Between Two Skies

Evangeline Riley loves Bayou Perdue, the small coastal community in Louisiana she calls home.  Her father is a fisherman, and her mother owns a diner.  She is closest to her grandmother, also named Evangeline.  The two share a deep connection to the bayou and its people.

One day while she's out on the water, she meets Tru.  He misjudged the water depth and stranded his boat.  With a little work, Evangeline helps him get free, and they spend a few hours together before heading back to the festivities at the local marina.
Evangeline doesn't have long to think about Tru because it's only a short time later that a hurricane forms out in the Atlantic.  At first, no one is any more concerned than usual, but overnight Katrina turns into a monster, and Evangeline and her family decide to evacuate.

That's how they end up in Georgia.  At first, everyone just wants to go home, but it doesn't take long before they realize that won't happen anytime soon.  Evangeline and her older sister Mandy enroll at the local high school, and that's where Evangeline runs into Tru again.  What are the chances that these two Katrina refugees would end up in the same place?

They form a fast friendship based on mutual love and longing for the Louisiana coast that quickly turns to love.  Evangeline has never been in love before, and she is happy for the distraction from her parents fighting about whether or not to return to Bayou Perdue.  When Tru's family disappears leaving no contact information behind, she is devastated.

Evangeline may be just a sixteen-year-old kid, but she knows how she feels about Tru and Bayou Perdue.  Can she find a way to be true to herself without causing further pain and upset to her family?

Joanne O'Sullivan's debut novel is a sweet love story and a beautiful love letter to the Louisiana Bayous and their residents.  Recommended for grades 8 and up for alcohol use.

Projekt 1065

Michael O'Shaunessey is an Irish boy living in Germany while his father serves as Irish ambassador.  The only reason Ireland still has an ambassador under the Nazi regime is Ireland's neutral status.  You wouldn't expect Michael to a Nazi sympathizer, an active member of Hitler Youth, but he is.  You also wouldn't expect a 13-year-old boy to be a spy for the allies, but he does that, too.

When Michael's Hitler Youth group is recruited to find and capture a British pilot, there's no time to tell his parents.  They usually do all the dirty work; Michael just gathers information. Michael decides to try and save the soldier himself.

That is just the beginning of Michael's most dangerous mission yet.  He has to steal the plans for a new German jet that could turn the tide of the war.  And if that weren't dangerous enough, he'll have to make friends with a fanatical Hitler Youth boy to do it.

Will Michael be able to complete his mission and give the allies a vital boost in the war effort, or will he fail?  The stakes are high with many lives at stake, including his own.

Fans of Alan Gratz's previous books will be drawn in once more with this tale of a boy who seems to be in over his head against a dangerous enemy.  My only real complaint about this book is Michael seems a little flippant in his attitude toward the Nazis in the beginning.  He never says anything out loud, but he also doesn't seem very nervous about them at the beginning of the book either.  That's just a small complaint, and kids will love the book!

Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World

Doreen Green is not like everyone else.  Aside from her unrelenting optimism, she has a five-foot squirrel tail and the comparative power of a squirrel.  Scale all that strength and agility up, and you have a pretty powerful hero.  But Doreen isn't quite a hero yet.  She just moved from California to New Jersey, and she has to keep her squirrel tail hidden inside her stretchy pants.

Her first--and maybe only--friend is Tippy Toe, a squirrel she meets soon after arriving.  She ties a large pink bow around the squirrel's neck cementing their friendship status.

Aside from trying to make new friends and keep up with her math homework, Doreen and her new sort-of friend, Ana Sofia, discuss an increase in crime around the community.  On her way home from babysitting one night, Doreen cleans up an act of vandalism and stops another with the help of her squirrel friends.

Now everyone is talking about Squirrel Girl, and it seems that a giant bushy tail is a pretty good disguise.  No one knows the truth except her parents who know she is awesome but are worried about her safety and Ana Sofia who is getting even more invested in this friendship idea.

Squirrel Scouts are popping up all over town, and Doreen thinks this she might actually be able to pull off the superhero thing, but her antics have also attracted the attention of a local super villain in training.  Now Doreen, her squirrels, the babies, and the whole town are in danger.  Is Squirrel Girl really unbeatable, or will she be out before she even begins?

This is a light and fun offering from Shannon Hale and Dean Hale.  I've read a couple of the comics in the new series by Ryan North, and this is definitely in that vein all the way down to the comedic footnotes sprinkled through the story.  This is a delightful and punny offering for those who like their heroes optimistic and wholesome.  There are humorous text message conversations with various characters from the Marvel universe including several Avengers.

Bonus, Ana Sofia, a super sleuth in her own right, is hearing impaired, and the authors consulted with Cece Bell to get this depiction right.

I have to confess I was predisposed to like this one.  I love Squirrel Girl's optimism and perseverance.  Highly recommended!

Hunted

When Yeva's family loses their fortune in a risky venture, they must leave their home in town and return to the family hunting cottage deep in woods.  Yeva is sorry for the burdens created by this loss, but she is also secretly happy to be able to return to the forest where no one will scold her for hunting and wearing pants instead of dresses.

Her father, once a legendary hunter, becomes obsessed with a beast he has sensed in the forest and tracks the creature relentlessly.  Yeva and her sisters want to believe their father, but there is madness in eyes when he talks of the creature.

When he disappears, Yeva heads out into the heart of the forest to search for him, but she finds her father's terrible beast.  He is simultaneously a large and terrifying wolflike creature and all too human.

She becomes his prisoner in an ancient castle hidden deep in the forest.  Once the beast realizes no one is coming to rescue Yeva, he begins training her for a mission she does not understand, but the training helps her to see beyond the outer edges of the world and into the magic that lies just beneath the surface.

Meagan Spooner's new novel is a different version of Beauty and the Beast steeped in Russian folklore with a Beauty whose hunting skills make her almost as deadly as the beast.  While the ending of the story won't be a surprise to fans of the fairy tale, the journey to get to there is a thoughtful one that explores some previously ignored aspects of the story.  Highly recommended for ages 13 and up.

Short

Julia refuses to use the "S" word.  She may be tiny compared to everyone else in her class, but she is tired of being called short.  When her mother decides Julia and her little brother Randy should audition for local community college production of The Wizard of Oz, Julia isn't thrilled.  She has plans for the summer, and signing up to be a Munchkin just seems to reinforce all the short stereotypes.

But Julia doesn't do things halfway, and she and Randy both win parts in the play.  At the first rehearsal Julia's perspective starts to change.  In addition to all the kids, there are also three little people playing Munchkins, and Julia is instantly star-struck by the short, but confident Olive.

It doesn't take long for Julia to fall in love with the entire idea of theater, and their director, Sean Barr, who's flown in specifically for the performance quickly becomes an inspiration.  His passion for the play is the first thing that has distracted her from the death of her beloved dog, Ramon.

Holly Goldberg Sloan has written another winner, but this one is surprisingly lighthearted.  Julia's desire to be with the adults in the performance becomes all consuming, and her observations about them are sometimes hilariously off-base and sometimes surprisingly accurate.  This is the summer when Julia realizes that people are more than they appear and that the world is a truly magical place.  Highly recommended!

Poison's Kiss

Marinda's life belongs to the raja.  As a visha kanya, she was dosed with snake venom as a small child until her body was so full of poison that her kiss became deadly.

Now she is an assassin.  She asks no questions.  She doesn't get to know her targets.  She just shows up at the prearranged meeting place and delivers a kiss.  Hours later, the victim will writhe in agony and then die.

She hates this life, and she would have run away years ago if it weren't for her little brother Mani.  Her handler has the medicine that will keep him alive, so Marinda continues to kill.

Everything changes when, for the first time, her target is someone she knows.  She's only met Deven a couple of times, but when the moment arrives, she can't go through with it.  This small act of defiance puts her and Mani in terrible danger.

In her efforts to save Deven and Mani, Marinda begins to unravel the lies that have controlled her since she was a toddler, and for the first time she discovers the strength to strike back.

I have mixed feelings about this book from first time author, Breeana Shields.  Despite a rough beginning, the book had great pacing with compelling action.  The relationship between Marinda and her counterpart, Iyla, has great tension and adds a nice layer to the story.  My main issue is the insta-love, and it truly is instant.  These two are embracing and comforting each other within five minutes of meeting, and it's difficult to believe Marinda would put her brother's life at risk for someone she barely knows.  Additionally, Shields lets her lovers take the easy way out on the issue of Deven's brother (I don't want to be too spoilery).  Fans of fantasy romance steeped in mythology will likely overlook the shortcomings and enjoy the book.

Last Day on Mars

Enemy alien agents, sabotage, and a ticking clock on total annihilation are all waiting for Liam in Last Day on Mars!

The sun is expanding, and by 2213 it has already engulfed the earth.  Humanity had to overcome their petty differences and find a way to live on Mars or die, but Mars won't be safe for much longer either.

After a few decades on Mars, scientists have discovered a potential new home, Aaru 5.  They will need to do some terraforming and atmosphere manipulation to make things really habitable, but it's the only option.  Almost everyone is already gone, headed out into the unknown in vast Starliners that can transport 100 million people.  They will be in stasis for most of the journey, so it will only feel like a few months even though it will be hundreds of years.

Liam and his family are on the last Starliner because his parents are part of the research team working on a cloud-seeding problem for Aaru, and they are working feverishly to complete the project before Red Line, the moment when increasing solar storms will make Mars uninhabitable.

Liam and his best friend Phoebe, whose parents are working on the same project have mixed feelings about leaving Mars.  They are excited about the new adventure, but they've never known life on earth.  Mars is home.

It's the last day on Mars, and Phoebe and Liam have the opportunity for a last minute adventure.  They make a startling discovery.  After all the research into finding a new home there has been no evidence of intelligent alien life, but now they have found exactly that and practically their own back yard!

Kevin Emerson's new book is thrilling science fiction perfect for middle school.  Full of adventure, danger, and shocking reveals, this is a great series opener, and I'm only disappointed that I have to wait for book two.  Highly recommended!

The Reader

Sefia and her Aunt Nin have been on the run since her father was murdered when she was a little girl.  Now, Nin has been kidnapped by the people who may be behind her father's murder, and Sefia will stop at nothing to save her.

All Sefia has to remember her parents is a strange object.  She's never seen anything like it, but she has been carrying it all these years without really examining it.  Now that Nin has been kidnapped, she risks pulling it out.  It is full of paper with strange markings.  Everyone in Kalanna is illiterate, so it takes Sefia a while to realize the symbols are letters that form words.

Along the way, she meets a similar group of men traveling with a crate marked with a symbol she remembers from her childhood.  Inside the crate is a boy who is a little older than Sefia and covered in filth, but he soon proves himself to be an extraordinary fighter, even if he doesn't seem to enjoy it.  He is unable or unwilling to speak, so Sefia names him Archer.

On their journey, they read from the book about a group of outlaws who sail the seas in search of adventure.  In a moment of desperation, the meet these characters in real life and realize there is more the book than they every could have imagined.

Traci Chee's series opener has received a lot of buzz, so I was excited to read it.  Maybe it was because it was so hyped that I found it a little disappointing.  It was a struggle at times to keep my focus.  It was good but not my favorite.

The Evil Wizard Smallbone

When Nick finally runs away from his abusive uncle and bullying cousin, he nearly dies in the snow.  He is saved when he finds Evil Wizard Books and its proprietor, the Evil Wizard Smallbone.  Smallbone decides to take Nick on as an apprentice rather than leaving him to freeze to death.

Nick's apprenticeship consists mainly of cooking and cleaning, and when he doesn't perform adequately, he might get transformed into a spider.  The wizard believes Nick is illiterate, but the bookstore has a mind of its own and gives Nick books and spells he needs to perform his duties in his new home.

Meanwhile, Smallbone Cove is under threat of invading were-coyotes under the direction of the ancient and evil loup-garou, Fidelou.  The wards set up to protect the town hundreds of years ago are failing, and Smallbone and his apprentice will have to figure out how to restore them or see the village destroyed.

No one is quite what they seem in Delia Sherman's delightful story of magic and shape-shifting.  Nick will have to learn how to see the truth about the people in his new life and to recognize his own strengths, as well.

There is plenty to enjoy here for fantasy fans with multiple kinds of shape-shifting including the loup-garou and selkies.  Sherman's sense of wordplay also makes this a charming read.  I found myself longing for more "jeezly" dialogue from Smallbone to relish!

The Best Man

Twelve-year-old Archer's story is bookended by two weddings.  He was six for the first one, and an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction keeps that day at the top of his list of most embarrassing moments, but it was also the day he met, Lynette.  She may or may not be his best friend, but she is definitely his bossiest friend.

When a new student teacher shows up at the end of fifth grade fresh from National Guard duty and in uniform, Archer's class, the town, and most of the midwest loses their collective minds.  Mr. McLeod is movie-star handsome, and he knows all kinds of amazing things.  He quickly becomes the star of the school and one of Archer's heroes.

Archer may be a little slower to pick up on details than other kids in his class, but the following summer he makes two discoveries; his Uncle Paul is gay, and he's dating Mr. McLeod!

Richard Peck's new book is hilarious.  I can't remember the last time I laughed out loud so much while reading a book.  But it's also a story about male role models from Archer's grandfather, the once great architect whose been hindered by a stroke to his goofy and loving father to his Uncle Paul who is smooth and sophisticated with an awesome job and now Mr. McLeod.  Peck presents all this without getting too mushy and emotional.  This one is already a hit with my students!

The Secret Keepers

Reuben's mom has been working two jobs to make ends meet in their run-down neighborhood.  It's summer, so Reuben spends his days exploring the often abandoned buildings in the neighborhood and avoiding The Directions.

The Directions are gangs of enforcers who roam the city collecting money and enforcing the will of their employer, The Smoke.  No one has ever seen him, but he rules New Umbra with an iron fist.

One day while Reuben is exploring, he climbs to a precarious location and makes a discovery that will change his life.  He finds an ancient watch with mysterious origins, and he hopes to sell it to help out his mom.

He soon discovers that the watch isn't just old, it also has the power to turn it's user invisible, and The Smoke wants the watch for himself.

With the help of an elderly watchmaker and some new friends, Reuben uncovers the truth about the watch's origins and sets out to keep it's incredible power of the hands The Smoke and his henchmen.

Trenton Lee Stewart's new book is an adventure much in the vein of The Mysterious Benedict Society series.  Fans will not be disappointed!

Dive!

Deborah Hopkinson's newest book is about submarines and the men who called them home during WWII.  I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did, but Hopkinson does a great job of taking this vast subject that is part of an even more vast story and making it personal.

The book starts with the bombing of Pearl Harbor and quickly moves ahead to the beginning of submarine warfare.  She makes the story engaging by focusing on specific submarines and men, like Mush Morton who took command of the Wahoo after a skipper who had been trained the WWI reconnaissance style of submarining.  The new captain led his crew with gusto and bravado while sinking numerous Japanese ships.

Hopkinson also includes humanizing stories, like the stowaway dog and the importance of the ice cream machine.  She does such a great job that the reader feels the loss when some of the profiled men are lost in battle.

I would recommend this book for war buffs in particular but also to anyone who likes a good high stakes adventure!

The Warden's Daughter

Twelve-year-old Cammie O'Reilly lives in an apartment adjacent to the prison in Two Mills, Pennsylvania.  Her father is the warden, and she is known affectionately to the female inmates as Little Warden.

Cammie's mother died saving her daughter when Cammie was just a baby.  She doesn't remember her mother at all, but everyone in town knows who she is.  Cammie carries a well of anger over her lost mother that she doesn't quite understand.

It's the summer of 1959, and Cammie is determined to find someone to fill the mother void in her life, and she has settled on Eloda Pupko, the prison trustee granted the job of housekeeper and Cammie-sitter. Eloda is all business, but that doesn't deter Cammie.

Though Cammie is a tomboy, her best friend Reggie looks much older than she really is and has a longing for fame.  She has another friend in Boo Boo, a black inmate who adopts the sad little girl.

The summer will bring friendship, fights, fame, and a murderer, but will Cammie find a mother? Jerry Spinelli's new book was good but not great for me.  I'm trying to put my finger on the problem, and I think it's the plot device of Cammie telling the story as an adult.  I think it would have benefitted from a sense of immediacy.

Furthermore

Twelve-year-old Alice Queensmeadow was born without color in a land where color is everything.  It's not just that the people of Ferenwood have lovely skin and bright hair.  Magic in Ferenwood comes from color, and Alice feels like an outsider.  Her father was the only person she truly felt connected to, but he disappeared five years ago.

When her former enemy, Oliver, shows up one day asking for her help, Alice would rather punch him, but Oliver has been tasked with finding her father, and he needs her help.  She reluctantly agrees, and they set off on an adventure in Furthermore, a land with strange rules and even stranger eating habits.

While Furthermore may look delightful, it is the most dangerous place Alice has ever been.  She and Oliver will have to overcome their past and truly learn to trust each other or the quest will end in disaster.

Tahereh Mafi's newest book is filled with characters and adventures in an all new wonderland for her Alice.  There are sunshowers, living origami foxes, and cannibals.  All this sounds great, but the story really got bogged down in the details and an overabundance of whimsy.  Still, I think there are plenty of kids who would enjoy it, especially fans of the original Alice's adventures.

Dragons Vs. Drones

Marcus has been living with his dad's best friend since the night his CIA agent dad disappeared and was branded a traitor by the US government.  He has spent the time since then looking for a way to find his father and building his own drone to assist in the search.

Dree is the poor daughter of a former dragon rider who never passes a day without feeling guilty about the fire that killed her little brother.  She works in a blacksmith shop, and she's really good even though she is small.  No one knows the secret of her work is the burning magical heat that lives inside her.

One night Marcus rides into an intense storm that he believes will lead him to his father.  What he finds is a gateway to another world.  But a couple of drones follow him through the gateway and begin attacking Dracone.  Now Marcus and Dree will have to work together to save Dracone and its inhabitants--the humans and the dragons.

I have mixed feelings about this new book by Wesley King.  I think it will definitely appeal to a large number of kinds, and the concept is interesting, but there are several flaws that really hampered my enjoyment of the story.  First, Marcus must have magical batteries for his cell phone and laptop because they keep working for days of steady use before he even considers trying to find a way to charge them.  Second, it is difficult to believe that a normal 12-year-old can just hack into a drone and reprogram it.  Yes, he does have to keep reworking it, but I know a lot of 12-year-olds, and most of them wouldn't even know where to start.  Also, the real villain doesn't appear until the last ten pages of the book, and he is about as well developed as a cartoon character with a mustache to twirl.

That said, I still think kids will read this book and look forward to the sequel.  It has plenty of action, including some death-defying drops, lots of explosions, and both protagonists have secrets they are determined to keep.

Scythe

In the future, humanity has cured death.  Nothing is fatal anymore--not aging, disease, or even freak accidents.  But if no one ever dies, and we continue having children, the population grows exponentially.  Thus the order of Scythes is born.  Every country in the world has scythes, and it is their duty to determine who will die and the method of the death.  If you are gleaned by a scythe, you are truly dead.  There will recovery.

Citra and Rowan have been chosen to train as apprentices.  The idea spending an eternity as a killer is distasteful to both of them, but their families will be granted immunity from gleaning during the apprenticeship, and that is a large inducement.

As they set out to learn the killing arts from Scythe Faraday, they learn his method of gleaning using statistics and compassion, but as they enter the world of the Scythedom, they also find a world of politics and machinations.  It's a dangerous world they've entered, and it seems unlikely that they can both survive.

This is another masterfully told story by one of my favorite authors.  In the hands of Neal Shusterman, what could have just been a gory power play becomes a nuanced story about corruption, mortality, and the meaning of life.  I can't wait for the next book!

Framed!: A T.O.A.S.T. Mystery

Florian Bates is once again the new kid in town.  This time the Bates family has moved to Washington D.C.  Florian has been dreading the first day of school.  He's a little too smart, socially awkward, and short.  But maybe things in D.C. will be different.  He neighbor, Margaret, doesn't think he's weird!

In fact, she thinks T.O.A.S.T. is cool and wants to learn about it.  T.O.A.S.T. is the Theory of All Small Things.  It's a system Florian uses to examine the details to figure out the big picture each time he moves.

At first, they are just using T.O.A.S.T. as a game to figure out everything they can about random people and houses, but when millions of dollars of art is stolen from the museum where Florian's parents work, they may be the only ones who can solve the crime.

I really hope the subtitle on this book means there will be more in the series because this was a fun and engaging mystery.  My kids already love James Ponti's Dead City series, and I'm sure my mystery fans will love this one, too.  A great pick for middle grade mystery fans!