordic soldiers.

Wonderstruck - by Brian Selznick

Mysteries!  Wolves!  Natural history museums!  Sign language!  Lost family!  New friends!  That's a lot of exclamation marks, but this is a book that deserves it.  Much like the author's previous book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, this story is told through both amazing drawings and words, with multiple story lines weaving together until the end, where it all comes together and knocks your socks off.

This is the story of Ben, a young orphan from Minnesota who finds a clue as to his father's identity, and who sets out on an adventure to discover the truth about his past.  It is also the story, told only through pictures, of Rose, a young woman who sets off on a journey of her own to find a mysterious actress in the big city.  These stories take place fifty years apart and seem to have nothing to do with one another, but part of what makes this an amazing book is that each of the stories can't be told without the other.  The end really will leave you, shall we say, wonderstruck!

This is a book not to be missed.  The artwork is incredible, the story thoughtful and well-crafted, and the character memorable.  Brian Selznick has a gift, and trust me, you don't want to be left out.  That said, this is a book that will probably mean more to slightly older readers.  It is a picture book of sorts, but I would recommend it to children from nine to one hundred and nine.

The Wednesday Wars - by Gary D. Schmidt

This book was so much more enjoyable than I expected!  I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, given how much I liked this author's writing in Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy.  It's a tale of the 1960's, focusing on the life of one unlucky boy, Holling Hoodhood, a seventh-grader at Camillo Junior High.  At first we think the story is about his nasty teacher, Mrs. Baker, who tortures him each Wednesday while all the other students in his class go elsewhere for religion class.  She makes him read Shakespeare, for goodness sake!  Soon we dig deeper, the story expands, and it's a fabulous ride.

Dust-covered cream puffs, yellow leotards with feathers on the butt, escaped rats, a cranky and demanding father, and so many more mini-stories fill this book that it's almost hard to keep track.  By the end, the author has woven them all together into a coming-of-age story that speaks to that time in American history, but also to anybody who has been a teenager and lived to tell about it.

Some of the writing is at a high level:Quoting Shakespeare to make inside jokes, digging into the topic of the Vietnam War, but the author pulls it off well, and a discerning reader will have no trouble.  I'd recommend this book to 10-up, to fans of the 60's, people who like to run, and anyone who wants a surprisingly great story to enjoy.

Blood on the River: Jamestown, 1607 - by Elisa Carbone

For lovers of historical fiction, this is a fantastic introduction to the story of Jamestown, the first English settlement what would become America.  It is a nuanced story of survival, following the course of Samuel, a young boy who joined the expedition to the New World as a servant to one of the trip's leaders, leaving behind his life of poverty in London.  As the story progresses, Samuel approaches each new discovery with an open mind and a kind heart, which is more than can be said for many of the Virginia Company's leaders, and when trouble strikes, it is Samuel's quick thinking that helps save the day.

This book is historically accurate, with many true-to-life characters (Captain John Smith, Pocahontas, and many others), but there is plenty of fiction to keep the story moving along and add mystery and excitement. The author did meticulous research, and this book does a nice job of showing how both the settlers and the natives experienced and viewed the clash of their two cultures.  The story of Jamestown is not really a happy one, as any readers of history know, and this book does not shy away from the gruesome truth of the settlers' plight, but the author provides plenty of hope and heart, and the story is a positive one in the end.

Thank you to my fellow fourth-grade teacher Mrs. Frye for recommending this to me again and again!

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate - by Jacqueline Kelly

I thought this book had a cool cover, so I read it. I thought it would be a book that would mainly interest girls, and it probably is.  I thought it would be a little boring, and it... WAS NOT!  Imagine that you're a 12-year-old girl in Texas in 1899, with all the limitations and expectations that come with that.  What are those?  Let's see: You must wear a bonnet and skirts, learn to keep house and knit, cook and clean, play the piano and have social graces, and of course give up any chance of ever having a career of your own unless you want to be a lonely spinster school teacher.  Equal rights?  Yeah, right.

Now imagine that you're Calpurnia Tate, the only girl in her large family, and granddaughter to the mysterious and grumpy Mr. Tate, who also happens to be a famous naturalist and scientist.  When her grandpa takes her under her wing and begins to give her the education he thinks she deserves, but which stands in direct opposition to her mother's plans for her.  Calpurnia is stuck in the middle, begin to see herself as a scientist and a strong, independent woman, but facing the bleak housewifey future of her parents' expectations.  Does she have the will to break from her family and plot her own course into the new century, heading off to University to become a scientist, or will her destiny be that which her parents have forecast?  The answer isn't as clear as you might expect, but in showing Calpurnia's growth (or evolution) through the book, the author gives us hope and  lets us, the readers, put the final touches on young Miss Tate's fate.

This really is a fabulous book, realistic and full of interesting people, places, and ideas. The ideas of Charles Darwin play heavily and help shape Calpurnia's thinking and her relationship with her grandpa.  The writing is smart, careful, and nuanced, and will delight readers who appreciate well-crafted prose and straightforward but captivating plots.  There's not much adventure, no violence, nothing disgusting, and not much humor, so it's not a book for everyone. Young ladies who have an interest in science and nature are obviously the ideal readers, but I can't think of anyone who couldn't benefit from reading this delightful story.

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy - by Gary Schmidt

This is one of those books that you aren't sure you want to read, because the cover is kind of old-fashioned and dull. Then you start reading, and you almost abandon it because the setting and characters don't really click with you, and you're not really into it, but you decide to stick it out.  Then before you know it you've finished the book in tears, and you can't get it out of your mind.    In other words, just read it.  You'll see what I mean.

The setting is a small town on the Maine coast in the early 1900's.  Our main character is Turner Buckminster Fuller III, the new pastor's son who left his fabulous life in Boston to start a new life as the least popular boy in a small town where nothing unusual is acceptable.  For Turner, a sincere but rebellious boy, life has suddenly become very hard.  Before long he has made an enemy of the coolest kid in town and the most grumpy old lady on his street, embarrassed his father in front of his new congregation, and become friends with a girl from the local settlement of ex-slaves, the one and only Lizzie Bright.  Could life get more difficult for him?  You have no idea.

Lizzie is more than Turner's equal, a smart and athletic black girl in a town where not only do the locals not approve of her people, but where they are actively trying to evict the entire island settlement to make room for a resort.  When Turner decides to stand up for Lizzie and her people, he must choose between his own town and family and his sense of right and wrong.  He makes the right choice, but the consequences are tremendous and terrible.

This is a fantastic book, memorable and haunting, lyrical and personal.  It starts slowly, but will draw you in until you don't know what hit you.  If you want to get a feel for small town life and mindsets in the early 20th-century, this is a good resource.  If you want to read a story about the power of friendship and the importance  and challenge of standing up for what is right, you can do no better.

The Dreamer - by Pam Munoz Ryan & Peter Sis

This is the beautiful, sad, hopeful, lyrical true story of the childhood of poet Pablo Neruda.  It's a story of courage, of a boy who never fit in, whose father was embarrassed of him, and who is never allowed to be what or who he wants to be.  He hangs in there, though, and eventually finds his own way, never losing hope, and never giving up on his dreams.  This biography focuses on Neruda's childhood and his unusual interests in nature and words, which anyone who has read his excellent poetry would have expected.  It's a guide for young poets, hopers, dreamers, and misfits.

This book is a physical pleasure to read.  Peter Sis filled it with amazing drawings in his typical pointillistic style, which is as much a selling point as the writing.  Poetry is mixed in throughout the chapters, and there is a short collection of Neruda's poetry at the end.  The writing is in dark green ink, Neruda's favorite color to write in, which is unusual and strangely calming to read.  This is such a wonderful book, it makes me happy just to think about it, which is something.

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg - by Rodman Philbrick

Homer and his brother were living with their nasty Uncle Squinton in Maine when the Civil War broke out in 1861.  Before Homer knew what was happening, his seventeen-year-old brother had been sold off to join the Union Army against his will.  This is the story of Homer's quest to find and save his brother, and the amazing adventures that happened to him along the way, from rural Maine to the heart of the war at the battle of Gettysburg, and everywhere in-between.  So many unbelievable things happen to Homer on his journey that you'll never want to put the book down, for fear that you'll miss something. My toddler did not like this book at all, because it distracted me so, and he had to knock me upside the head with Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? to get my attention (on multiple occasions).  The best part is Homer himself, whose uncanny ability to bend the truth gets him into all sorts of trouble, and whose courage gets him back out.

This is one of the best books I've read recently, and surely one of the most wonderful Civil War tales ever written.  It's not a war book, it's more a story of brothers, of bravery, of never giving up, and doing whatever it takes, honest or otherwise, to meet your goals.

War Horse - by Michael Morpurgo

If horses could write, this would be the story of one brave foal who was on the front lines of World War One in Europe.  Joey was a beautiful horse, loyal to his young master Albert, and confused when he was taken away to be a war horse for the British cavalry (soldiers who fight or travel on horseback).  As the war raged on, Joey had countless adventures, surviving battle after battle, and making and losing new friends along the way.  In the end, it is the courage and determination of the horse that keep him alive, and which allow him to search one last time for his master and his friend.

The story is told first-person (or first-horse) from Joey's point-of-view, which makes it very interesting and really sucks the reader in.  Michael Morpurgo is an amazing writer, as I've noted before, and this is an incredible book.  Horse lovers will find themselves swept away, as will fans of military history, who will get an inside view of both the British cavalry and the German artillery during that long and terrible war in 1914 and beyond.

Thanks to Emma and her mother for the tip and the loan, and for reminding me how much I like Michael Morpurgo.  I hear this is going to be a movie!  Good choice.

The Amulet of Smarkand - by Jonathan Stroud

I had been wondering about this series, The Bartimaeus Trilogy, and whether it would be worth a read.  I finally snagged a copy from the library started reading the first chapter, and totally lost interest.  Luckily I picked it up again the next day and finished that chapter, and I was hooked.  It takes a little while to understand how this book is written:  From the point of view of an ancient djinni (genie) in some chapters, and from the perspective of the brave but terribly young and inexperienced apprentice magician, Nathaniel, who summons Bartimaeus in others.

The story spins you into an England run by magicians, with imps, djinni, and other magical creatures doing their bidding.  Bartimaeus is one of these djinni, but he's got an attitude!  His humor adds a lot to the story, but the plot on its own is enough to hold your interest.  When Nathaniel orders Bartimaeus to steal a valuable amulet from a powerful magician who had once embarrassed him, everything goes wrong.  Soon the boy and djinni are on the run to save not only their own lives, but the country itself from an evil plan.  As the boy and his magical servant learn to work together, the reader is taken on a fantastic journey through a fictional London.  The end of the book leaves us wondering what on earth is going to happen in the sequel, and dying to find out.

If you like magic, interesting and challenging vocabulary, lots of action, politics, and genies, it's time to check out The Bartimaeus Trilogy!

The Postcard - by Tony Abbott

If you love to read about the history of old Florida cities, and you also like interesting mysteries with lots of twists and turns, this is the PERFECT book for you! For the rest of us, it's a really good book.

When teenage Jason heads down to Florida to help his dad clean out his grandmother's house, it begins to seem like this will be a boring story about family problems.  Nope!  The mysterious clues start fairly early on, and keep building as the reader tries to stay one step ahead of the characters.  This is one of those mystery novels where you don't really figure things out until the end, and the twists and turns keep getting more interesting.  It's not as good as The Westing Game, but it has some great action scenes, and more than its fair share of weird and wacky characters.

Check it out if you like twisty plots, old hotels and bridges, creepy retired circus performers, or mysterious but helpful neighbor girls who can't seem to get your name right!