Middle-Grade Review: The Limit

Kristen Landon’s first middle-grade novel, The Limit, is a fast-paced thriller set in the not-so-distant future. 

The financial world has become mostly automated, with the government tracking each family’s income and expenditures.  If a family exceeds their debt limit, the government sends their oldest child (teen) to a workhouse to help pay off their debt.  Thirteen-year old Matt has heard rumors of this happening to other families:

An eighth-grade girl was taken today.

Whispers and text messages flew through Grover Middle School.  They slapped handcuffs on her and shoved her into the back of a van.  They shot her with a tranquilizer dart in the middle of the lunchroom.  She escaped and she’s hiding in the library – right now – texting her friends.

The girl went to Lakeview Middle School.  My cousin goes to Lakeview.  He said they called her out of first period and she never came back.  An eighth grader!  Nobody could believe it.  Up until now they’d only taken high school students.

Up until now we thought we were off-limits.

As these frightening events hit closer to home, Matt and his friends worry about their own families’ expenses.  Then Matt’s family unexpectedly goes over their limit, and Matt is whisked away to a far-away workhouse.  At first it doesn’t seem so bad, but as Matt begins to ask questions and dig deeper into some odd occurrences, the whole situation seems more and more sinister.

The events in the novel are made even scarier because their world is so similar to our own in so many ways.  It’s a suspenseful story, a good versus evil techno-thriller.  I enjoyed The Limit; Landon writes about kids in a realistic and believable way.  Although marketed as a middle-grade novel, I think this novel would also appeal to teens.

You can visit the author’s website at which includes a pretty cool video trailer for the book.

304 pages, Aladdin

The Dead Dad Syndrome

I read an article this week in Publisher's Weekly about the abundance of orphans in children's and teen/YA novels.  I had to laugh at this one because our family has noticed this before.  My husband complains that all Dads in stories are either dead or really inept!  And it seems like every time we start a new audio book with the kids, the parents are either dead or die in the first chapter!  It's a great article - hope you enjoy it!

It's Monday 9/27! What Are You Reading?

Monday already?  I had another long sick week spent mostly in bed - the virus I caught developed into bronchitis, and all of it triggered a severe flare-up of my chronic illness.  I'm finally starting to feel a little better and am slowing getting back to a more normal life.  This week was bad for the rest of my life but good for reading!

• I finished The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx and will hopefully feel well enough to go to my book group's discussion of it on Wednesday.  I enjoyed this quirky, award-winning novel.
• Next I read a new teen novel, The Limit by Kristen Landon, set in the future when families who get into debt must send their oldest children to workhouses.  It was good - a fast-paced suspense novel.
• Now I'm in the middle of A Soft Place to Land by Susan Rebecca White, a grown-up novel about two sisters who lose their parents when they're in their teens.  It's very good so far - a good distraction during a sick week.
• My husband is reading The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff, which I finished last week.  Only problem is that he's in the middle of it and it's due back at the library, so I'm trying to find him another copy!
• Jamie, 16, is still working on The Stand by Stephen King and loving it! 
• Jamie is also reading Into the Wild by Jon Krakuaer for his American Literature class.  I haven't read the book yet, but it was one of my favorite movies.
• Craig, 12, is reading Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi for his English class.  He's enjoying it but is frustrated because the teacher doesn't want them reading ahead!

I did manage to write one review last week, of the middle-grade time-travel novel George Washington's Socks by Elvira Woodruff.

What are you and your family reading this week?

(What are you reading Mondays is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey).

Middle-Grade Review: George Washington’s Socks

I always enjoy time-travel stories, so I was interested to hear that a middle-grade time-travel adventure published in the 90’s, George Washington’s Socks by Elvira Woodruff, was being re-released this fall.  This mix of history and adventure will appeal to kids who enjoyed but have outgrown The Magic Tree House series.

Matt and his three friends have started an Adventure Club and plan to have an overnight camp-out.  Matt’s little sister, Katie, comes along as well, and the group settles in for the night in Tony’s backyard.  Their plan is to take turns reading adventure stories out of a book, starting with a story about George Washington crossing the Delaware River during the Revolutionary War.  Looking for a little extra adventure, the group wanders out of the backyard and, with some unexpected twists, finds themselves sent back in time and with more adventure than they’d bargained for:

As he stood staring from the old rowboat, Matt couldn’t take his eyes off the man who had rescued her [Katie].  He was a tall imposing figure in a blue and buff uniform.  Matt had the strange feeling that he knew the man, for his figure was unmistakable, with his white hair rolled on the sides, and tied in the back with a ribbon.  His face was strong and proud.  It was the face of a leader, the face of a determined man.  His eyes stared straight into Matt’s, as if one commander had recognized another.  It took all of Matt’s courage to speak.

“My…sister.  Is she all right?”

“The child is alive.  No harm will come to her.”

“Who…who are you?” Matt stammered.

“General George Washington, Leader of the Continental Troops,” came the firm reply.

The historical part of the book (which is most of it) is filled with fascinating details of the time and place.  It provides a realistic portrayal of war and the challenges faced by the soldiers during that treacherous winter (some of which might be too disturbing for younger kids).  The modern scenes are less vivid, with a nostalgic, innocent feel that seems to take place much earlier than the 1990’s.  Readers who enjoy historical fiction or adventure stories will enjoy this book.  I think my 12-year old son will like it, even though it’s a bit below his reading level.  A sequel, George Washington’s Spy, will be released in November.

166 pages, Scholastic

Accelerated Reader level 5.0, 6 points

Recommended for ages 9 – 12.

 

It's Monday 9/20! What Are You Reading?

Well, it was a rough week for me which explains the lack of reviews posted last week.  My husband was out of town, so I had my hands full doing double-duty most of the week, then got very sick on Thursday (thank goodness my husband was home by then!).  It seems to be a flare-up of my chronic illness, probably triggered by exposure to one of the viruses floating around, but this is the worst I've experienced in years.  I've been flat on my back in bed or on the couch since Friday morning.

The good news?  Books, books, books!  When I'm this bad, there's nothing I can do but sleep and read, and I was grateful this weekend for so many wonderful books to help me forget about my own difficult circumstances for a while.  I can't imagine getting through a rough period like this without books.

• I finished The 19th Wife in time for my book group's 100th book celebration on Wednesday!  We celebrated with dinner at a nice restaurant, and the book generated a lot of great discussion.  It's an interesting combination of modern murder mystery and fascinating historical fiction.
• I read the first middle-grade novel in a re-released series, George Washington's Socks: A Time Travel Adventure by Elvira Woodruff.  It's about a group of 10-year old kids who get transported back in time to the Revolutionary War.  I really enjoyed the novel and look forward to the rest of the series!
• I finally had a chance to read The Graveyard Book, a Newberry Honor winner by Neil Gaiman.  It turns out that everyone was right - it's a delightful, clever novel about a boy who is brought up by ghosts in a graveyard.  A wonderfully enjoyable escape!
• I also read a new teen mystery novel, Suspect by Kristin Wolden Nitz.  It's a unique story-within-a-story about a teen girl and her grandmother trying to solve the mystery of the girl's mother's disappearance during a Mystery Weekend with a pretend murder at her grandma's bed and breakfast.  This fast-paced suspense novel provided much-needed distraction this weekend.
• Finally, I started The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx, a novel that won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, for my other book group.  I've wanted to read this book for ages and am enjoying it so far.
• My 16-year old son, Jamie, is still reading The Stand by Stephen King, and loving it!
• Craig, my 12-year old son, has started reading Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi for his English class at school.  This is a favorite of both Jamie and my husband, and Craig is loving it so far (I still need to read it!).
• My husband was so interested in my description of The 19th Wife that he decided to read it next, so he started it this weekend.
• And, with the kids back in school, I was able to start a new audio book during my lunch times.  I started the teen/YA novel She's So Dead To Us by Kieran Scott and am enjoying it so far.

So, lots of books but not much else last week. Hopefully, I will feel well enough to resume writing reviews in the next day or so.

What are you and your family reading this week?

(What are you reading Mondays is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey).

Book Title Meme

I saw this over at The Little Bookworm, and I loved it!

What To Do: Using only books you have read this year (2010), answer these questions. Try not to repeat a book title. It’s a lot harder than you think!

(I limited my answers here to just the kids' and teen/YA books I read this year so far - to see my answers for the adult books I've read, hop over to Book By Book.)

Describe yourself: My One Hundred Adventures

How do you feel: Anything But Typical

Describe where you currently live: Morpheus Road

If you could go anywhere, where would you go?  Northward to the Moon

Your favorite form of transportation:  Boom!

Your best friend is: Keeper

You and your friends are: First Light

What’s the weather like:  Icecore

You fear:  Murder at Midnight

What is the best advice you have to give:  Hide and Seek

Thought for the day:  And Then Everything Unraveled

How I would like to die: Ruined

My soul’s present condition:  Everwild

It's Monday 9/13! What Are You Reading?

Wow, mid-September already - two school weeks behind us!  We're all struggling a bit to adjust to the early mornings and hectic evenings.  We spent a very lazy Sunday yesterday, watching movies together and just relaxing - it was the perfect weather (dark and rainy) to just hole up in the house together.  Now, it's a new week - the first full 5-day week of school for the boys. 

So, none of us had a lot of time for reading last week, but we're all in the middle of some really good books:

• I've been reading The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff.  This is one of those books I probably wouldn't have read if it weren't for my book group, but I'm glad I did - it's a compelling story (two stories, really) set in a fascinating historical context.  This is my neighborhood book group's 100th book, and we'll be celebrating this week with a nice dinner out.
• My husband, Ken, has been reading some of the top books in the nation.  He finished The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson (he loved the whole series) and started Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins.
• Jamie, 16, is working his way through The Stand by Stephen King.  He's totally hooked - I had to go into his room late last night to tell him to turn off his reading light and get some sleep!
• Since The Stand is too big to haul around at school, Jamie is also reading Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve.
• Craig, 12, is reading Alabama Moon by Watt Key, a family favorite.

Last week, I posted reviews of Mockingjay and of Ruined, a teen ghost story set in New Orleans.  I also posted a summary of the books I read in August, including some mini reviews, at my other book blog, Book By Book.

What are you and your family reading this week?

(What are you reading Mondays is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.)

Teen/YA Review: Ruined

I thoroughly enjoyed the teen ghost story, Ruined by Paula Morris, partly because it is set in New Orleans, one of my favorite cities (we used to live there) and partly because it’s a good mystery with plenty of unexpected twists.

Fifteen-year old Rebecca lives with her Dad in New York City and can’t imagine living anywhere else.  When her Dad has to travel to China for an extended business trip, he sends her to stay in New Orleans for six months with an old family friend who Rebecca refers to as Aunt Claudia.  Being yanked out of her familiar surroundings in the middle of the school year and sent far from her friends is bad enough, but Rebecca finds that New Orleans is like a whole different world (as anyone discovers when they travel there!).  Aunt Claudia picks her up at the airport:

“You work in the French Quarter, right?” asked Rebecca.  Her father had given her a few pieces of information, in his usual scattered way.  He’d been completely distracted for the past two weeks, ever since he announced that he was pulling her out of school and sending her to the Deep, Deep South for months on end.

“In Jackson Square.” Aunt Claudia nodded, breathless with the exertion of walking to the one baggage carousel surrounded by waiting passengers.  “I read tarot cards.  It was a quiet summer, but things are starting to pick up again.  Tourists and conventions and all that.”

“Oh,” said Rebecca.  Suddenly her aunt’s outfit was making sense: It was her office wear, in a way.  Though why her decidedly nonsuperstitious dad thought Aunt Claudia would be an ideal guardian was even more of a mystery.

That’s not the only mystery Rebecca encounters in her new city.  In the midst of adjusting to strange foods, unfamiliar customs, and a new private school filled with snooty rich kids, Rebecca finally meets a friend late one night in Lafayette Cemetery, down the street from her aunt’s house.  Her new friend, Lisette, is a ghost. 

As Rebecca’s new classmates keep her in the role of the outcast, she is drawn deeper into the secrets surrounding both them and Lisette and feels that there really is no live person that she can trust, with the possible exception of Anton Grey.  But isn’t he just another stuck-up rich kid?

The unpredictable twists and turns of this story incorporate real history into tales of ghosts and ancient curses.  Although I found some of the plot elements came together a bit too neatly, I mostly enjoyed the story and its setting.  As is often the case, New Orleans itself is like an extra character in this novel, with rich details of its customs, foods, and idiosyncrasies that made me homesick!  I was especially fascinated with the descriptions of the age-old customs surrounding the Mardi Gras balls and parades that are such a big part of Rebecca’s classmates’ lives.   Teens are sure to enjoy this unique novel that combines history, romance, suspense, and the supernatural in an exotic setting.

If you enjoyed this book as much as I did, you might want to visit the author’s blog, where she has unfortunately recently announced that she will soon be leaving New Orleans.

309 pages, Point (an imprint of Scholastic)

Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. My review is my own opinion and is not influenced by my relationship with the publisher or author.

 

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

 

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This book is available in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle.

Teen/YA Review: Mockingjay

I read straight through the holiday weekend and finished Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins at 11 pm Sunday night.  No question that it was just as compelling – and disturbing – as the first two books, The Hunger Games and Catching Fire.  What I liked best about this book and this series, though, is how deftly Collins weaves thought-provoking questions about our own society into this frightening fictional world.  I could hardly get to sleep after finishing the book because my mind was spinning with these questions.  I was itching to discuss it with someone!

As in the first two books, Katniss Everdeen is the main character.  The Hunger Games are over – hopefully forever – and Panem is now at war.  The districts have finally begun to openly rebel against the Capitol, and Katniss finds herself at the center of the conflict.  Throughout the book, she is tortured by conflicting thoughts about her role.  Of course, she wants the Capitol to stop killing the children of the districts and abusing its citizens, but the horrors of actual war don’t seem like a better alternative.  Here, she wonders whether she should agree to be the rebels’ symbol, like they want her to be:

What am I going to do?

Is there any point in doing anything at all?  My mother, my sister, and Gale’s family are finally safe.  As for the rest of 12, people are either dead, which is irreversible, or protected in 13.  That leaves the rebels in the districts.  Of course, I hate the Capitol, but I have no confidence that my being the Mockingjay will benefit those who are trying to bring it down.   How can I help the districts when every time I make a move, it results in suffering and loss of life?  The old man shot in District 11 for whistling.  The crackdown in 12 after I intervened in Gale’s whipping.  My stylist, Cinna, being dragged, bloody and unconscious, from the Launch Room before the Games.  Plutarch’s sources believe he was killed during interrogation.  Brilliant, enigmatic, lovely Cinna is dead because of me.  I push the thought away because it’s too impossibly painful to dwell on without losing my fragile hold on the situation entirely.

What am I going to do?

Katniss’ guilt and conflicting emotions are a big part of this novel, serving to alienate her from even the people closest to her.  I found this continuing struggle fascinating, in part because these are exactly the kinds of challenges we face in our own society and in our own wars.  Collins tackles significant questions here – of war and peace, power and impotence, wealth and poverty – that are mirrored in the real world.  When the goal of a war is a noble one, are any actions, no matter how destructive, worth the final result?  Do the ends always justify the means?  Where do we draw the line?

Like I said, I’m dying to sit down and discuss this book for hours!  The whole series would be great for book groups because there’s just so much to talk about in terms of moral and ethical challenges.  I think it would also be an excellent choice for older high school or college students to read and discuss in class.  I’ve heard some readers say that this book doesn’t seem appropriate for its intended teen or YA audience, but I think it’s not any more gruesome than the two previous books, where a government routinely sacrificed its children in a contest to the death for entertainment.  Perhaps the difference is that our society doesn’t actually have a parallel to the Hunger Games, but we do have our own wars where the questions brought up in this book are just as relevant.  I think that makes this third book even more relevant for young people, though certainly only for older teens and young adults.


Besides the issues that Mockingjay brings up, it is a supremely satisfying read.  If you've read the first two books, you know that Collins isn't one for neat, fairy tale endings, but this book brings closure to the series.  My husband and 16-year old son have been breathing down my neck, waiting for me to finish it so they can read it!

If, like me, you are busting at the seams to talk to other people who’ve read the book (I was careful not to include any spoilers in this review), Sheila at Book Journey has created a Mockingjay Spoiler area (scroll down and click on the Spoiler button) where you can discuss all elements of the book in detail – just what I needed!  And if you're hungry for more about this trilogy, check out The Hunger Games website.

And if The Hunger Games trilogy is too violent to share with your younger kids, you should definitely check out Collins’ earlier middle-grade series, The Underland Chronicles, that begins with Gregor the Overlander.  We read the entire series out loud with our boys when they were about 8 and 11, and all four of us loved it.  It features Collins’ wonderful writing and compelling, unique plots in a fantasy story for middle-grade readers (though there is still some war and violence toward the end of the series), with the added bonus of a great sense of humor.

390 pages, Scholastic


 

It's Monday 9/6! What Are You Reading?

Happy Labor Day!  Hope you're enjoying your long weekend - we sure needed it here!  My sons went back to school last week, so we were all tired by Thursday (they had Friday off) and ready for the holiday weekend.  And the weather has been perfect - it finally dropped below 90 degrees.  I actually have a sweatshirt on this morning - love it!

Lots of good reading this week:

• I finished Ruined by Paula Morris - I enjoyed this teen ghost story very much.  The author made the most of the setting in New Orleans, one of my favorite places in the world.
• My review copy of Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins finally arrived on Friday, and I dove right into it!  I finished it at 11 pm last night...wow.  Like her first two books in the series, this one was not only a can't-put-it-down suspense novel but also a thought-provoking look at some difficult issues in our own society.  I'm dying to discuss it - how about you all come over to my house so we can sit and talk for an hour or two??
• Despite the start of school, my 16-year old son, Jamie, finally started The Stand by Stephen King.  It may take him a while, with the added time constraints of homework and soccer season.  He says it's awesome so far.
• Jamie quickly realized he couldn't carry the encyclopedic The Stand with him to school (they're supposed to have a book to read with them each day), so he also started a nice slim paperback, Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve, author of The Hungry City Chronicles, including Mortal Engines.  It's a King Arthur tale - always a favorite!
• Craig, 12, was thrilled to find out he can read any books he wants for English class this year (in addition to whatever they are reading together in class), so he picked up an old family favorite last week, Alabama Moon by Watt Key, a fantastic middle-grade novel that I reviewed last year.
• My husband, Ken, is in the middle of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson and still loving this renowned thriller series.

If you're a fan of Stieg Larsson's books, too, you might enjoy this NPR show I heard last week.

Last week, I also posted a review of the hilarious middle-grade audio book Boom! by Mark Haddon.

What are you and your family reading this week?

(What are you reading Mondays is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey).

Mockingjay Arrived!

My review copy of Mockingjay finally arrived this afternoon - hurray!!

You know where to find me...

Middle-Grade Review: Boom!

On our way back from a camping weekend in the Catskills recently, we got stuck in traffic that turned our 4-hour drive into a 9-hour drive.  Fortunately, I had brought along a new audio book, Boom! by Mark Haddon, that kept all four of us captivated and laughing the whole way home.  Mark Haddon is the author of the award-winning adult novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Jim, aka Jimbo, lives in London with his parents and sister.  When his older sister tells him he’s about to be expelled from school and sent away to military school, Jimbo knows she might be just teasing him…but he’s not sure.  He confers with his best friend, Charlie, who is always looking for some excitement in his life.  Charlie comes up with a brilliant plan to bug the teacher’s lounge at school, so they can hear for themselves what the teachers are (or are not) saying about Jimbo’s future.

They follow through with their plan and hear a bunch of boring teacher talk, until everyone else has left except for Mr. Kidd and Ms. Pearce.  They don’t know what to think of what they hear next:  their two teachers speaking in a strange language to each other.  When they speak one of the strange words to Mr. Kidd later and his eyes glow with a radiant blue light, they know that something very strange is going on at their school.  The two friends begin to investigate their teachers’ bizarre behavior, but soon they are in the midst of an adventure they never could have imagined.

Our whole family – including 12-year old Craig and 16-year old Jamie – loved this audio book.  It’s full of suspense and adventure, but it is also hilarious.  We were all laughing out loud at the odd cast of characters, frantic antics of Jimbo and Charlie, and the out-of-this-world plot.  If you enjoy the British style of humor, this book is for you!  Some (perhaps younger kids) may find the British accent of the reader and the British slang hard to understand, but we loved every minute of it and felt that its British-ness was a definite plus.  Great fun for middle-grade readers or for a family road trip!

Listening Library

Download an audio clip to listen to a sample of Boom!

BOOK:      AUDIO: 

It's Monday 8/30! What Are You Reading?

Back to school time!  Craig just got on his bus, and Jamie starts tomorrow - one down and one to go! 

School days memories...this photo was taken on Craig's first day of kindergarten and Jamie's first day of 4th grade.  Now they're starting 7th grade and 11th grade (and they're both taller than I am!).  Where did the years go?

Enough reminiscing...I'm sure you'd rather hear about reading!  We enjoyed some good books last week...

• I finished The Little Book by Selden Edwards, a birthday gift from Ken.  I really enjoyed this book - it was one of those that I liked more and more the more I read.  It's a time travel story of a man who travels from 1988 San Francisco to 1897 Vienna, with all of the thought-provoking moral dilemmas that I love in a time travel story, as he inadvertently runs into famous historical figures like Mark Twain and Sigmund Freud as well as some of his own family members.
• I just started Ruined, a new teen ghost story by Paula Morris.  I'm loving this book so far since it's set in my favorite place, New Orleans (we used to live there).
• Jamie, 16, finished and loved Congo by Michael Crichton, which we gave him for his birthday.  I think it's Crichton's best novel, about an ape who can communicate with sign language.
• Craig, 12, finished his summer reading assignment, The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, the day before school started!  I tried to encourage him to start a new book just for fun last night, but no go.  The good news is that his English teacher is thinking of not using the Accelerated Reader (AR) program this year so that her students can read any book they want (AR is a computerized system - you have to choose a book on your school's AR list, then take a quiz when you finish).  That would be very good since the new books we get for review are never on the AR list yet!
• My husband, Ken, finished The Girl Who Played with Fire and immediately picked up The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - he's hooked on this exciting series!

Last week, I posted reviews of The Reminder, a teen novel by Rune Michaels, and Hide and Seek, a suspenseful middle-grade novel by Katy Grant that our whole family loved.

What are you and your family reading this week?

(What are you reading Mondays is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey).

Middle-Grade Review: Hide & Seek

During our annual 3-week summer roadtrip, we revived a beloved family tradition and read aloud before bed each night.  I chose a brand-new middle-grade novel, Hide & Seek by Katy Grant, and everyone in our family loved this exciting and suspenseful story.  Twelve-year old Craig frequently pleaded for “one more chapter”!

One reason I chose this book is because geocaching, an outdoor activity my family loves, is an essential part of the plot.  For those of you not familiar with geocaching, it’s a combination of hiking and treasure hunting, with a cool technological twist.  You look up nearby geocaches at www.geocaching.com, enter the coordinates into a handheld GPS, and then use the GPS to lead you to the cache.  The cache, hidden by another geocacher, usually contains a logbook to log your find and some small trinkets to exchange.  Our family loves camping and hiking, and, as on this recent trip, we often incorporate geocaching into our outdoor fun.

Chase, the fourteen-year old protagonist of Hide & Seek, also enjoys geocaching.  His dad recently bought him his own GPS, and Chase is eager to try finding some caches on his own.  He spent his summer helping out at his family’s rental cabins and store and can’t wait for some freedom:

So I pretty much keep my mouth shut and get all my chores done as fast as I can.  But it’s enough to drive a guy crazy.  When summer finally ends and the tourists go home, school starts, and then I’m stuck in a classroom all day.  Sometimes you just need to get out and breathe.

This was going to be the first geocache I’d ever done completely on my own, so I’d planned everything carefully.  Shea was right – my backpack was heavy.  It was full of stuff I might need: a stainless steel water bottle, a plastic bowl for Dexter, some trail mix, beef jerky, binoculars, some extra AA batteries, and a Swiss army knife.  And then the items to trade for the geocache, and my GPS so I could find the treasure.

Chase finds the geocache he’s looking for, but there’s an unexpected surprise there – a mysterious note from someone who sounds like he needs help.  That starts off an adventure and mystery that Chase could never have imagined.  The more involved he gets, the more Chase wonders whether the situation might be more than he bargained for.

I don’t want to tell you any more about the plot because the best part about this book is the constant surprises, plot twists, and fabulous suspense  (that’s what led my son to beg for more every night).  The plot is unique, the characters are likeable and real, and the writing is tight and engaging.  All four of us thoroughly enjoyed this new novel that’s perfect for middle-grade readers or as a read-aloud!

For more information on Hide & Seek and Katy Grant’s other books, check out the author’s website.

227 pages, Peachtree Publishers

 

Teen/YA Review: The Reminder

I enjoyed Rune Michaels’ intriguing novel, The Reminder, about a teen girl struggling to come to terms with her mother’s recent death.  The novel is a unique blend of drama and suspense, with a bit of science fiction mixed in.

Daisy, known as Daze to her family and friends, feels lost without her mother.  Her father’s not coping much better, and it bothers Daze that her little brother doesn’t remember their mother very well.  She struggles with nightmares and getting on with her normal life in the face of such tragedy.  Then, strange things start happening:

The first time I heard my dead mother’s voice, there was a logical explanation.

It was the middle of the night, naturally – that’s when ghosts tend to visit.  I woke up from a familiar nightmare, gulping down air, my face damp with sweat, my heart hammering, visions of blue and green slipping away as I grabbed darkness gratefully instead.

Then I heard it again, like I must have heard through my sleep.

Mom’s voice.  Mom’s laughter, rippling under my bedroom door along with the sliver of light from the living room.

I don’t want to say too much more abut the plot because there are a few surprises in store for both Daze and the reader.  The novel is well written and does a great job of exploring the nature of grief and loss, while keeping things interesting with some unique plot twists.  This was the first book I’ve read by Rune Michaels, and I look forward to more, including her latest release, Nobel Genes.

You can visit the author’s website or her blog to learn more about her and her books.

182 pages, Atheneum (Simon & Schuster)

  

It's Monday 8/23! What Are You Reading?

Just returned from a weekend spent camping in the Catskills with my extended family.  It was good to see everyone, and the kids had a blast running around with their cousins all weekend (not much reading this weekend!).  Kind of a rough ending, though - packed up in the pouring rain on Sunday, then spent 9 hours driving home!!!  It should have taken about 5 hours - crazy traffic, road construction, plus the rain slowed things down to a crawl.  So, home now, with piles of sopping wet, muddy laundry and a filthy camper.  The A/C is out for the 6th time this summer - thank goodness it cooled down over the weekend - supposed to be in the 80's this week instead of the 90's.

With Jamie's birthday last week, plus camping preparation, we didn't do a lot of reading but squeezed in a bit:

• I finished Elvis and Olive by Stephanie Watson and posted a review.  I really enjoyed this sweet, funny middle-grade novel about two very different girls who become good friends and spend a summer spying.
• I started a novel my husband gave me for my birthday last month, The Little Book by Selden Edwards.  It's set in 1890's Vienna, with a main character who has somehow been transported there from 1988 San Francisco.  It's good so far with a very intriguing plot - I always enjoy time-travel novels.
• Sixteen-year old Jamie is reading a book we gave him for his birthday last week, Congo by Michael Crichton.  He enjoyed Crichton's Sphere this spring, and Congo is my all-time favorite Crichton book, about an ape who can communicate with sign language.  He's enjoying it very much so far.  It's fun sharing favorites with my kids!
• Twelve-year old Craig - who feels it's a complete waste of time to read during the summer - is still working on The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin for his assigned summer reading.  He does like it and says it's getting better and better - he'd just rather be outside running around!  He needs to finish it this week because school starts next Monday.
• My husband, Ken, finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson and started right in on The Girl Who Played with Fire.  He's loving this series!  My mom's husband, who we saw this weekend, is also reading the series on his Kindle, and I gave my sister The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for her birthday this weekend.  A runaway family hit!
• Our never-ending trip home yesterday was made much more enjoyable by a new audio book, Boom! by Mark Haddon, the first kids' book by the author of the award-winning The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (which Jamie, Ken, and I have all read).  It's a very funny middle-grade adventure book that kept us all laughing even in the midst of traffic.  We have just a little bit left to finish tonight (after 9 hours in the car, there was no way we were going to sit in the driveway and finish it last night no matter how good it was!)

And, last week, I gratefully accepted the Versatile Blogger Award and passed it along to five deserving bloggers, so please check them out!

What are you and your family reading this week?

(What are you reading Mondays is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey)

Middle-Grade Review: Elvis & Olive

I chose to read a middle-grade novel targeted toward a slightly younger audience (probably best for grades 3 to 6) this week so that I can pass it along to my little cousins when I see them this weekend.   I expected to do a quick read-through and review of Elvis & Olive by Stephanie Watson, but I was pleasantly surprised by this sweet and funny novel of young friendship.

Natalie, a straight-A student and a bit of a perfectionist, has just finished 4^th grade and is already bored by summer.  As she rides her bike around the block over and over trying to beat her best time, she encounters someone new in the neighborhood:

He was still holding his hand out, willing Natalie to stay where she was.  The other hand was behind his back.

“I’m gonna tell you a secret,” he said.

“Why would you tell me a secret?” Natalie asked.  “I don’t even know you.”

“So?”

“Usually you know someone before you tell them a secret,” she said, offering her hand to shake his.  “I’m Natalie.  You’re the new boy from across the street, right?”

His eyes became slits.

“Boy?!  I’m not a boy.  I’m a GIRL!”  The shout echoed off the houses.  Natalie slowly lowered her hand back to the handlebar.

With this difficult introduction, Natalie meets Annie.  The two girls couldn’t be more different.  Natalie dresses neatly and is cautious and shy, while Annie is often covered with dirt but is brave and outgoing.  They quickly get past their rough start, become friends, and decide to devote their summer to being spies and uncovering secrets.  Their code names are Elvis and Olive, and suddenly, Natalie’s summer is anything but boring.

I just loved these two girls and their friendship – it reminded me very much of summers spent with my best friend roaming around our neighborhood, sharing secrets.  It’s not all fun and games, though.  Both girls have some secrets of their own, and secrets have a way of leaking out when you least expect it.  It’s a fun and heartwarming story that carries you along to a satisfying conclusion.  I can’t wait to pass this wonderful book along to my cousins this weekend!

NOTE:  The sequel, Elvis & Olive: Super Detectives, came out in hardcover on July 1.

230 pages, Scholastic

Versatile Blogger Award!

Lovely Anne, a high school librarian and writer of the blog, My Head Is Full of Books, awarded me The Versatile Blogger Award last week!  Thank you, Anne - I very much appreciate the award!  Please stop by and visit her wonderful blog with lots of great book reviews for teens, YA, and grown-ups, too (hence her own versatility!).

Here are the rules for this award:

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic for whatever reason! (In no particular order...)
4. Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.

(Note: As many of you know, I have a chronic illness and have limited energy/time for blogging, so I'm only going to pass this along to 5 other bloggers.  If I don't limit myself a bit, I wouldn't be able to accept awards at all, so I hope you understand.)

Now, 7 things about myself.  Since this is a kids/teens book blog, I'll try to focus on those areas of my life:

1. My Mom taught me to read before I started kindergarten (thanks, Mom!) - Go, Dog, Go! by P.D. Eastman was the first book I read on my own, and it is still a favorite of mine and my own kids.  There is an awesome photo of me reading The Cat In the Hat while sitting on my potty seat (obviously, even earlier) - I wish I could share that with you, but I think my Mom has it.  Suffice it to say, I have always loved books!
2. I was a huge fan of both Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden when I was a kid.  A friend and I used to pretend to be Trixie and Honey, but we could never find any good mysteries in our neighborhood.
3. My all-time favorite series as a kid was A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle and its sequels.  I even got to play Meg in our 3rd grade play!
4. I went on a Ray Bradbury binge in high school and read every single Bradbury book in our public library.  Oddly, I haven't read any Bradbury since then.  I really want to revisit his books.
5. Besides Bradbury, as a teen I began to read more and more books from the adult section of the library, though I still liked some teen books.  There really wasn't as much YA variety back then as there is now.  My Mom, Dad, and I read every single Stephen King book that came out - we just passed them between the three of us.
6. I joined a book group about 7 years ago with a group of friends and was stunned by the wonderful variety of books we read!  I rediscovered reading at that point in many ways.  That group disbanded, but I now belong to two other book groups - one in my neighborhood and another at a local Unitarian church (but it's not a religious book group - just regular books) and I sometimes attend a third at my local library if I can squeeze it in.  Book groups have introduced me to so many genres of books that I never would have tried otherwise!
7. I'm a freelance writer, and in addition to my book blog, I write reviews of books and other media for Family Fun magazine.  Lots of fun and my kids love being testers!

Now, I'd like to pass this award onto the following well-deserved and versatile blogs (no one said they had to be book blogs, so I've included a variety here):

• Stephanie at Curling Up By the Fire (books)
• Jan at Eating YA Books (books)
• Dalia at Generation X Mom (Dalia posts wonderfully thought-provoking issues and questions about parenting)
• Julie at My Book Retreat (books)
• Peryl at Parenting Ad Absurdum (Peryl writes hilarious and heartwarming posts about being a parent)

So, please stop by and visit these very worthy blogs.
(And awardees:  no pressure if you can't meet all the requirements listed above!  Feel free to just bask in the glory of accepting an award.)

It's Monday 8/16! What Are You Reading?

Yes, it's Monday, but - more importantly - it's my oldest son's 16th birthday!  Yikes!  How did 16 years go by so fast??  Now he'll be driving, starting his Junior year of high school, and beginning to look at colleges.  But he's still a great kid and in no hurry to grow up too fast.  Every year he says he loves the age he is and wishes he could stay at that age!

Besides being warm, caring, and lots of fun, Jamie absolutely LOVES to read, so this week's What Are You Reading Monday is dedicated to him!

• This week, the birthday boy read Tentacles by Roland Smith, the sequel to Cryptid Hunters which he read last week.  He loves this middle-grade series about a man obsessed with tracking down mythological creatures.
• Jamie is currently reading Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson, the third book in the Maximum Ride series for teens.  He said this morning that he stayed up too late reading last night because Patterson writes such gripping novels!
• I finished The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson with a marathon reading session yesterday (it worked out perfectly because I wasn't feeling well anyway).  A satisfying ending to an excellent series!
• I just started a novel for elementary school kids (maybe 3rd through 6th grades), Elvis & Olive by Stephanie Watson.  It's very good so far, about two very different girls who become friends.
• Craig, 12, is still reading The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin for school.
• My husband, Ken, is well into The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson and is already eyeing books 2 and 3 on the bookshelf!

I posted a new review of the audio book First Light by Rebecca Stead.

What are you and your family reading this week?

(What are you reading Mondays is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey).

Middle-Grade Review: First Light

Award-winning author Rebecca Stead’s (When You Reach Me) first novel, First Light, is a unique mystery adventure set in an ice-covered world.  The audio book kept all four of us captivated during several recent car trips.

Twelve-year old Peter joins his parents on an expedition to Greenland so his father, a glaciologist, can study global warming.  Although life in the frozen world is vastly different from his usual routine in New York City, Peter enjoys exploring the icecap with his parents and their research assistant.  Back home, Peter began to have headaches accompanied by mysterious visions he couldn’t understand and these worsen in Greenland.

Meanwhile, fourteen-year old Thea lives with her people deep underground in a secret icy world called Gracehope where they settled to escape persecution.  Most in her society are content with the status quo, but Thea dreams of finding a route to the surface and the sun.  Thea and Peter’s stories are told in alternating chapters and begin to come together in this exciting adventure that combines science and magic.

Thea’s underground world reminded us all a bit of the city in Jeanne DuPrau’s Book of Ember series, though the rest of the plot is quite unique.  The audio book is read by two different actors, one reading Thea’s chapters and the other reading Peter’s, which made it even more interesting to listen to.  First Light is a unique story that the whole family can enjoy together.

Listening Library


Download an excerpt of First Light.