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