The Castle Corona by Sharon Creech

This is a story of an orphan boy and girl, a king and queen and their children: two princes and a princess.

The two orphans find a pouch that has the royal crest on it. They struggle to know what to do with the pouch. The royals are discontent with their positions and are also struggling to know what to do. Their stories come together eventually, and they have an impact on each other.

I personally thought the story plodded along. It was okay, just not great. I found myself wondering when something was going to happen, and it never really did. Remember, though, that's my opinion. You should try it for yourself. You might like it!

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 2.5 of 5

Amazon reviews

Airball: my life in briefs by L. D. Harkrader

What a fun book. I'd recommend it for any middle schooler who likes humorous stories. Kirby Nickel is a 7th grader who loves basketball. After all, he's from Stuckey, the basketball capital of Kansas and producer of the NBA star Brett McGrew. One problem...Kirby's not very athletic.

When Kirby is urged to try out for the 7th grade basketball team, he does everything he can to not make the team, but he does. The only good part about being on the team is that he'll get a chance to meet Brett McGrew whom Kirby suspects is his birth father. One problem. The 7th grade Stuckey basketball team hasn't had a winning record since McGrew played for them. They'll have to play basketball before a national audience. As a result, Coach "Iron Man" Mike Armstrong tries desperate measures to get them to improve...enter the stealth uniforms. The boys practice in their underwear! You'll have to read the book to find out more.

Genre: realistic fiction, sports

Topics: basketball, practice, figuring out who your birth father is, cousins, stealth uniforms, coaches, coaching techniques

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 5 of 5

Amazon reviews

Dragon Spear by Jessica Day George

This is the conclusion of the Dragon series by Jessica Day George. The humans are afraid of the dragons because of what happened in Dragon Flight, so the dragons are banned from the human land. They have made their home on the Far Isles. Creel and Prince Luka are engaged and planning their wedding when Velika gets kidnapped by a formerly unknown group of dragons from a far away land.

What awaits them when Creel, Luka, and their dragon and human friends is very unexpected. Once again, they are in the middle of a battle between dragons and humans, but this time, the humans are the captives and the dragons are the captors. You'll have to read it to find out what happens! You won't be disappointed.

Genre: fantasy

Topics: human enslavement, royal lines/succession, volcanoes, prisoners, deception, mistaken history

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 5 of 5

Amazon reviews

Dragon Flight by Jessica Day George

In this second book of the Dragon series by Jessica Day George, Creel is once again thrown into the middle of another dragon plot. This time, there is a new type of dragon on the scene. Citatie, a neighboring country, has decided to declare war on Feravel, and they are using an army of these new dragons.

To help Luka and his father, Creel goes undercover in Citatie to figure out why these dragons are acting as they are. She soon discovers a diabolical plot and enlists the help of Shardas, Velika, and her other dragon friends from the Dragon War. Get ready for more battles and rescues!

Genre: fantasy

Topics: dragons, controlling/imprisoning others, breeding, mind control, family betrayal, friendship

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 5 of 5

Amazon reviews

The Year of the Bomb by Ronald Kidd

This book does a great job describing some of the fears that people from the United States dealt with in the 1950s. It's amazing how much fear can be instilled in people from propaganda; yes, even the United States falls prey to this. The 1950s weren't the glowing times we like to remember from Happy Days or other TV shows. There were rough times, too.

A group of boys live in the town where Invasion of the Body Snatchers was filmed. They make friends with some people on the set and get to see the inner workings of some of the film making process. They even get to be extras for one scene.

While on the set, they meet an undercover FBI agent who is conducting an investigation on several people to determine if they were Communist sympathizers. Some of the people being investigated were part of the film crew. Others were people who lived nearby, including Richard Feynman who had worked on the atomic bomb project in Los Alamos.

Genre: historical fiction

Audience: gr 6 or 7 likely

Topics: atomic war, fear, nuclear bomb drills, movie sets, suspicion, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (movie), pod people, Communism, Communist scare, Red Scare, Russian spies, 1950s, McCarthyism, FBI, ask questions, learn the truth, Los Alamos, Richard Feynman, Don Siegel

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 4 of 5

Amazon reviews (none yet at the time of this posting)

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

This is a retelling of the Norwegian folk tale, East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon. The main character is a girl who has no name because her mother chose not to name her. Her family is very poor, and to save them, she chooses to leave with an enchanted white bear to live in his ice castle for one year in exchange for gifts for her family.

The story includes an enchanted deer, trolls, and other creatures. The bear is under the control of the nasty troll queen. (Trolls are very bad creatures.)

The girl and the bear live together for many months in an ice palace far from the girl's home. As time passes, the girl discovers many things about her captor, the palace, and the servants. It leads her to many dangerous discoveries and adventures, including what happened years before to her favorite, eldest brother, who had returned from far away adventures quieter and more distant than before.

Genre: fairy tale / fantasy

Topics: trolls, enchanted animals, Norwegian folk tales, favoritism, family conflict, power of a name, carvings, deciphering, faun

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 4 of 5

Amazon reviews

Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George

Okay, now that I've read two books by Jessica Day George, I have to say I'm a huge fan. I wish I could get the sequel today, but I'll have to wait since it's a weekend.

The characters are full of personality. I was immediately drawn into Creel's world because of the way George describes the setting. There is action and humor throughout the book. This book should appeal widely to girls, and maybe even boys.

Genre: Fantasy

Topics: dragons, orphan, royalty, prince, bodyguard, embroidery, seamstress, mind control, misunderstandings, alchemy, stained glass windows, shoes, war, treason

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 5 of 5

Amazon reviews

Someone Named Eva by Joan M. Wolf

This story is based on true events during WWII. Milada is an eleven-year-old who is taken from her Czech family because of her blond hair and blue eyes. She spends almost two years in a training facility where she learns to be a perfect German girl. Part of the training was to indoctrinate the girls into believing the Nazi ideology of the "perfect race," Aryanism.

The story is very good, but I felt it read a little young. Once I got past/over that, I really enjoyed it. It is written in a manner that more sensitive or younger readers will most likely be able to handle without too much distress (doesn't get very graphic unlike many WWII books). One particularly good aspect is that the book features events many aren't familiar with from WWII. The story is both amazing and sad.

Genre: historical fiction (WWII)

Topics: Lebensborn, Lidice, Czechoslovakia, Ravensbruck, brainwashing, Nazis, adoption, Aryan, World War II, friendship, remembering who you are, remembering where you come from, Holocaust

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 4 of 5 (highly recommend for Holocaust fiction)

Amazon reviews

The Great Powers Outage, book 3 in The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy by William Boniface

I just finished the third book in The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy. It was great! I chuckled and outright laughed many times. It is very cleverly written. This time we find O.B. (Ordinary Boy) trying to track down the source for everyone's disappearing superpowers. AI (Amazing Indestructo) is once again involved in a money making scheme--AI's Pseudo-chips. Everyone wants Pseudo-chips, and they've stopped eating Dr. Telomere's X-tra Crispy Potato Chips.

There is a new bad guy, The Red Menace. The zoo animals suddenly have superpowers. Many strange things are happening in Superopolis.

Genre: humorous

Topics: thinking for self, being ordinary, mind control, manipulation, animals with superpowers, potato chips, school elections

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 4.5 of 5 (simple, yet clever and funny)

Amazon Reviews

Life as We Knew It by Susan Pfeffer

What would happen to life on Earth if the moon were pushed closer to the earth? This is Miranda's story about what happens to her life. It's very much a post-apocalyptic tale, and more than a little disturbing.

Positive:
- great scenarios of implications for the moon moving closer to Earth and the natural results (tides, earthquakes, tidal waves, volcanic action, volcanic ash in the atmosphere)
- interesting descriptions of what might happen to people and the environment (food, plants, flu, looting, no power, etc.)

Concerns/Be Aware of:
- language
- portrayal of Protestants via the character of Megan are all negative and spread throughout the entire book
- Miranda's relationship with Dan and her mom's response
- Samantha taking off with a 40-year-old man
- Megan's mom commits suicide by hanging
- Miranda mentions she "could kill myself" and other related comments
- portrayal of the President as an idiot in at least three instances at various places in the book

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 3 of 5

Amazon reviews

The Trap by John Smelcer

The trap gives you a glimpse of what life is like in cold, Alaska. The story alternates between the stories of Johnny, a young Indian, and his grandfather, Albert.

Albert has been running his own trapline for decades in the Alaskan wilderness. During one very cold winter snap, Albert heads out alone to check his trapline. When he doesn't come home when his wife expects him to, she asks Johnny to go out and look for him. Johnny's uncle doesn't seem as concerned, so Johnny puts off going to look for his grandfather.

You never know what consequences a single decision will have. Both Johnny and Albert make some decisions that have unintended consequences.

Genre: realistic fiction

Topics: trapline, trapping, Alaska, family relationships, independence, extreme cold, survival, decisions, wilderness, Alaskan Indian (Native American) life

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 4 of 5

Amazon reviews

Under a War-Torn Sky by L. M. Elliott

What a great WWII book! It's full of adventure, suspense and danger. Henry is a 19-year-old pilot from the United States that gets shot down by the Germans over enemy territory in Europe. Members of the French Resistance help him get to safety on a number of occasions. Henry encounters people from many walks of life and degrees of willingness to help him escape Nazi imprisonment.

The book title comes from this sentence: "He'd [Henry] never really thought much about the people they were trying to liberate, or what their struggles must be on the ground under a war-torn sky." (p. 51) The book depicts some of those struggles to help the reader better understand what life was like for some individuals under enemy control during WWII.

Audience: especially good for 8th grade boys when they need to read WWII historical fiction

Genre: historical fiction (WWII)

Topics: French Resistance, WWII, fighter (bomber) pilot, prisoner of war, wounded soldier, survival, hunger, spies, traitors, farm life, children of war

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 5 of 5
Cautions: war scenes, strong language at times (fits the context

Amazon Reviews

The Race to Save the Lord God Bird by Phillip Hoose

I decided to check this book out because I kept seeing it appear on recommended book lists. It's also on a list for college-bound students. I'm glad I read it. It was thought provoking.

The Lord God bird is a nick-name for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. The book documents the Ivory-billed Woodpecker from the early 1800s through current day. Back in the early 1800s, Ivory-billed Woodpeckers were prevalent in the southeastern United States. By 1937, they were only found in one small area in Louisiana.

As you read through the book, you learn what events led to the demise of the Lord God bird (Ivory-billed Woodpecker). It's both amazing and shocking. I found it interesting to read about the cultural practices and major events (like the Chicago fire) that impacted the plight of this bird.

I would highly recommend reading this book. It'd be a great tie-in to our 7th grade curriculum (life science and western hemisphere geography). It has many great conversation starters and implications for current day.

Audience: middle school (adults would enjoy, too)

Genre: non-fiction

Topics: extinction, environmental practices, environmental impact, cultural impact on the environment, standing alone, evolution

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 4 of 5

Amazon reviews

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Miranda is a 6th grader who lives with her mom in New York City. Miranda and her mother's friend, Richard, spend a lot of time helping Miranda's mom prepare for her appearance on the $20,000 Pyramid, a popular game show in the 1970s.

Much of the story revolves around Miranda's relationships with her friends and fellow classmates. There is the typical girl triangle, first crush, and things like that. At the same time, Miranda is trying to figure out the meaning of the strange notes she receives. The story is somewhat complex because you learn various details throughout the story that eventually are woven into an understandable pattern. It might be challenging for some to hang in there as the story comes together.

Topics: friendships, single-parent families, city life, strange people, dietary restrictions, bullying, stealing, mysterious notes, $20,000 Pyramid (game show), 6th graders, lunch job, A Wrinkle in Time, strange occurrences, time travel, misunderstandings

Genre: science fiction (much of the story is realistic fiction)

Audience: 6th and 7th graders

Mrs. Beckwith's review: 3 of 5
Note: swearing

Amazon Reviews

Walking Up a Rainbow by Theodore Taylor

I'm not quite sure how to describe Walking Up a Rainbow. The language used is somewhat rough...seemed apparent to me that it was a male author. I thought it did a great job with many historical details. In fact, there were many times I was tempted to look up additional information on many of the details within the story. Susan's parents both die in an accident, and she is left on her own.

Susan discovers that her father owed a huge debt to the town villain. She finds a letter in her father's office describing his intention to hire a herder to herd their sheep to California to feed the gold miners. The goal was to raise enough money to pay off his debt. Unfortunately, he died before he could do it. Susan decided to carry out her father's plans and hired a herder and his workers to help her get the sheep to California. Many misadventures happen along the way keeping the story interesting.

Topics: sheep drive, Isthmus of Panama, debt, orphan, cowboy, sheep herders, life on the trail West, hardships, survival, medicine/doctoring

Genre: historical fiction

Audience: 8th grade

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 3 of 5 (not sure if it'd have wide kid appeal, but for the right reader, I think they'd enjoy it...just have to get in the rhythm of the writing style and voice.)

Sensitive areas: attempted rape, language, death

Amazon Reviews

Phantom Victory by Pamela F. Service

This is an older book (1994), but definitely has staying power. Terri is a native of South Bass Island, and Brian is visiting for a family vacation. Though they are initially wary with each other, they eventually team up to unravel a unsolved mystery surrounding the Victory Hotel. Oh, and did I mention they each are able to see the ghost of their dead ancestor?

Topics: ghosts, missing jewels, mysterious death, shady characters, building restoration, caves

Genre: mystery, supernatural

Audience: best for 6th grade

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 4 of 5

No Amazon reviews available (out of print)

Diary of a Witness by Catherine Ryan Hyde

This story follows two boys, Will Manson and Ernie Boyd. It's told from the viewpoint of Ernie, an obese (overweight) high school student. Will has a severe case of acne and is really smart. They become friends when Will stands up for Ernie when Ernie is being bullied by some classmates. They discover they both like fishing. They also both come from single parent families. Ernie lives with his mom, and Will lives with his dad.

Early on in the story, Will's younger brother dies. That starts a downward spiral in Will's life. Ernie watches as events unfold for Will. Ernie is able to thwart Will's suicide attempt. However, Will becomes more and more mentally unstable because of the influences around him. Ernie has some tough decisions to make as he's trying to help Will through this time. It's a powerful story, and may be disturbing to some readers.

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: 8th grade (maybe 7th)

Topics: death of a sibling, obesity (fat, overweight), fishing (trout and saltwater), single-parent family, child endangerment, being a loser, suicidal thoughts, small towns, mental health, parents who don't care, deer hunting, power of words, outcasts

Sensitive areas: language, dysfunctional family, increasing violent/vengeful thought patterns

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 4 of 5

Amazon Reviews

The Diamond in the Window by Jane Langton

This is an older book, copyright 1962...before even I was born :-)However, it remains a good read. Edward and Eleanor live in Concord, Massachusetts, with their elderly aunt and uncle. A family tragedy occurred many years ago. Prince Krishna, their Aunt Lily's beau from many years ago, had developed a treasure hunt for Lily's siblings Ned and Nora (Edward and Eleanor were named after them). While they were searching for it, Ned and Nora disappeared and were never seen or heard from again. Prince Krishna disappeared shortly after that, and Lily's heart was broken. She never married. Now, Edward and Eleanor are determined to figure out what happened to Ned, Nora, and Prince Krishna for two reasons: find the treasure to get enough money to save their house and finally have an answer for Aunt Lily about what happened to her family.

Genre: Fantasy (6th grade)

Topics: family; disappearance; mystery; eccentric people; Indians (India); jewels; Concord, Massachusetts; Ralph Waldo Emerson; Louisa May Alcott; Henry Thoreau; riddles; mystical; transcendentalism

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 4 of 5

Amazon Reviews

Skullduggery by Pete Hautman

Skullduggery is the second book in the Bloodwater Mysteries set in southeastern Minnesota. Once again Roni and and Brian find themselves in the midst of another mystery. Dr. Dart, an archeology professor, is attacked in a cave where he is investigating a site to determine if an Indian (Native American) tribe lived there in the past. A group wants to build some condos there, but if it really was a former Indian site, he'll be able to protect the area.

Roni and Brian need to figure out who injured Dr. Dart as many speculate that Dr. Dart just fell and hit his head. They are also trying to determine what the truth is behind the condo development project. Who are the good guys? Who are the bad guys? You might be surprised!

Topics: environmental protectionism, archaeology, mystery, reporters, swindlers

Genre: realistic fiction / mystery

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 3.5 of 5

Amazon Reviews

Snatched by Pete Hautman and Mary Logue

Snatched is the first book in the Bloodwater Mystery series set right here in MN. Mankato is mentioned numerous times.

Roni is an investigative reporter for the Bloodwater Pump, the newspaper for Bloodwater High School. Roni lives with her mom, Nick, who works for the mayor. Roni is always trying to investigate something, and she uses a little "creativity" when writing her articles.

Brian is the son of a scientist (who is more than a little distracted) and a police officer. He's a little mischievous himself. The two of them together, Roni and Brian, get into a lot of trouble while trying to solve mysteries in Bloodwater.

In this book, Roni and Brian team up to discover what happened to Alicia, a fellow student at Bloodwater High. The last time she was seen, she was getting into an SUV after a doctor appointment.

Genre: mystery

Topics: kidnapping, school newspaper, cursed house, abuse

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 3 of 5

Amazon reviews

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

Moose and his sister, Natalie, live on the island of Alcatraz in 1935. Natalie has a condition (which we now know as autism) which sometimes results in tantrums and other outbursts. Natalie has very limited verbal ability.

It becomes Moose's job to help Natalie improve enough to someday enter the Esther P. Marinoff School that has shown great success in working with kids like Natalie. He takes her with him when he plays with other kids on the island.

Piper is the daughter of the prison warden, and she is responsible for Moose getting into trouble on more than one occasion. She keeps life interesting for the kids on Alcatraz.

Genre: historical fiction

Topics: mental disabilities, caring for a sibling, 1935, Alcatraz, Al Capone, laundry, baseball, friends, warden, life near a prison facility, new school, making friends, responsibility

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 3 of 5

Amazon reviews

Incantation by Alice Hoffman

I'm not sure how to describe this book. I enjoyed learning from the historical aspects of the book, but it was a little too mystical for my tastes.

The book gives you a glimpse into life during the Spanish Inquisition in Spain during the early 1500s. At that time in Spain, if you were not Catholic, you often faced imprisonment or even death. The Jews in this story were involved in a mystical variation of Judaism.

Genre: historical fiction

Topics: Spanish Inquisition, prejudice, Marranos, friends, religious views, family, love, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, mysticism, Kabbalah

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 2.5 of 5 (For readers who like poetic/expresive books, you'll likely enjoy it...it has been given very high reviews by many reviewers and is on several Best Books lists.)

Amazon reviews

The Sorcerer of the North and The Siege of Macindaw by John Flanagan

Man, do I love the Ranger's Apprentice series! If possible, have both books 5 and 6 in hand as book 6 is a continuation of book 5.

Will, Horace, and Alyss have all "graduated" to larger responsibilities. Will is the Ranger for a small fiefdom. Horace is working at the castle, and Alyss is an acting courier. Will is the primary character in book 5, but Alyss plays a major role later in the book. In book 6, all three are involved.

Will is sent to see what is going on at a remote castle. What he finds is disturbing. Whom do you trust? What is the evil lurking in the forest? Is a sorcerer at work?

Both books include Skandians. As a result, be prepared for some violence. There is also mild language again in both books.

Along with many other Americans, I'll have to wait patiently for books 7 and 8 to arrive in the U.S. They are already available in Australia, where author John Flanagan lives.

Genre: fantasy light

Topics: treason, hypnotism, sorcery, illusion, rescue, hostages, poison, superstition, fear

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 5 of 5 (I know, I love them)

Amazon Reviews for The Sorcerer of the North, book 5
Amazon Reviews for The Siege of Macindaw, book 6

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

This is the final book of the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series. However, the ending does allow for a sequel series with different half-bloods if the author would so choose.

The final battle for Olympus takes place in this book. Lots of battle scenes. We learn more about Nico, Annabeth, Thalia, and Luke as young children, which helps to explain some of the events that have happened. Tyson and Grover are back in action as well. This book includes a lot more interaction with the demigods and gods. You'll also spend some time in the Underworld with Nico and Percy.

Genre: Fantasy

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 4 of 5

Amazon Reviews

The Titan's Curse and The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

The Titan's Curse: We meet Artemis and the Hunters in this book, along with Bianca and Nico who are two new half-bloods who are unaware that they are half-bloods. Thalia is a player in this book. We also find out more about what Luke is up to...nothing good.

The Battle of the Labyrinth: Annabeth, Percy, Tyson, Grover, and Nico are main players in this book. Much of the book takes place within Daedalus' Labyrinth. Annabeth and Percy team up to try to find Daedalus, and Tyson and Grover team up to try to find Pan. We learn more about the sinister plot to defeat Olympus. I didn't like this book as much as the others in the series. It seemed a little too "save the earth" for me.

Genre: fantasy

Mrs. Beckwith's ratings: Titan's Curse, 4 of 5; Battle of the Labyrinth, 3 of 5

Amazon reviews for The Titan's Curse

Amazon reviews for The Battle of the Labyrinth

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

I actually listened to this book on CD from the public library. It was read by Graeme Malcolm. I enjoyed listening to the story of Tree-ear, an orphan who lived under a bridge with Crane-man. Part way through the story, Tree-ear goes to work for Min, the local potter who makes the finest pottery, good enough to hope someday for a royal commission. You learn a lot about ancient Korean culture from this story, as well as artistry and the process of making pottery. It's a slow book, but good.

Genre: historical fiction

Topics: 12th century Korea, orphan, pottery, family, long journey, artistry, hard work

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 3 of 5

Amazon Reviews

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

I decided I'm going to call this book historical fiction since it was written about the time period when I was a toddler, and WAY before many of my colleagues were born, not to mention my students who were born in the late 1990s. What I think I liked best about this book was that it was a window into that era. Some were only mentioned in passing, but it made me remember things from my childhood that I had since forgotten. It was an entertaining read.

Holling Hoodhood is a 7th grader who lives in the Perfect House. On Wednesday afternoons at the school he attends, students are released to their churches for religious training (Catechism or Hebrew students), Holling stays behind with his teacher, Mrs. Baker. She "punishes" him by making him read Shakespeare and other things. The misadventures he and his buddies get into are often humorous.

Genre: historical fiction

Topics: 1967-1968, Vietnam War, school, rats, baseball, Yankees, cross country, camping, teachers, family, architecture, self-awareness, 7th grade, Jews, Protestants, Catholics, choir, first crush, nuclear bomb drills, family business, cream puffs, school lunch, Shakespeare, acting, Beatles

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 4 of 5

Amazon Reviews

The Seer of Shadows by Avi

This is a wonderfully eerie book. It's set in New York City in the year 1872. A boy becomes an apprentice to a photographer who doesn't mind swindling clients. For one wealthy client, the ghost of a dead daughter of the client appears in photographs the boy takes. According to the household servant, the dead girl did not die the way the mother said she did. Let the mystery begin!

Topics: photography, ghosts, swindlers, revenge, white/black relationships

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 4 of 5

Amazon Reviews

The First Part Last

Bobby is 16 and the dad of a newborn baby girl. He is trying to raise her alone. The story alternates between "then" and "now." Then is before his daughter is born and the events that led up to her birth. Now is what he's experiencing as a teen dad. It lets you see just how much his life is changed. It's really kind of a heart-wrenching story at times.

It's a realistic book set in the NYC area that contains a fair amount of obscenities, frank talk about sex, and actions that are illegal. However, it would be appropriate for more mature middle school students. It has won both the Coretta Scott King award and Michael L. Printz award.

Audience: gr 8 and up

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 3.5 of 5

Amazon Reviews

Iqbal by Francesco D'Adamo

Iqbal is about forced child labor in Pakistan in the early 1990s. It's the story of Iqbal, Fatima, Maria, and others who were forced to work in carpet factories without any hope of their families debts being paid off through their labor. Even though conditions may have changed in Pakistan, things like this are happening in many places throughout the world. It's unbelievable what they have to suffer through. Even though Iqbal (who was a real person that the story is based on) was only thirteen when he was killed, he made an incredible impact in Pakistan and throughout the world. Kids can make a difference!

Genre: realistic fiction

Topics: child labor, slavery, carpet factory, Pakistan, social change, crooked officials, learning to read

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 3.5 of 5
(Note: does contain a couple of swear words)

Amazon Reviews

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

Since I read and reviewed The Lightning Thief last fall, I thought I'd make a new, separate entry for The Sea of Monsters, book 2 in the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series by Rick Riordan.

The Sea of Monsters introduces a new character, Tyson. Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson end up in The Sea of Monsters trying to rescue Grover who is being held captive by a cyclops. Camp Half-Blood is also slowly being destroyed, so they need to find and retrieve the Golden Fleece as well. Another whole set of mythological characters show up in this book. It's a fun way to learn a little about them. I especially like the "horses" in this story.

Genre: fantasy

Topics: golden fleece, cyclops, half-bloods, chariot racing, battles, unusual friends, family

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 3.5 of 5

Amazon Reviews

Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Katniss, Peeta, Haymitch and Gale are some of the main characters in this series. (Books 1 and 2 are currently available.)

The Hunger Games take place annually in the nation of Panem, a futuristic country. They are held to remind people what happens when they try to resist. A boy and a girl are chosen from each of the 12 districts to fight in the arena until all but one are dead. That means 23 kids have to be killed by each other or by the elements/situations within the arena (kind of a Survivor meets Gladiator thing).

These books are very good...albeit disturbing at times. Even though it's science fiction, it has a ring of truth to it that makes it even more disconcerting. I think it'd be a great series to read and discuss with others. There are so many implications for society embedded within the text.

Recommended audience: inclined to say Gr 8 and up, but depends on the child

Genre: science fiction

Topics: social injustice, resistance, relationships, things not as they seem, evil rulers, survival, making decisions

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 5 of 5

Amazon Reviews for The Hunger Games

Amazon Reviews for Catching Fire

Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin

Anything but Typical is about an autistic 12-year-old boy named Jason. What I liked most about this book is that it is written from Jason's point of view. It's really interesting to get a glimpse into the mind and life of a child with autism.

Jason has a hard time verbalizing what's going on in his mind...he doesn't talk a whole lot. However, he is really talented at writing. He writes stories and posts them online. While online, he meets another author, a girl named Rebecca. They really connect with each other online.

Jason's parents decide to let him attend a writing conference that he's always wanted to go to. Turns out Rebecca's going to be there, too, and it makes Jason apprehensive about going. He's not very socially adept, so he doesn't want to meet Rebecca in person. You'll have to read the book to see what happens when they finally meet :-)

Genre: Realistic fiction

Topics: writing, autism, fitting in, friends, family, relationships with parents

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 4 of 5

Amazon Reviews

Fire from the Rock by Sharon M. Draper

Fire from the Rock is based on the historical events in Little Rock, Arkansas, when the federal government mandated that schools must be integrated. Sylvia is asked to consider being one of the first black students to be integrated into the white schools because of her intelligence and temperament. Her brother, who really wants to be one of the students, is not given the opportunity because he is too hot-headed and ready to fight.

The story does a great job of describing what life would have been like then in that community. It was hard to read (not in a technical sense) because there was so much hatred displayed by some of the characters. However, that's true to life. I know there is still some discrimination and hatred in the U.S. over racial issues, but I'd like to think we've come a long way from the period when this book was set. I think it's a good way for kids to get a picture of what it would have been like.

Genre: historical fiction

Topics: racial tension, school integration, boyfriend/girlfriend, Jews, bigotry, community life, Civil Rights movement

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 4 of 5

Amazon Reviews

Swindle by Gordon Korman

Very good book! "Griffin is a Man with a plan" (front jacket). Very true. Griffin Bing always has a plan and plenty of back up plans. Some of his plans are better than others. One of his grand plans in this book is to break into an antique store. You'll have to read the book to find out why and if his plan worked. It's filled with humor and adventure.

Topics: dogs, robbery, swindle, baseball card, best friends, secrecy, school, acting, backgammon, deception, money problems, inventions

Genre: realistic fiction (appeal to boys and girls, but especially boys)

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 5 of 5

Amazon Reviews

Moving Day (bk 1 in Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls) by Meg Cabot

Allie is a feisty fourth grader who is having friend trouble which is exacerbated (made worse) by the fact that her family has decided to move to a different house in the middle of the school year. Because the house is on the other side of town, she'll have to go to a new school. Allie is a junior animal rights activist of sorts. She gets into lots of mischief. This would be a fun book for an upper elementary age girl, and maybe some sixth grade girls would enjoy it.

Genre: realistic fiction

Topics: moving, new school, friend problems, siblings, animal lover, parents

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 3 of 5

Amazon Reviews

The Big Field by Mike Lupica

If you like baseball, including lots of play-by-play action, you'll love this book. Hutch and Cody are best friends who are part of an American Legion baseball team hoping to make it to the state tournament. There is tension between Hutch and Darryl, another member of the team who is a natural at baseball. There is also tension between Hutch and his dad, a former pro baseball player who seems to have lost his love of the game.

Genre: realistic fiction (sports)

Topics: baseball, championship game, team work, rivalry, father/son conflict

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 3.5 of 5 (if I were a baseball fan, it'd probably be higher)

Amazon Reviews

The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World by e. l. konigsburg

I read this book because it was on a list of books I was supposed to read. I found aspects of the book very interesting and other aspects disturbing. I enjoyed learning about the art information and the surrounding mystery. However, the old lady in the book was a little more risque than I prefer. The primary setting is two boys who are helping get an old woman's home furnishings ready for auction. An old painting is discovered in the process. I can't say I'd recommend this book for people to read...wasn't that good of a tale from my point of view.

Topics: mystery, famous artists, Hitler, degenerate art, museum curator, Nazis, stolen art, treatment of homosexuals during WWII

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 2.5 of 5

Amazon reviews

How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor

Along with their mother, Georgina and Toby become homeless after their father abandons them. They are kicked out of their apartment when they can't pay the rent. This story describes some of the situations people who are homeless may find themselves in.

To try to help get money so they can rent somewhere to live, Georgina decides to steal a dog for the reward money and enlists the help of her younger brother. It's not a "happy, feel good" kind of book. It may, however, help kids empathize with others who have come upon tough times financially. It's hard for everyone in the family, some of which is depicted in this book.

Genre: realistic fiction

Topics: homeless persons, brother/sister, school, dog

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 3 of 5

Amazon Reviews

A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban

This book was a fun, quick read. Zoe really wants to play the piano, but instead, her father gets her a Perfectone organ. Turns out Zoe has aptitude for keyboard playing. Zoe's dad is a stay at home dad. It never said why in the book, but he doesn't seem to cope well with life outside of their house. Zoe also makes some new friends at school, but they aren't who you'd expect. This book should appeal to both girls and boys, despite the cover.

Genre: realistic fiction, humor

Topics: piano lessons, organ, music, family life, school life, friendship, baking, humor

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 5 of 5

Amazon Reviews

Harry Sue by Sue Stauffacher

Harry Sue is the daughter of two convicts serving out their prison terms. She lives with her grandmother who runs a day care. As you read, you're going to want to yell (and do other things) at the grandmother, or offer advice to Harry Sue, but you are restricted to reading her story. Harry Sue has a good heart and often tries to make good out of very unpleasant circumstances. Thankfully she's surrounded by non-family members who truly care about her.

There were parts of Harry Sue that I really liked, but there were parts I struggled with. I got bogged down with some of the lingo and writing style, but I kept at it. I'm really glad I did, because the story was really good. I did get confused at times, but eventually I think I got it figured out :-)

Genre: Realistic fiction

Topics: child abuse, Wizard of Oz, parents in prison, living with grandmother, prison speak/lingo/jargon, day care, doing the right thing, story telling, paralysis, family, friends, having a heart

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 3 of 5

Amazon Reviews

Football Genius by Tim Green

Tim Green is the author of Football Genius. He is a former NFL linebacker so he is able to bring realism to the story. He knows what goes on behind the scenes. Any middle schooler who loves football will likely love this book. It has a lot of action and suspense related to football, life, and school. Anyone who's had a horrible coach will also be able to identify with Troy, the main character. Troy has a special ability...he knows what the next play is going to be before it's run. If only he can get the Atlanta Falcons to listen!

Genre: realistic fiction

Topics: football, kicker, quarterback, determining/predicting plays, bad coaches, single mom, NFL, truth, pressure, unfairness, Atlanta Falcons

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 3.5 of 5

Amazon Reviews

Getting Air by Dan Gutman

When I saw this book, I thought it was about skateboarding. It does include that, but it's really a survival story. Four kids are on their way to California to watch the X games when terrorists take over their plane. This story is about their adventure. I didn't think it was a really "tense" survival story. In fact, it was rather goofy at times. I thought it was a little on the "rough" side, but I think kids will like it.

Topics: skateboarding, X games, sponsorship, plane hijackers, knitters, old ladies, wilderness survival, group dynamics, Girl Scouts

Genre: realistic fiction

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 3 of 5

Amazon Reviews

The Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan

The Ruins of Gorlan is the first book in The Ranger's Apprentice series. I had noticed it as I was shelving books at Kenwood and thought it looked like a good "boy" book. Well, it unequivocally is. Girls who like adventure will like it, too. It was very fast-paced. I couldn't put it down.

Will, Jenny, George, Horace, and Alyss are all wards of Castle Redmont under the supervision of Baron Arald. When they turn 15, they are eligible for Choosing Day. Each of the five have their choices made and hope to be accepted. Will wants to go to battleschool, but he is small in size. He becomes the apprentice to Ranger Halt instead, and is in for the ride of his life.

Topics for The Ruins of Gorlan: knights, rangers, intelligence officers, apprenticeship, boar hunt, bullying, integrity, hard work, training, learning a trade, swords, orphans, medieval-like setting, horses

---

The Burning Bridge is more violent than The Ruins of Gorlan because of the battle scenes. It's also more intense. It also ends with a cliff-hanger, so you'll want to have book 3 at the ready. The language is a little more rough in this book as well.

Topics for The Burning Bridge: war, enemy, sword fighting, thieves, secret identity, allies, deception, miners, slaves, hostages, negotiations, emissary

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The Icebound Land finds Will and Evanlyn on board a ship sailing toward Skandia, an icy, snow-covered place. Evanlyn's true identity is still a secret. Will gets addicted to warmweed while working as a slave in the yards (The warmweed is given to him without his understanding of what it is.). Evanlyn works as a servant/slave inside the buildings, so she has a little warmth. Their story is built around an attempt to escape.

Meanwhile, Holt and Horace leave Araluen to seek out Will and Evanlyn. They encounter the nasty Lord Deparnieux who is unspeakably cruel and evil. I love reading about Holt. He's a very smart man who does a great job training Will (in earlier books) and Horace.

Once again, the book ends with you eager to get to the next book. Also, the amount of swearing increased in this book. For me, that's a bummer, but the story is really good, so I chose to ignore it.

Topics for The Icebound Land: sailing, capture, drug addiction, slavery, winter survival, escape, unexpected friends, evil rulers, lawless land, creating opportunity, plotting

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In The Battle for Skandia, we read the conclusion to the story started in book 3. Early in the book, the four get reunited and become allies of their former enemies, the Skandians, in order to defeat an even more fierce enemy...the Temujai. The Temujai remind me of what the warrior Mongolians of old may have been like. In fact, when I looked up Genghis Khan, I read that his real name was Temujin. Sound familiar?

Be prepared for a lot of battle scenes in this book. Once again, I came to the conclusion of the book wanting to get my hands on the next one. This series does a really good job of making you care about the characters. All of them are written and fleshed out so well that you think you know them. I love that. (Had a little less swearing than the previous two books.)

Topics for The Battle of Skandia: archers, battle, warriors, strategy, treaty, uneven odds, rescue, traitor, rulers, hand-to-hand combat

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Genre: fantasy (limited fantasy elements)

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 5 of 5

Amazon Reviews for The Ruins of Gorlan

Amazon Reviews for The Burning Bridge

Amazon Reviews for The Icebound Land

Amazon Reviews for The Battle for Skandia

Defiance by Valerie Hobbs

Valerie Hobbs does a wonderful job weaving this story about Toby, an eleven-year-old city boy with cancer, Pearl, a 94-year-old poet with macular degeneration (results in poor eyesight) living alone on a dilapidated farm, and Blossom, an aging milk cow. Toby is on vacation when he discovers Blossom, the cow. He's concerned about how skinny she is, so he heads to the nearby farm to confront the farmer who happens to be an old woman, Pearl.

Defiance is a rich story deep with meaning for people who have experienced cancer or other losses in life. Early in the book, Toby reads the sign posted on Pearl's house, "Whoever steals my freedom takes my life," which is one theme of the book. Toby feels like his parents are stealing his freedom. Pearl feels like her daughters are trying to steal her freedom. Pearl and Toby just want to be free to make the decisions they want to make. Pearl and Toby discover they are exactly what each other needs to help them make important decisions.

Audience: all (especially someone who is sometimes tired of fighting and needs hope to keep going)

Genre: realistic

Topics: cancer, death, dying, secrets, cows, being sick, chemotherapy, lying, telescope, stars, poetry, tired of fighting, tired of treatment, being in a dark place, hope, reincarnation (mentioned)

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 5 of 5

Amazon Reviews

Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen

Set in Eden Prairie, MN, this is a story about a twelve-year-old's amazing summer. It starts with him getting an old riding lawnmower from his grandma. What starts as a neighborhood lawn mowing business grows into much more. It's a short, fast, fun read.

Audience: great middle school boy book

Genre: realistic

Topics: summer, lawn mowing, making money, stock market, economics, boxer, employer, investments, bad guys, Eden Prairie, MN

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 3.5 of 5

Amazon Reviews

The Garden of Eve by K. L. Going

Evie (Eve) is an eleven-year-old whose Mom died from cancer. Her dad buys a seemingly dead apple orchard in New York, so Evie and her dad make the move to New York. Evie's not too happy about moving. She really misses her mom, and her dad seems so distant. This book is really about grief and coping with loss in a family. It's done in a really creative way. The summary in the front of the book says, "Eve gave up her belief in stories and magic after her mother's death, but a mysterious seed given her as an eleventh-birthday gift by someone she has never met takes her and a boy who claims to be a ghost on a strange journey, to where their supposedly cursed town of Beaumont, New York, flourishes."

Topics: mom has died, New York, apple orchard, magic seed, moving to a new place, superstitions, curses, ghosts, father/daughter relationships, Garden of Eden, choices, missing your mom, death, grief, loss

Genre: realistic with fantasy elements (technically fantasy, but so little of it is actually fantasy)

Audience: anyone who's dealt with loss; any middle schooler (wouldn't consider it a "girl" book only)

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 5 of 5

Amazon Reviews

Regarding the Bees by Kate Klise

This book is really clever. The book is dependent on the fun illustrations done by M. Sarah Klise. It's not a standard book. It's made up of letters, entries to the Gazette, and other documents. It's a light read and enjoyable. In a way, it reminded me of the Amelia Bedelia books when I was a kid.

Audience: 6th, maybe 7th grade, though they'd have wide appeal just based on the cleverness

Topics: spelling bee, standardized tests (BEES), honey bees, 7th graders, substitute teacher, competition, play on words, double meanings, puns, relationships, dating, school dances, misunderstandings, miscommunication, letter writing, advice, cheating

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 4 of 5

Amazon Reviews

100 Cupboards series by N.D. Wilson

This is a planned trilogy. Books 1 and 2 are currently out. Book 3 is expected in January 2010.

100 Cupboards is the title of the first book. Henry is sent to spend the summer at his aunt and uncle's farm in Kansas. While he's there, he discovers a set of 100 small cupboards built into the wall of his bedroom. These cupboards lead to different worlds in different times. Henry's cousin, Henrietta, is intrigued by the cupboards as well and seems to always be getting into mischief. Henry discovers a few mysteries about himself as he explores the cupboards. I really liked 100 Cupboards and would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy.

Book 2 is named Dandelion Fire. This book was little more difficult to follow, but I persevered and read the whole thing in two days. I must confess, I cheated a little and took a few peeks at later parts of the book to help keep me going. What I read there motivated me to keep plugging away at portions of it. Most of the book takes place in the world on the other side of the cabinets. Plus, something really unusual happens to their house in Kansas, as well as to a few of their friends. It's darker than the first book, but it was good. I'm not really sure quite what it is about these books, but I feel compelled to continue reading. I can't wait to read book 3, The Chestnut King, but looks like I'll have to :-)

Genre: fantasy

Topics: family, magic, faeries, wizards, alternate worlds, bravery, family secrets, stealing, dishonesty, selfishness, dream walking

Mrs. Beckwith's ratings:
100 Cupboards: 4 of 5
Dandelion Fire: 3 of 5


Amazon Reviews for 100 Cupboards
Amazon Reviews for Dandelion Fire

The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy series by William Boniface

Okay, I have to admit it. I really liked this book. Maybe it's because of all the Kim Possible episodes I've watched with my young son and movies like Bolt and The Impossibles. The Hero Revealed is book 1 in The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy. The story starts by giving background information about the city of Superopolis and its inhabitants...all of them with special powers except for Ordinary Boy, the one who is telling the story. I found myself chuckling throughout the story. Drawings are included to enhance the story line

Ordinary Boy (OB) and his friends make up the Junior Leaguers. They are out to defeat Professor Brain-Drain.

The Return of Meteor Boy? is book 2. It takes place the week after book 1. We finally find out who Meteor Boy really is, and along the way, we meet a new set of villains. This book includes time travel. The Junior Leaguers and OB's dad's team are back again as well.

Audience: mid to upper elementary through 6th or 7th grade

Genre: fantasy

Topics: scarcity, villains, superheroes, intelligence, incompetence, mystery

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 4 of 5

Amazon Reviews for The Hero Revealed

Amazon reviews for The Return of Meteor Boy?

Saturday Night Dirt by Will Weaver

Small town dirt-track racing

One thing I liked about this book was the diverse group of racers and people involved with the raceway. You get to see into the lives of a few different race car drivers and teams as well as into the lives of several of the people who work at the raceway. The entire book takes place between noon and 8 p.m. on a Saturday night.

Genre: realistic fiction

Audience: people who like cars and racing; boy appeal

Topics: northern Minnesota dirt-track racing, girl race drivers, racing accidents, Father/daughter business, tough times, Indian reservation, Iraqi war vet, sabotage, choir, street stock, osprey, super stocks, modifieds, late models, mechanics, small towns

Mrs. Beckwith's rating 4 of 5

Cautions: a few instances of swearing, but overall, no worries

Amazon Reviews

Enter Three Witches by Caroline B. Cooney

Honestly, if I wouldn't have "had" to read this book, I probably wouldn't have. After the first few chapters I was saying, "I don't want to read this book." However, I kept going, and found that I really enjoyed it. It just took awhile to get all the characters introduced and to establish the setting.

It is a retelling of the story of Macbeth. From what I can tell, it does a good job of following the general plot of Macbeth, but the story is witnessed from the eyes of Mary, a 14-year-old Lady in training. Initially, I didn't like the character of Mary since I like strong female characters, and Mary was not depicted that way.

This is not a story for either the faint-of-heart or of mind. You really have to think to keep everything straight...many characters and subplots. Also, there is a lot of bloodshed, same as in Macbeth.

Genre: historical?

Audience: probably 8th grade up

Topics: Macbeth, Scotland, nobility, power, greed, murder, witches, betrayal, love

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 3.5 of 5

Amazon Reviews

Out of Order by Betty Hicks

This is an entertaining story about a blended family. The summary in the books says, "four youngsters, ages nine to fifteen, narrate one side of the story of their newly blended family's adjustment, interwoven with grief and loss." Anyone who has brothers or sisters will be able to relate to some of the events in the story.

Audience: 6th, maybe 7th graders

Genre: contemporary, realistic fiction

Topics: blended families, birth order, false accusations, rock-paper-scissors, cicadas, Shrek, self-discovery, sibling death, fund raising, science project

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 4 of 5

Amazon Reviews

If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko

This story alternates between Walker (Walk) and Kirsten, two seventh graders at a private, mostly white school. Walk is a black male, and Kirsten has gained 30 pounds over the summer. The two begin to develop a friendship of sorts on the first day when they arrive at school and are both tardy to class. Kirsten's best friend has become friends with the "popular" group leaving Kirsten left out. Walker is the new "black" kid at school trying to make his way.

Audience: middle school

Genre: contemporary

Topics: race, fighting parents, friends, fitting in, mean kids, family, being smart, false accusations, popularity

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 3 of 5

Amazon Reviews

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

Loved this book! Hale took the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale "Maid Maleen" and wove this fantastic story of Dashti, the maid of Lady Saren. Lady Saren is in love with Khan Tegus, but is promised by her father to Lord Khasar, a vicious man. When Saren refuses to marry Lord Khasar, her father locks Saren and Dashti into a tower for seven years. This is their story told through the diary of Dashti.

Audience: girls

Genre: fantasy, fairy tale

Topics: Mongolia, yaks, nobility vs. commoners, war, diary, strong female character, commitment, hardship, healing songs, making hard choices, cats, romance

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 5 of 5

Note: would pair this with Jessica Day George's Princess of the Midnight Ball...both have strong characters and are based on fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm.

Amazon Reviews

Diamonds in the Shadow by Caroline B. Cooney

I'm not quite sure how to classify or describe this book. It encompasses so many different things. An African refugee family of four is sponsored by an American family of four. During the course of the book, you have a chance to see things through the eyes of each of the eight characters, each of whom is very diverse. You learn of what life is like for many refugees in Africa, and what it's like to see America from new eyes. There is a thread of suspense woven throughout the book. The end of the book is very fast paced.

Audience: middle school

Genre: Contemporary suspense

Topics: African refugees, blood diamonds, American affluence, church problems, suffering, sponsors, family, trauma, theft, violence, refugee camps, refugee agency workers, forgiveness, questioning goodness of God, immigrants

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 3.5 of 5

Notes: some violence

Amazon Reviews

One-handed Catch by M. J. Auch

This was a great read. WWII has just ended. Norm, a twelve-year-old, loses his left hand in a meat grinder at his dad's butcher shop. Norm's mom doesn't allow any time for pity. There are many tasks he has to relearn how to do, and he doesn't let that stop him. Norm loves baseball and art. He applies his artistic abilities in a humorous way in Boy Scouts and at Halloween.

Audience: anyone, but especially boys

Genre: historical fiction, realistic fiction

Topics: perseverance, determination, baseball, art, boys, physical disability, friendship, acceptance

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 5 of 5

Notes: this would be a great read-aloud

Amazon Reviews

Ethan, Suspended by Pamela Ehrenberg

Ethan gets suspended from his school in suburban Pennsylvania and is sent to live with his grandparents in Washington, D.C. Ethan experiences a world he's not used to. He is the only white student in a largely black and Hispanic school. His grandparents are the only remaining Jewish white people in the neighborhood. Ethan learns to survive in a unfamiliar setting and makes a diverse group of friends. His parents are newly separated which adds to his problems. Things start to look up for Ethan when he joins the school's jazz band.

Genre: realistic

Audience: boys and likely girls

Topics: misunderstandings, fitting in, Civil Rights movement, family issues, old people, music

Notes: contains some swearing

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 3.5 of 5 (5 of 5 for the right kid)

Amazon Reviews

The Roman Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence

This is a series of many books set in different locations of the Roman Empire starting in 79 A.D. The primary characters are Flavia, Jonathan, Nubia, and Lupus. In each book, they have to solve some sort of mystery. Details about what life was like during that time period in Rome are very vivid. In The Secrets of Vesuvius, the kids discover signs that Mt. Vesuvius is about to erupt.

Audience: 6th graders

Genre: historical fiction with a twist of mystery

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 3 to 5 depending on which book

Amazon Reviews
Thieves of Ostia, bk 1
The Secrets of Vesuvius, bk 2

Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree by Lauren Tarshis

It took me a little while to get into the story, but once I did, the story flew by. Emma-Jean is a very intelligent, logical reasoning, good-hearted seventh grader. She doesn't catch some of the nuances of others which can result in humorous situations.

Genre: realistic / contemporary

Topics: friendship, single parent, school, mean girls, boys

Audience: 6th or 7th grade girls

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 4.5 of 5

Amazon Reviews

Masterpiece by Elise Broach

Masterpiece is a great story. An adventurous beetle named Marvin befriends James, a lonely human boy. James gets a pen and ink set from his father for his birthday. Marvin experiments with the pen and ink set and discovers he has great artistic ability. James' parents discover the drawing and think James is the artist. This starts a series of adventures that leads to uncovering a major art thief. The book is well written and engaging.

Genre: fantasy / mystery

Topics: art, divorce, friendship, forgery, thieves

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 5 of 5

Amazon Reviews

You are SO Not Invited to My Batmitzvah! by Fiona Rosenbloom

Stacy Friedman is getting ready for her bat mitzvah. Stacy wants to be a comedienne when she grows up, and that comes through in the dialogue. She's struggling with how she looks, her friends, her crush, and her family. This is not a deep book by any means. It's light and often humorous. Many middle school girls will be able to completely relate to Stacy's predicaments.

Target audience: girls

Genre: Chick lit, contemporary, realistic fiction

Topics: first boyfriend; first kiss; bat mitzvah; separated parents; younger brother; fight with friends; 7th grade; Rye, New York; foreign exchange student; friendships

Note: contains occasionally swearing; some may view some of the content as disrespectful parents and faith in God

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 4 of 5

Amazon reviews

Coastwatcher by Elise Weston

In August 1943, Hugh finds himself in South Carolina along the Atlantic Ocean coast along with his mom and sister. It's a time of worry about both World War II and the polio epidemic. Hugh is certain he saw a submarine periscope just offshore, but no one will believe him. His cousin is living with them for awhile, and Hugh's not too happy about it. There are German POWs just down the road.

Target audience: through 6th grade

Genre: Historical Fiction, Adventure

Topics: WWII, polio epidemic, German soldiers,

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 4 of 5

Amazon reviews

Daphne's Book by Mary Downing Hahn

I saw this book at the Scholastic book fair. I'd read another book previously (Deep, Dark, and Dangerous) by Mary Downing Hahn, and enjoyed that, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Well, I started reading it and had a hard time putting it down. It was really good. I felt a variety of emotions as I read it: sadness, anger, loneliness, hope, and frustration to name a few. Note, I didn't say funny or light.

Jessica and Daphne are 7th graders who are paired together for the Write-a-Book contest. Daphne is a new kid at school, and her classmates are really mean to her. The "popular" kids have targeted Daphne and call her Daffy Duck.

Mr. O'Brien, the writing teacher, pairs Jessica and Daphne together because he knows Jessica is a good writer and Daphne is a good illustrator. As a team, they have a good chance at winning the contest. Initially, Jessica isn't very happy about it. However, after getting to know Daphne, she looks at it differently.

I thought it was a new book until I started to read it. I came across comments like dittoed copies, taking aspirin (note: you shouldn't take aspirin if you're a kid), and the forms of communicating (no e-mail...just letter writing). I took a look at the copyright date...1983, my junior year of high school! However, the story has held up very well over time. I have a feeling there are many girls who could identify with Jessica, and some who could relate to Daphne.

Target audience: girls

Genre: realistic fiction

Topics: middle school, fitting in, friends changing, divorce, poor living conditions, writing and illustrating books, family, being different, truancy, popularity, fear of taking a stand, fitting in

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 5 of 5

Amazon reviews

Viking Quest series by Lois Walfrid Johnson

The Viking Quest series, which begins with Raiders from the Sea, has to be one of my all time favorite series. It is set in the late 900s. Bree and Devin, sister and brother, are kidnapped during a Viking raid. Mikkel is the leader of the Viking group. You learn through the books that Mikkel feels he has something to prove to his father, a powerful Viking leader. Bree likes adventure, and because Mikkel keeps her with him most of the time, she gets in on many adventures...some more pleasant than others.

I have recommended it to many people, and even purchased a few sets for friends. So far they've all loved it. Several parents have said they enjoyed reading it as a family read-aloud. It not only captivates young audiences, but adults as well.

Genre: historical fiction, Christian

Topics: Vikings, family, kidnapping, Ireland, strong male character, strong female character

Note: Christian theme

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 5 of 5

Amazon reviews

The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan

The Maze of Bones is Book 1 of 10 in the 39 Clues series. It includes many appealing features found in successful middle school books...orphaned young heroes and heroines, the bad guys/enemies, adventure, and mystery. The premise behind the series is that the head of the Cahill dies and leaves her heirs with a choice, take a one million dollar inheritance or take Clue 1 of 39. The first person who successfully solves all the clues will find the secret to the wealth and power of the Cahill family. Some choose the money, and some choose the clue. There is competition between the four branches of the Cahills to be the final winners.

I am excited about this series because of the historical tie-ins in each book. Book 1 proved to be a fun read. Another cool feature is the online component. First you read the book, then you go online to work toward solving the same puzzle. It's not your ordinary online game for kids. You have to do a lot of reading and problem solving to make your way through the game. I think it's a great combination for today's readers.

Genre: adventure with a twist of history

Topics: Benjamin Franklin; Philadelphia; secret messages; Paris, France; brother and sister, mystery, adventure

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 4 of 5

Amazon reviews

Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck

Yes, Here Lies the Librarian includes librarians as characters. However, the book seemed to be more about cars in Indiana circa 1914. I must say I didn't love the book, but I didn't hate it either. Once I shifted my mindset from librarians to cars, it wasn't so bad. In fact, I found it quite informative about the early days of cars, roads, and auto repair shops. I had no idea one auto maker actually built cars with wooden frames including wooden tire rims. I also enjoyed reading about the community as Peck depicted it. I could easily visualize it.

Genre: Historical Fiction

Topics: librarians, libraries, cars, tomboy, car makers, racing

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 3 of 5

Amazon reviews

The Enola Holmes Mystery series

Nancy Springer has written several books in the "An Enola Holmes Mystery" series. The first book is The Case of the Missing Marquess (a Marquess is a nobleman). What a fun way to learn what life was like in England back in the late 1800s! Enola Holmes is the younger sister of Sherlock Holmes and Mycroft Holmes. She doesn't know them very well (at all, really), because she was born much later. When their mother disappears, Sherlock and Mycroft step in to decide Enola's future. Mycroft wants to send her to a girls' school, but Enola will have none of that. She doesn't want to suffer the same fate of other girls and women of England in the 1800s. She wants to be able to do what she wants to do, wear clothes that are comfortable, and marry whom she wants.

So Enola sneaks away and heads for London to hide from her brothers. Almost right away, Enola gets involved in the mystery of a missing young Marquess. She's able to solve this mystery and then she's on to the next one...The Case of the Left-Handed Lady.

Her third adventure is The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets. Dr. Watson is missing, and Enola searches for him. Her escapades once again take you through the streets of London. She uses a different type of disguise in this book that required a visit to Pertelote's, a shop where she was able to purchase materials to aid in her disguises.

In The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan, Cecily Alistair from the The Case of the Left-Handed Lady has disappeared again. Before she disappears, Enola sees Cecily in a public restroom, one of the first of its kind. Cecily tries to get a message to Enola. It is clear Cecily is in distress. Enola is able to discover that something is terribly amiss with Cecily's situation. Sherlock and Enola work together a little more in this book, leaving you to wonder where their relationship will eventually lead. I think Sherlock is starting to understand just how clever and resourceful Enola is.

It took a little to get into the first book because the writing voice and language is more like you'd expect to hear in England just before the turn of the 20th century. Once I got into the rhythm, the pages flew by.

Enola is a spitfire. It's interesting to see how much different life was then for girls than it is today. Sometimes it's easy to take for granted all the things we can do now. I found Springer's descriptions of the characters and setting very informative. I'm rather glad I live today rather than in the late 1800s!

Genre: historical fiction, mystery

Topics: life in England (late 1800s), disguises, stereotypes (bk 3), mistreatment of poor people, distrust of left-handed people (bk 2), beginnings of union talks (bk 2), ciphers, arranged marriages (bk 4), orphans (bk 4)

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 4 of 5

Amazon reviews for The Case of the Missing Marquess
Amazon reviews for The Case of the Left-Handed Lady
Amazon reviews for The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets
Amazon reviews for The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett

Petra Andalee and Calder Pillay establish a friendship of sorts while trying to solve the case of a missing Vermeer painting.

One of the things I liked about this book were the extras in the illustrations. There was a frog in many of the illustrations...frogs and Frog are part of the story line as well. There were also pentominoes in many of the illustrations as well as in the story line.

One of the games I like to play is Blokus. I discovered that the shapes in Blokus are the same pentominoes in Chasing Vermeer. I actually pulled the ones shown and described in the book and tried to do what Calder does...put the pentominoes into rectangular shapes. I'm not very good at it, unfortunately.

Genre: mystery

Topics: math, artists, strange or unexplained events, pentominoes

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 3 of 5

Amazon reviews

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

When I was young, I read a fairy tale about twelve princesses who would wear their slippers out every night even though they were locked in their rooms. A reward was offered for the prince who could discover what was happening. I also remembered something about a winding staircase down to a river that would take the princesses to a magical land under ground. As a parent, I rediscovered this fairy tale as I was reading a book of fairy tales to my son.

When I was in Barnes & Noble last week, I discovered a brand new book by Jessica Day George, Princess of the Midnight Ball. When I read the description, it sounded a lot like the fairy tale I had read to my son and as a youngster.

I just finished reading it a couple of days ago. It was great. Ms. George had an interesting backstory for why the events were happening. She fleshed the story that was a few pages long into a full-length, captivating novel.

The only drawback I can think of is the cover. It is very appealing to young females, but I don't know if a boy would ever pick it up. I'm not positive, but I think boys would enjoy the story, too, as many of the characters are male. I actually read parts of it to my 3rd grade son, and he keeps asking me to read more to him. The story is very good.

Genre: fairy tale, adventure

Topics: revenge, magical objects, soldiers, princes and princesses, gardens, sisters, curses

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 5 of 5

Amazon reviews

Black Duck by Janet Taylor Lisle

Black Duck is set both in the present and 1929. David has just finished 8th grade. There is a long-standing rumor around town that a rumrunner from the prohibition years of the 1920s was from his town. David thinks he's found the man, so he asks to interview him. The book surrounds the discussions between David and Ruben, the alleged liquor smuggler. Part of the time you experience the story through the eyes of Ruben back in the 1920s. The other part is set in the present. The book starts slowly, but picks up with plenty of adventure part way through.

Genre: historical fiction, mystery, adventure

Topics: prohibition; smuggling; dirty cops; gangsters; Newport, Rhode Island, misunderstandings, growing up

Note: contains occasional harsh language

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 4 of 5

Amazon reviews

Notes from the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick

Alex gets sentenced to 100 hours of community service after getting mad at his dad, driving drunk, and running over a neighbor's lawn gnome. Alex serves his time by helping Sol, a grumpy resident of a nursing home. Alex and Sol discover they have something in common, a love of jazz music. Alex's parents are divorced and are working through issues. It's a great story of life's lessons.

Genre: realistic fiction

Topics: drunk driving, community service, old people, nursing home, grumpy old man, jazz band, guitar, divorce, Jewish, musicians, family conflict, dating, emphysema, Fiddler on the Roof

Note: occasional swearing, would recommend to grade 8+

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 5 of 5

Amazon reviews