Kids
CLOSED FOR THE SEASON by Mary Downing Hahn
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Logan was kind of excited about moving to a new city. He would have a chance to escape his reputation as a nerdy bookworm and start afresh with the popular crowd. The minute he moves in, however, his hopes begin to sink. For one thing, the house his family is moving into is in a horrible state of disrepair. For another, waiting to meet him is his new next door neighbor, a very friendly and pushy boy named Arthur who seems to be exactly the type of nerdy bookworm that Logan wants to avoid. But when Arthur announces that a woman was murdered in Logan’s new house, Logan’s previous worries are quickly overshadowed as he gets swept up in a macabre and potentially dangerous mystery. As the clues keep leading to a creepy old run-down amusement park and a possible hidden treasure that pits the young amateur sleuths against despicable, violent thugs, Logan wonders if he has the courage to see the case through to its conclusion.
Although different from Mary Downing Hahn’s usual ghost stories, Closed for the Season has plenty of creepy scenes and suspense to entertain middle grade readers who enjoy thrillers and mysteries. The mystery unfolded fairly predictably, but suspense was built up in the setting of the scenes and the crafting of villains who were neck in neck with the heroes in their race to uncover the secret. I enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to mystery readers in grades 4-6.
MAGIC PICKLE by Scott Morse
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In a secret underground lab, a scientist’s experimentation with kitchen vegetables resulted in the birth of a highly skilled, superhuman government agent known as “Weapon Kosher.” And yes, he is actually a pickle. For years, Weapon Kosher has been dormant in Dr. Jekyll Formaldahyde’s laboratory–which happens to be underneath Jo Jo’s bedroom. Now the Brotherhood of Evil Vegetables is causing havoc in the outside world and only Weapon Kosher (or “Magic Pickle,” as Jo Jo likes to call him) can stand in their way.
While not a stunning literary achievement, the Magic Pickle series has its funny moments. It will likely appeal most to readers in grades 2-4 who like silly science fiction stories. Read-alikes include the Dragonbreath series, Zombiekins by Kevin Bolger, Whales on Stilts, the Lunch Lady series, and Captain Underpants. Readers who enjoyed the Magic Pickle books and are ready to move up to thicker, more challenging novels may like Michael Buckley’s N.E.R.D.S. series.
THE CHAMELEON WORE CHARTREUSE by Bruce Hale
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Chet Gecko is a fourth grade private eye. He is also a lizard. When a dame with a sob-story about a missing little brother corners him after class, he knows he’ll have to take the case. With the help of Natalie, the mockingbird, Chet Gecko follows a trail of clues that lead him closer and closer to the missing kid and the sixth grade Gila Monster who may be behind the disappearance. If only his teachers didn’t keep getting in the way . . .
Chet Gecko narrates his story in a style worthy of the best film noir voice-over. With clues, twists, and a touch of danger, this series is sure to win the affections of elementary school readers who enjoy humorous detective stories. Third and fourth graders who liked the Nate the Great series as beginning readers should definitely check out Chet Gecko. He’s quite a character.
If you liked the Chet Gecko mysteries, you might like “Who Could That Be At This Hour?” by Lemony Snicket and Half Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer.
CHARMED LIFE by Diana Wynne Jones
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Cat has always been a kind and quiet boy with few special talents—quite unlike his older sister Gwendolyn, the self-centered, bossy, young witch. In the tragic boating accident that claimed the lives of their parents, Cat survived only by clinging to Gwendolyn. With nowhere else to go, the two children are sent off to live with their powerful enchanter relative, the Chrestomanci. Gwendolyn hopes that Chrestomanci will train her in magic, but he seems unimpressed with her talents. Insulted and greedy for power, Gwendolyn flees to another dimension where she hopes to rule as queen; as a result, her counterpart from that alternate world, Janet, gets stuck at Chrestomanci castle. As Cat and Janet try to cover up Gwendolyn’s escape by pretending that Janet is Gwendolyn, Cat begins to realize that there is something odd about his sister’s powers—and he may not be as talentless as he seems.
Charmed Life begins a classic fantasy series that is often overlooked in the post-Potter world of children’s literature. But readers who enjoy Harry Potter, Charlie Bone, Septimus Heap, and other similar fantasy series should definitely check out the Chrestomanci books. Diana Wynne Jones builds an intricate and fascinating collection of fantasy worlds filled with cool magic and intriguing characters. I highly recommend this series.
If you liked Charmed Life, you should check out The Secret of Platform 13 and other fantasy novels by Eva Ibbotson, Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, and Magyk by Angie Sage.
WAIT TILL HELEN COMES by Mary Downing Hahn
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Molly genuinely wants to be friends with her stepsister, Heather. When the whole family moves out to an isolated home in the country, Molly hopes that she and her new little sister will be able to do things together–or at least get along. But Heather is spoiled and self-absorbed and shows no interest in getting along with Molly or her brother, Michael. In fact, she seems determined to get them in trouble with their mother and stepfather whenever possible. As they get settled into their new house, however, Heather’s torments become more sinister. She begins threatening Molly with an imaginary friend called Helen, and Molly begins to suspect that Helen is not as imaginary as her parents believe. With her parents blaming her for the destruction that Helen causes, it is all up to Molly to figure out who or what Helen is and to protect Heather from her new “friend.”
Mary Downing Hahn has written some great ghost stories for children. Wait Till Helen Comes is one of my favorites. It is scary and suspenseful without relying on the shock value of grotesque content. Elementary and middle grade readers who enjoy ghost stories should definitely check this one out!
If you liked Wait Till Helen Comes, you might like The Seer of Shadows by Avi.
11 BIRTHDAYS by Wendy Mass
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From birth, Amanda and Leo were destined to be best friends. They were born on the exact same day and for ten years had always celebrated their birthdays together. But at their tenth birthday party, Amanda overheard Leo make a nasty comment about her, and suddenly the idea of sharing another birthday party with Leo seemed repulsive. So for her eleventh birthday, Amanda decides to plan a party on her own. But Leo plans his party for the same day, and all of their friends are forced to choose whose party to attend. And of course Leo’s party is much cooler than Amanda’s. Finally, the terrible day ends and Amanda goes to bed, hoping to forget that her eleventh birthday ever happened. Unfortunately, when she wakes up, she discovers that somehow it is her eleventh birthday again. Everyone else at home and at school seems oblivious to the repetition, acting out their day in the exact same way they did before. The only people aware of the time loop seem to be Amanda and the one person she doesn’t want to be stuck with: Leo. Amanda and Leo are forced to begin rebuilding their friendship as they try to figure out what is going on and how to break out of the endless loop of eleventh birthdays.
This book has some fantasy elements, in terms of the time loop (reminiscent of the film Groundhog Day), but it mostly focuses on friendship and forgiveness. The characters and their situations are easy to relate to, though it will likely appeal to girls more than boys, as Amanda is our narrator. I would recommend this story to middle grade readers who enjoy realistic fiction about school and friendship.
THE SISTERS GRIMM by Michael Buckley
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Ever since their parents disappeared, Sabrina and Daphne have been shuffled around from foster home to foster home. All of their new homes have been terrible by Sabrina’s standards, and she has grown quite skilled at escaping from them. When an old lady claiming to be their grandmother, “Relda Grimm,” summons the girls to live with her, Sabrina starts planning an escape before they even arrive in Ferryport Landing. Their father always told them their grandmother was dead, so the old lady must be either crazy or evil, and either way, Sabrina and Daphne will need to escape. Once they meet the old lady, however, it becomes clear that “crazy” is the more appropriate adjective. Not only does she believe that she is the girls’ grandmother, she also seems to believe that all of the Grimm brothers’ fairy tales are historical fact, and that the fairy tale creatures still live magical lives in Ferryport Landing! Young Daphne seems to believe the old lady’s stories, but Sabrina knows better. Her perspective changes, however, when Granny Relda is abducted by an actual, real, live giant. Unable to ignore the fairy tale reality any longer, Sabrina and Daphne prepare to take up the Grimm legacy as fairy tale detectives. Their first mission: to rescue their grandmother from the clutches of the giant.
The Sisters Grimm is the first book in a series of fairy tale detective stories. The books are very humorous, and the modern imaginings of the fairy tale characters are a lot of fun. The stories are heavier on the fantasy action than the detective work, but there are a fair number of clues to unravel throughout. I recommend The Sisters Grimm to upper-elementary readers who enjoy humorous fantasy stories.
If you liked The Sisters Grimm, you might like Fablehaven by Brandon Mull.
A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeleine L’Engle
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Meg tends to get into trouble at school. She’s very stubborn and quick-tempered, and although she’s brilliant at math, she can’t seem to complete the work the way her teachers want her to. Most of the fights she gets into with her peers revolve around defending her little brother Charles Wallace from accusations of being stupid or different–and around defending her firm belief that her father is coming back. Although he’s been gone for years on a secret mission for the government and they’ve had no contact, Meg, her brilliant scientist mother, and Charles Wallace (who is, in fact, the most brilliant of them all) are convinced that he is coming back. But what Meg does not expect is that one stormy night, three mysterious old women will whisk her, Charles Wallace, and their neighbor Calvin off the face of the Earth, to some distant planet where their father has been fighting an evil darkness that threatens to engulf the universe. Now, her father is imprisoned, and it is up to the three children to rescue him before the darkness overwhelms his soul.
This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of this classic children’s book’s release. A Wrinkle in Time is not just a great sci-fi novel. It explores themes of love and family, the balance between independence and relying on a parent, and the coexistence of courage and fear. This is a great coming-of-age novel that starts a fantastic sci-fi series. I highly recommend it to children and to teens!
If you like the eccentric characters, check out Saffy’s Angel and The Westing Game.
THE SECRET OF PLATFORM 13 by Eva Ibbotson
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London’s King’s Cross Station has many secrets, but its best kept secret lies behind Platform 13: a magical entrance to another world that only opens for nine days once every nine years. The last time the portal opened, the baby Prince of the magical Island was kidnapped by a wicked, selfish woman called Mrs. Trottle who was unable to have children of her own. The portal closed before the Prince could be rescued. Now, nine years later, a group of unlikely heroes (a giant, a wizard, a fey, and a young hag named Odge) travel into the human world to find the young Prince and bring him home. Odge and her companions are quite optimistic about their chances of returning with the Prince, but when they find “Raymond Trottle,” they are dismayed to discover that he is a spoiled, rotten, horrible boy and not the sort of prince they want at all. Still, for the sake of the King and the Queen, they are determined to bring him home, and so they enlist the help of a servant boy, Ben, as they try to convince Raymond to return to their magic world.
The Secret of Platform 13 is a wonderfully written magical tale that elementary-age fantasy readers will definitely enjoy. It is one of my favorite fantasy books for that age group. Read-alikes include most other books by Eva Ibbotson (Dial-a-Ghost, Island of the Aunts, etc.), books by Roald Dahl (Matilda, The Witches, The Twits, etc.), the early Harry Potters (1-3), The Real Boy by Anne Ursu, Magyk by Angie Sage, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, and Diana Wynne Jones’ Chrestomanci books (Charmed Life, The Lives of Christopher Chant, etc.).
MOON OVER MANIFEST by Clare Vanderpool
Abilene and her father Gideon have always been together, even when times were tough and Gideon couldn’t find work. But the summer of 1936, Gideon sends Abilene away on a train to the town of Manifest, Kansas, where he says an old friend Shady will take care of her. Knowing (or perhaps hoping) that Gideon will come and collect her at the end of the summer, Abilene tries hard not to grow attached to Manifest. But as she tries to search for her father’s footprint in the town, she stumbles upon a story of the town’s past that is too fascinating and mysterious to ignore–a story of con men, war, immigrant cultures, and spy from the Great War (the Rattler) who just might still be around the town. Abilene and her friends try to piece together the past from a box of old letters and keepsakes, the town’s newspaper archive, and an old gypsy woman’s oral history. Every day they seem to get closer to the Rattler’s true identity. And although Abilene can’t figure out why Gideon never shows up any of the old stories, she is determined to find him somewhere in the town’s past.
Moon Over Manifest isn’t another one of those depressing Newbery winners about grief and loss. It is a beautiful story of a young girl’s quest to learn more about her father’s past. Set during the great depression, Abilene’s story is an historical fiction within an historical fiction: the focus being on the rich heritage of the town, the stories of the immigrants who settled there, the challenges they faced, and their success in building a town they could all be proud of. Well-researched and full of engaging storytelling, Moon Over Manifest will appeal to historical fiction readers and those who like triumphant stories of the success of underdogs. I highly recommend it!
Susan the Librarian 