Month: July 2012
FABLEHAVEN by Brandon Mull
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Kendra and Seth are dreading spending two weeks with their Grandpa and Grandma Sorenson. First, their trip was prompted by the death of both of their maternal grandparents who requested in their will that all of their children (including Kendra and Seth’s parents) use their inheritance to take a long vacation. Second, although Kendra and Seth were very close to their grandparents who passed away, they hardly know the Sorensons at all. They’ve never been to visit, and every time their grandparents visit them, there is something distant and mysterious about them. When they arrive at the farm, their grandmother is missing, and their grandfather immediately lectures them with bizarre rules and forbidden areas of the property. But when Seth begins exploring out of bounds and Kendra finds some keys and a mysterious diary hidden in the attic, they discover that there are more secrets on Grandpa Sorenson’s farm than they ever could have imagined. Suddenly plunged into a world of fairies, witches, naiads, and other fantastical creatures, Seth and Kendra quickly learn that even a small act of carelessness could plunge their entire family into mortal danger.
The Fablehaven series is sure to be popular with fantasy lovers. While much of the first book is devoted to establishing the characters, the fantasy world, and the future conflict, the action picks up toward the end of the novel and leaves you hanging with the promise of sequels. The adventure continues in Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star. There are five books in the series.
If you liked Fablehaven, you might like The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley or Dreamwood by Heather Mackey. Teen readers who liked Fablehaven and enjoy dark fantasy might enjoy Reckless by Cornelia Funke.
SMILE by Raina Telgemeier
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Raina was already dreading getting braces–particularly since correcting her overbite would require her to wear headgear! Even if she only had to wear it at night, it was still a social nightmare. But when she tripped and accidentally knocked out her two front teeth, the nightmare got even worse. Raina had to endure a series of painful operations and start middle school with a set of fake teeth that she was sure everyone would notice. In the format of a graphic novel, Raina tells the story of her experience growing up with braces, as well as dealing with friendship troubles, trying not let her crushes know she likes them (but secretly hoping they’ll find out!), making decisions about her dreams and goals for the future, and trying to keep her self-esteem high despite the metal in her mouth.
This graphic-memoir is a great book for girls who are going into middle school and/or getting braces. It touches on all of the friendship and self-esteem issues that are typical for tween and teen girls and normalizes a lot of the challenges of growing up. Plus, Raina’s story is engaging and fun to read. It will likely appeal to girls who like realistic fiction books like Dork Diaries, Babymouse, Dumped by Popular Demand, or Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf.
If you liked Smile, you might also like El Deafo by CeCe Bell.
INCARCERON by Catherine Fisher
Finn has never known any world except Incarceron. He was born in a cell, with one of the red eyes of the prison staring at him, mocking him. Some prisoners, like his blood brother Keiro, don’t believe that there is a world outside of the prison. But Finn believes, and he is determined to escape–even though the prison itself is alive and determined to stop him. When the violent prison tribe to which Finn belongs kidnaps a woman from a more peaceful tribe, Finn finally has the opportunity to learn something of his past and to gain a crystal key that may somehow unlock the prison. Through the key, he finds that he can communicate with a girl on the outside called Claudia, daughter of the warden of Incarceron. Claudia is betrothed to the heir to the throne in her own world, but she is really just a pawn in a political game between her father and the queen. But when she gets in touch with Finn and realizes that Incarceron is not a utopia as the government claims, she also begins to discover more dark secrets behind the throne. In order to unravel these secrets, Claudia must find a way to rescue Finn from Incarceron before her wedding day arrives.
Somewhere between science fiction and fantasy, Catherine Fisher’s dark dystopia will likely appeal to teens who enjoyed series like The Hunger Games and The Looking Glass Wars. The storytelling is gritty and fast-paced and the world of the prison is intricately imagined. Incarceron is followed by a sequel, Sapphique.
BAD NEWS FOR OUTLAWS: THE REMARKABLE LIFE OF BASS REEVES, DEPUTY U.S. MARSHAL by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
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In the late 1800s, Bass Reeves was one of the most famous lawmen in the Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). Though many gunmen—outlaws and lawmen alike—were known for their ruthlessness and deadly accuracy with a weapon, Bass Reeves was known for his strict sense of justice and duty, and he never killed a man unless he had to. He was both feared and respected by the men and women he arrested, despite the fact that many white men and women in this time period were hesitant to respect African Americans in positions of power.
Bad News for Outlaws tells the story of Bass Reeves’ life and career in the style of a Western. Although in the format of a picture book, this book will be enjoyed most by upper-elementary age readers who enjoy history and tales of the Old West. The book won a Coretta Scott King Book Award in 2010 and appears on the Virginia Reader’s Choice Award list for 2012-2013.
BAD KITTY FOR PRESIDENT by Nick Bruel
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When Old Kitty retires as president of the Neighborhood Cat Club, all of the kitties, from both the Left and the Right sides of the street are vying for his position. After the primaries (a rigorous round of baby-kissing), Kitty is nominated to represent the Right in a fierce contest with the Left’s candidate, Big Kitty. After both Kitty and Big Kitty fail to get an endorsement from Old Kitty, they begin their campaigns in earnest. But will a snazzy website and mudslinging TV ads be enough to win Kitty the election?
Bad Kitty for President is a great read for election year. One of the more educational of the Bad Kitty books, the story includes a fairly detailed description of the election process, including definitions of key election-related terms. And of course, the story is hilarious, narrated as though the author is speaking to the cat, advising and admonishing her as her devious mind comes up with new schemes. I am convinced that all cats are as devious as Bad Kitty. I highly recommend the Bad Kitty series to 3rd-4th grade readers who enjoy humor and/or animal stories.
FRANKIE PICKLE AND THE CLOSET OF DOOM by Eric Wight
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Frankie Piccolini and his trusty dog Argile go on many adventures. They hunt for treasure in the Amazon, fight vicious lava monsters in subterranean caves, and save the world from the onslaught of giant mechanical robots–and they do it all without ever leaving Frankie’s bedroom. But when Mayor Mom gives Frankie a choice–clean your room or deal with The Consequences–Frankie chooses The Consequences and the Pickle Cave quickly turns into a giant bottomless pit of dirty clothes, broken toys, and half-eaten, rotting sandwiches. Although it was glorious at first, Frankie’s mess starts to get in the way of his superhero adventures. Even Argile will no longer enter the Pickle Cave. Will Frankie Pickle have to relent and take care of The Consequences once and for all?
One of 2012-2013’s VSRA Virginia Reader’s Choice Award nominees, Frankie Pickle is a prose/graphic novel hybrid about a boy’s incredible imagination and the adventures of real life. This short and humorous book may appeal to reluctant readers, particularly in grades 3-5. It is the first in a series, followed by Frankie Pickle and the Mathematical Menace and Frankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000.
If you liked Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom, you might like Captain Awesome to the Rescue.
GIANT SQUID: SEARCHING FOR A SEA MONSTER by Mary M. Cerullo and Clyde F.E. Roper
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If you find these real-life sea monsters fascinating, you will definitely want to check out this new non-fiction book. Written for an upper-elementary age audience, Giant Squid shares facts about the giant squid and its biology as well as exploring the history of scientific knowledge about the giant squid and the legends that once grew up around the enormous sea creature. The book has many illustrations and photographs (some of them fantastically gross!) and may appeal to reluctant readers. I highly recommend it!
Susan the Librarian 