The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd

The two main characters are Ted and Kat, a brother and sister from London. Ted has a "syndrome" which is likely Asperger's from the Autism spectrum, although it's never specifically stated. Kat is a somewhat rebellious teen girl who has a love/hate relationship with her brother, Ted.

Ted and Kat's cousin, Salim, and Salim's mother are moving to New York City and decide to stop to visit Ted and Kat's family in London. While there, they all decide to take a ride on the London Eye. Thanks to a ticket from a mysterious stranger, Salim goes on the London Eye alone. One problem, though. He doesn't get off. The remainder of the story is the attempt to discover what happened to Salim. Ted and Kat are the two primary investigators. Ted's unique way of seeing things ultimately helps solve the mystery.

Topics: family, missing people, London Eye, brother/sister, weather, clues, mystery, observations, British"isms"

Sensitive areas: alcohol and tobacco use, language (sporadic)

Mrs. Beckwith's Review: 4 of 5

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The Last Treasure by Janet S. Anderson

Ellsworth takes a trip to New York to search for a family treasure that only a child can uncover. He teams up with his cousin Jess. While they are searching for the treasure, they uncover other family mysteries/secrets that have caused different family members great pain.

You get to meet older adults from their family and read stories of some of the family members whom have died many years ago. The author develops the characters so that you seem to really know them. There's a family tree in the front of the book to help you figure out where everyone fits in.

Another interesting thing about the book is the setting. The patriarch built a total of ten houses around The Square. Nine of the ten were originally built for the children of the patriarch. Some of the children died, and treasures were hidden in each of them. Each time, the treasure was discovered during a time of great need for the family. Each time, it was a child with an adult who discovered it.

Topics: family, secrets, mystery, heritage, paintings, misunderstandings

Genre: mystery

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 4.5 of 5

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Eleven by Patricia Reilly Giff

Sam is nearing his eleventh birthday when he discovers a mysterious newspaper clipping he's unable to read. He finds a new friend at school and has her read it for him. This starts Sam on a journey to remember things from his past. Does he really belong to the loving family he's with now, or does he really belong to some other family? Why does the number 11 bother him so much?

The story reveals pieces from Sam's past little by little, ultimately resulting in a complete picture of where he came from and who he is.

Genre: realistic fiction, mystery

Topics: family secrets, struggling to read, wood working, sailing, memories, family, the number 11

Audience: 6th graders

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 3.5 of 5

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Kaleidoscope Eyes by Jen Bryant

Lyza's grandfather dies and leaves her an envelope stating, "For Lyza ONLY" along with three maps. Lyza and two of her friends work to solve the mystery of what the maps and message from Lyza's grandfather mean.

It's 1968, so the reader gets to explore a little of life in the 60s. It's a great blend of historical fiction and mystery/suspense.

Topics: treasure hunt, missing sister, hippies, Janis Joplin, racism, draft,

Genre: historical fiction (Vietnam War era) in free-verse form

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 4 of 5

Amazon Reviews

Skulduggery Pleasant (Scepter of the Ancients) by Derek Landy

I decided to "read" this book because it's an award winning audio book, and it's been on the Scholastic Book Fair circuit. The cover is what made me not want to read it initially. As I listened to the book, I found myself not really into it initially. However, by the time I got to disc 3, I didn't want to stop. It was very adventurous.

Genre: fantasy

Topics: good vs. evil, unlimited power, detectives, trolls, vampires, skeletons, Dublin, swords, power of a name

Cautions: violence

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating 3.5 of 5

Amazon Reviews

The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had by Kristin Levine

Loved this book. It has so many great "takeaways" in it. Harry "Dit" Sims is a kid growing up in 1917. He's from a town in Alabama. A new postmaster and his family are coming to town, and Dit hopes there is a boy. Bummer. There's a girl, and not just any girl, a colored girl, Emma. It doesn't take too long for Dit and Emma to become friends, though.

The story is about the friendship between Emma and Dit and how the kids and adults in town respond. There are also racial tensions between some of the adult whites and blacks. I wasn't alive during that era, but the book gave me what I believe to be a pretty realistic picture of what it might have been like.

The story took me through a range of emotions including laughter, anger, frustration, and sadness. It'd be an excellent choice for a book discussion/group. There are many things to talk about.

My favorite sentence from the book is, "Next time you see an injustice, take a stand. It's worth the risk." (pg 164) I think this summarizes the biggest takeaway from this book.

Topics: Alabama, racial issues, bigotry, baseball, Indian burial, 1918 influenza outbreak, taking a stand, injustice, family, fishing, school life, growing up, driving, hunting, medical care, court system, friendship, big families

Genre: historical fiction

Audience: boys or girls, grade 7 and up (some disturbing elements)

Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 5 of 5

Cautions: contains the "n*" word, but it's used contextually and by a man the reader can easily identify as despicable; violent in parts

Amazon Reviews

When the Whistle Blows by Fran Cannon Slayton

This book was written in an unusual way. Jimmy Cannon describes events that happen each All Hallows' Eve from 1943 to 1949. In the first entry, Jimmy is a 7th grader. Each year, something different is described...a funeral, a football game, scaring other people, and the like. It definitely captures the voice of an adolescent male.

Because of the way it's written, it's easy to stop and start with each chapter. It was also a quick read. The characters continue to develop throughout each story building a sense of community/family. I grew up in a small town, and though the setting is different, I am able to relate to the stories being told. It's a very well done book describing small town life in the '40s.

Audience: especially boys

Genre: historical fiction

Topics: changing times, railroad, football, robbers, death, family, older brothers, emphysema, pneumonia, mischief, The Society, father/son relationships

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 3.5 of 5 (maybe even 4 of 5)

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