ALVIN HO: ALLERGIC TO GIRLS, SCHOOL, AND OTHER SCARY THINGS by Lenore Look
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Alvin Ho’s first day of second grade confirms his fears: he is still allergic to school. Since the first day of kindergarten, he hasn’t been able to speak a word at school, and second grade will be no different. Even worse, his desk buddy is once again Flea, who—despite having an eye patch and stiff leg that makes her look like a pirate—is a girl and therefore an undesirable desk buddy. But through many misadventures involving chicken pox, Shakespearean curse words, and Johnny Astro, Alvin struggles to make friends and avoid scary situations—which for Alvin, means practically everything.
The Alvin Ho series is funny, realistic fiction for readers who have transitioned from Easy Reader books to chapter books. The sense of humor and cartoon drawings may appeal to kids who enjoy the Junie B. Jones books and the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books—particularly readers who are not experienced enough readers to tackle DWK on their own. I would recommend Alvin Ho to first through third grade readers who enjoy humor and/or realistic fiction.
ELLA ENCHANTED by Gail Carson Levine
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When Ella was a baby, a misguided fairy bestowed on her the “gift” of obedience; whenever anyone gives her a direct order, she must obey. Although the fairy’s curse presents certain challenges, growing up at home with her mother and her beloved fairy godmother (and cook), Mandy, Ella has never been ordered to do anything too dangerous. But when her mother dies, and her father decides to send her to finishing school, Ella’s world is turned upside down. Two spiteful girls discern her secret and begin to use her obedience against her. Through the terrors of finishing school, Dame Olga’s daughters, and run-ins with dangerous ogres, the only things that keep her spirits high are her friendship with Prince Char and the hope that one day she may be able to break her curse.
I just reread this childhood favorite, and it is just as funny and delightful now as it was when I was nine. Levine’s story is a brilliant spin-off of the Cinderella tale with fascinating, deep characters. You cannot help but fall in love with Ella, Char, and Mandy—for all of their goodness and their flaws. Although the reading level is appropriate for elementary schoolers (and the fractured fairytale will surely appeal to young readers), I would not hesitate to recommend this novel to teens as well. Ella and Char’s friendship and romance is sweet, funny, exciting, and full of love and self-sacrifice. I cannot recommend it highly enough to readers who enjoy fantasy and/or fractured fairytales! And now I really want to go home and slide down the banisters. . . .
THE NAME OF THE STAR by Maureen Johnson
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After growing up in a small town in southern Louisiana, Rory is excited to spend her senior year of high school studying abroad in London. It is a big change—living in a new culture with a strange academic system and attending a boarding school where you are stuck living with everyone in your class, whether you like them or not. But Rory gradually finds good friends in Jazza and Jerome, and her life settles into a comfortable rhythm. That is, until Jack the Ripper shows up. The murders occur on the anniversaries of Jack the Ripper’s infamous attacks, and they mimic his style exactly. But no one can see the murderer—not even on camera—except Rory. Now her life is turned upside down as she has to figure out who the Ripper is, how she can see him, and most importantly, whether she and her friends are in danger.
What begins as a simple, realistic fiction about girls at boarding school ends a suspenseful supernatural thriller. Starting about halfway through, I couldn’t put it down! As usual, Maureen Johnson was spot on in her portrayal of teen relationship angst and dorm-life drama. And her descriptions of Rory’s life in England took me back to my days of studying abroad in the UK. This book was right up my alley—a fast-paced, character driven, fantasy-but-almost-sci-fi murder mystery. I highly recommend it to teens who enjoy books in any of these genres!
ELIJAH OF BUXTON by Christopher Paul Curtis
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Elijah was the first free Black child born in the Canadian town of Buxton. His parents—as well as most of the adults in his town—were once enslaved in the United States who escaped to freedom in Canada. For Elijah and his friends, ringing the freedom bell when a new escapee arrives in Buxton is always exciting, but the true meaning of freedom becomes more real as Elijah grows toward adulthood and has some dangerous adventures of his own.
By exploring the history of slavery through the characters of a free town, Christopher Paul Curtis captures the utter joy of freedom in a rare and beautiful way. Even with enslavement such a recent and raw memory in his community, growing up in a free town, Elijah (like most of his readers) is somewhat naive and ignorant of what a captive life really feels like. This novel is Elijah’s coming-of-age story by which he comes to understand and appreciate more fully his family’s and community’s history. And through his story, the reader will come to experience the same. Curtis does not shy away from the horrors of slavery nor does he rely on violence and drama to propel his plot. I highly recommend this novel to middle grade readers who want to read some really good, character-driven historical fiction.
MRS. FRISBY AND THE RATS OF NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien
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The first time Timothy fell ill, he had been a tiny mouseling and Jonathan Frisby had still been alive. But when Timothy falls ill with pneumonia, the widowed Mrs. Frisby must care for Timothy all on her own. The doctor mouse, Mr. Ages, advises Timothy to stay in bed for at least another month. Unfortunately, the Spring comes early and the Frisbys will be forced to move out of their home in the field before the farmer begins to plow. Fearing that the move will kill Timothy, Mrs. Frisby is prepared to take drastic measures to find a solution to her problem–even if it means visiting the wise old owl in his lair in the forest. But the meeting with the bird of prey is nothing like Mrs. Frisby expected. Although the owl is initially unwilling to help her, as soon as he learns her husband’s name, his demeanor changes. He advises her to visit the colony of rats living in the rosebush and to tell them her husband’s name. Confused, Mrs. Frisby does as the owl says. What she finds behind the rosebush is beyond anything she has ever dreamed, and she quickly learns that the rats of Nimh are no ordinary rats–and Jonathan Frisby was no ordinary mouse.
It is clear why this book has remained so popular for so long. The winner of the 1972 Newbery Medal is a brilliantly imagined book with an intricate and creative animal world and a thread of mystery and suspense that keeps the reader engaged to the very end. Through the actions of Mrs. Frisby’s family and the rats of Nimh, O’Brien illustrates the value of love, friendship, and self-sacrifice. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy animal stories, the inventors/scientists/gadgets side of science fiction, and stories where strong but ordinary characters act heroically.
If you liked Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, you might like Mousenet, I, Freddy, Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat, and Babe: the Gallant Pig.
WOLF BROTHER by Michelle Paver
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Torak can remember the exact moment that his life changed. He and Fa had been setting up camp, happy and laughing, when the bear exploded from the forest—the great demon bear that no hunter could destroy—and attacked Fa. Numb with shock and grief, Torak swears to Fa’s dying request. He will find the mountain of the World Spirit that no man has ever seen. He will trust the guide that the spirits send him, whoever or whatever it may be. And he will stay away from the clans, avoiding people at all costs, so that they do not hinder him. He will fulfill his quest or die trying.
The guide is certainly not what Torak expected. Almost as soon as Torak finds the orphaned wolf cub, he feels a connection between them. Though he does not know how, Torak can communicate with the wolf, understanding his wolf speech and speaking back with grunts, whines, and growls. Realizing that the wolf must be his guide, Torak follows the cub through the forest, hoping that the young wolf will lead him to the mountain of the World Spirit. But Torak forgets his father’s hunting advice—“Look behind you, Torak”—and before his quest is fully underway, he is captured by hunters from the Raven clan. Yet if he had not been captured, he never would have met Renn, learned about the prophecy, or discovered the secrets of his father’s past and the demon bear. Now, Torak is more determined than ever to find the mountain of the World Spirit—but first he must escape the clutches of the Ravens. . . .
I cannot recommend this audiobook highly enough! Sir Ian McKellen’s narration is phenomenal. The story itself is dark, suspenseful, and very exciting. It has all of the story elements you could ask for: action, mystery, complex and evolving characters, friendships and rivalries, puzzles to solve, and evil to defeat. I especially recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical fiction and/or high fantasy and to dog lovers. Wolf Brother is the first in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series.
If you liked Wolf Brother, you might like The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins, Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner, Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George, or Dreamwood by Heather Mackey.
EMMY AND THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING RAT by Lynne Jonell
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Emmy used to be happy, back when people noticed her, before her parents got rich and forgot she existed, traveling sometimes for months at a time and leaving Emmy with her terrible new nanny, Miss Barmy. Now the students in her class seem to look right through her; her teacher can’t even remember her name. In fact, the only creature who notices Emmy is her class pet rat–and for some reason, Emmy can hear him speak. One day, in a fit of rebelliousness, Emmy sets her rat free and decides to skip her gymnastics class and explore her town instead. That is how she happens upon Professor Vole’s rodent shop and sees Miss Barmy place a mysterious, secret order for rodents. What’s more, she finds a caged rat in the shop that is identical to the rat she set free. And the twin rat, along with all of the other rodents, are labeled with strange special powers. Sure that something sinister is happening, Emmy is determined to find out the secret of the rats and to stop Miss Barmy and Professor Vole from whatever evil they might be plotting. Unfortunately, Miss Barmy is on to her and it will take all of Emmy’s cleverness–and a lot of help from her friends Joe and the Rat–to solve the mystery before it’s too late.
This book is a fun, silly, and suspenseful story. It has plenty of mystery and intrigue to keep you turning pages, as long as you have a taste for the absurd and unbelievable. Personally, I enjoyed it and would recommend it to middle grade readers who like fantasy set in the real world.
If you liked Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat ,you might also like Mousenet and Whales on Stilts.
THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY by Susan Patron
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Because of her job cleaning up after the various “anonymous” meetings in her tiny California town, Lucky gets to hear a lot about how the alcoholics and smokers and gamblers hit “rock bottom” and found their Higher Power. Unfortunately, they never share the specifics of exactly how they found their Higher Power. Still, while she deals with her sadness over her mother’s death, her fears that her Guardian, Brigitte, will leave her, and her dreams of becoming a World Famous Scientist, Lucky is determined to find a Higher Power of her own.
Winner of the 2007 Newbery Award, The Higher Power of Lucky is a quirky, heart-warming coming-of-age story that focuses on themes of family and community. Although it is a slender book, it is intended for a middle grade audience.
If you liked The Higher Power of Lucky, you might like Rebel McKenzie by Candice Ransom, Savvy by Ingrid Law, Moon Over Manifest by Claire Vanderpool, and Saffy’s Angel by Hilary McKay.
THE EXTRAORDINARY EDUCATION OF NICHOLAS BENEDICT by Trenton Lee Stewart
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When Nicholas Benedict first arrived at a new orphanage he had high hopes for new friendships and adventures. But when he cleverly outwits some bullies during his first few days, he makes powerful enemies who are determined to make his life miserable. To make matters worse, because of his narcolepsy and night terrors, the head of the orphanage insists on locking him into a private bedroom every night. But Nicholas will not let these challenges keep his spirits down. Fueled by a new friendship with a boy called John and the secret knowledge that a treasure might be hidden somewhere on the orphanage’s grounds, Nicholas Benedict is determined to escape his prison and defeat his bullies once and for all.
If you liked the Mysterious Benedict Society trilogy, you should definitely read this fun prequel! It is full of all of the puzzles, mystery, and suspense of the original series–though falling short of The Mysterious Benedict Society’s cast of quirky characters.
TITANIC: VOICES FROM THE DISASTER by Deborah Hopkinson
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On April 15, 1912, the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg and sank, resulting in the deaths almost 1500 people (over 2/3 of those on board). Deborah Hopkinson brings the Titanic’s tragic story to life by focusing on the stories of individual survivors. Using their memories and words, she reconstructs the narrative of the Titanic from its initial departure to its sinking and the aftermath for the 700 survivors—most of them women and children whose husbands and fathers perished in the wreck. Titanic: Voices From the Disaster is engaging, horrifying, and informative. Although the book is marketed to upper-elementary school-aged children, I highly recommend it to anyone (children, teen, or adult) who is interested in learning more about the Titanic or who enjoys survival stories.
If you liked Titanic: Voices From the Disaster, you might also like Revenge of the Whale.
Susan the Librarian 