| genre | themes | myRating | WebComments | author | bookTitle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiction fantasy | genies djinn Cairo magical power adventure brother sister Egypt twins uncle family | Four Stars | The story continues ... 12 year old twins Philippa and John Gaunt live at number 7 East 77th street in New York continue to learn what it means to be djinn and not human. They learn there are different tribes, wicked such as Ghul, Shaitan, and Ifrit who enjoy tricking people and other nasty things. They find they are of the tribe Marid, a good tribe and must continue the struggle against Akhenaten s ghost and Iblis the leader of the Ifrit. Fast moving exciting adventure. |
P. B. Kerr | Children of the Lamp book two The Blue Djinn of Babylon |
| fantasy fiction | adventure good and evil | Three Stars | The fourth installment, of the saga of Arthur Penhaligon. How could any 12 year old survive a week of this... Wait it has only been four days. If you have read the first three, then you are hooked and this is a must read. | Garth Nix | The Keys to the Kingdom: Sir Thursday |
| fiction | authorship storytelling magic Iowa space time | Four Stars | Oscar found an old book The Book of Story Beginnings locked in his mother s old trunk. He took it, because he liked to write, and wrote a story about a boy who imagined his house was surrounded by a sea and who would sail forth on that sea to adventure. ZAP BAMM BING... many years later. Lucy Martin, her father who was recently not granted tenure as a chemist, and her mother who edits science books and magazines works at home in the apartment where they live. Aunt Lavonne died and gave them her home in Onawa, Iowa. Where mom wants to move becasue it is cheaper and father can work at a local junior college. Lucy has heard about Oscar s diappearance and how no one believed Aunt Lavonne s explanation of Oscar rowing into the sea. Determined to solve the mystery Lucy uncovers clues here and there until she is able to understand the magic to begin her own adventure to discover the mystery that surrounds Oscar. |
Kristen Kladstrup | The Book of story beginnings |
| historical realistic fiction | archaeology Indians of North America great plains dust bowl | Four Stars | Very interesting story set in Bridgeport NE during the summer of 1939. Ben and Dave are intrigued with the discovery of an arrowhead and manage to tag along with Mr. Daley and archaeologist from Lincoln, NE museum of history. The adventure to discover the story behind the giant arrowhead reveals much about the history and geography of Nebraska and neighboring states. From dust, to tornado, to wild fires, ash hollow cave, ice age hunters, first people, cowboys, first horse, Fort Robinson, and much more. An interesting story that could spark readers to search for what is true and what might have been created by the author for a better story. | Melody Herr | Summer of Discovery |
| fiction realistic historical | Iran nomads family marriage eternal love | Five Stars | Set in Northern Iran in the 1880 s Anahita is informed that at this time next year she will be old enough to wed. She wants doesn t want to be married to someone that doesn t match what she is. From her love of riddles she decides that it must be someone the enjoys riddles and if they do, then they would be able to solve the riddle that she would weave into her rug. However, not everyone thinks her idea is a very good one. The story is a year of controversy between her family, tribe members, and even herself as she struggles with her decision set in the 1880 s of Northern Iran. Suggestion while reading - As the characters are introduced in the book take notes on what what the character traits are for each character - what they value, and what they believe. Use the notes about the character to predict what their interpretation of the riddle might be. How do your ideas compare with the answer to the riddle that each gives in the book? How does each character s personality match their interpretation of the riddle? | Meghan Nuttall Sayers | Anahita s Woven Riddle |
| adventure fiction | legend Korea history math Tongmyong Wang king time travel magic Korean Americans | Four Stars | Action adventure of Kevin Kim who is befriended by Chu-mong, a legendary King of Korea, who is transported to present day New England. A sense of urgency is discovered as the magic needed for Chu-mong to return might only be available for the current year, which ends tomorrow. Mystery, problem solving, play with words and phraseology make this an interesting and delightful read. Major objection I have for the book is the narrow and inaccurate description of mathematics from a mathematician or mathematical perspective. See discussion in math ... | Linda Sue Park | Archer s Quest |
| Fiction fantasy | apprentice magic bane thought control supernatural witches | Four Stars | Joseph Delaney continues with his second book that takes off where the first ended. More thrills and scares from the spiritual world for the adolescent reader. It will raise more hairs on the back of the necks of adolescent readers. Again set in English or New England community of the 1700 s or early 1800 s before industrialization. Inhabited by typical human beings of that era with the addition of ghasts, ghosts, boggarts, and other nasties that people of that era are known to have imagined and some they might not have been capable of imagining. Thomas Ward, as an apprentice, continues to learn, but now with is master weakened he is thrown into life and death situations not only for him, but the people he has vowed to protect. This second book has stepped up the action, suspense, and mystery to the next level. One chilling chapter after another. | Joseph Delaney | The Last Apprentice: Curse of the Bane |
| Not yet | Le Guin, Ursula K. | Voices | |||
| realistic fiction | mystery seventh grade friendship peers boy girl relations | Four Stars | Not Artemis Fowl, but Fletcher Moon realistic junior detective set in | Erin Colfer | Half Moon: Investigations |
| realistic fiction | mystery love peer relationship responsibility accidents identity intimacy | Four Stars | Elise Broach | Desert Crossing | |
| No Rating | Edward Bloor | London Calling | |||
| Not yet | Joseph Helgerson | Horns & Wrinkles | |||
| fiction fantasy | grandparents magic brothers and sisters | Four Stars | Kendra, thirteen, and Seth, eleven, were unexpectedly told by their parents that they were left with no option but to have them stay with their mysterious grandparents at their country estate. Wondering why they seldom see their grandparents and not their grandmother for ages they arrive at the estate so their parents can go on a required other half of the family cruise. Seth, who has way more curiosity than would be needed to kill the proverbial cat, and Kendra arrive at the estate where it doesn t take long to sense that there is enough danger available that a curious child probably would not survive. As the children explore, Kendra much more reluctantly than her brother, hangs back but soon is drawn into a battle of survival that endangers not only her brother but her grandparents and possibly herself as they discover the estate is one of many secret sanctuaries for magical creatures that are maneuvering for an epic battle between good and evil. | Brandon Mull | Fablehaven |
| Not yet | Jeanette Winterson | Tanglewreck | |||
| fiction historical | audio book available world war 2 | Four Stars | Its 1943 and Dewey is on a train in New Mexico to live with her father. The destination is the secret town, Los Alamos. Her father works developing the Gadget - first atomic bomb. Dewey, a girl who likes science and mechanical things experiences struggles relating to children her age, 11. However, she is at home in a world of mathematicians and scientists that are interested in her thoughts and ideas and willing to support her thinking and helping with her creations. She befriends a young budding artist, Suze and together they help each other through the ensuing years. A very interesting story about struggles of being different as well as a realistic and well documented view of life and the culture of 1943 . Including a low key look, comparatively speaking, at the development of the weapon that changed the world. | Ellen Klages | The Green Sea |
| realistic fiction | biracial broken home runaway mother growing up accepting self concept | Five Stars | The struggles of a biracial girl in a predominantly white town. Her mother has left her often enough that she and her brother are part of the system. Changing from home to foster care back and forth, but at least she has always had her brother, David, However, this time was going to be different. The system was separating them. A story told with the intensity and feelings that is becoming associated with the writing of Nikki Grimes. 153 page story about the struggle, growth, and empowerment that Paris attains when conditions finally provide her the support necessary for her to be able to take risks and seek positive change. | Nikki Grimes | The Road to Paris |
| Four Stars | Fiction about a girl who wonders back in time and can t return. she is accepted into a family that survives by hunting mammoth. A year long adventure where she struggles with responsibility and survival. An interesting view into what life might have been like for nomadic hunters in early North America and how archeologists might construct their understanding of earlier people and animals from small amounts of evidence and a lot of creativity and logical thinking. | Peni R. Griffin | 11 000 Year Lost | ||
| Four Stars | Last in the series of the Shadow Children Books. | Margaret Peterson | Among the Free | ||
| fiction | Coming of age, burns and scalds, disfigured persons | Five Stars | A middle school boy's life is changed when a new girl Jessica, a girl disfigured by burns, starts attending his Catholic school while receiving treatment at a local hospital. This is a powerful book about friendship and personal relationships easily among Ida B, Bridge to Terrabithia, | Tony Abbott | Firegirl |
| Four Stars | with CD see notes for one and three... |
Angie Sage | Flyte Septimus Heap Book two | ||
| realistic fiction | mystery detective | Four Stars | The adventures of three friends continue in Hyde Park Chicago as they struggle to save the Robie House, designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright. Their struggle turns up buried treasure, ghosts, hidden treasure, and a coded message left by Frank Lloyd Wright that might be understood with the Pentominoes. Mysteries to solve in life and death situations to restore justice, but will they survive? | Blue Balliett | The Wright 3 |
| fiction | king arthur | Four Stars | Ellie, daughter of college professors that are medievalists moves to a new school where she gets a chance to start over... Well according to her best friend Nancy. Cabot weaves together modern day characters and their popularity struggles in high school with medieval England and the story of King Arthur. Romance, action, mystery, and fantasy. Interesting very interesting story. |
Meg Cabot | Avalon high |
| Not yet | Louis Sachar | Small Steps | |||
| fiction fantasy | New York fairies demons mermaids folk lore | Four Stars | Delia Sherman | Changeling | |
| fiction | fairy tales beauty personal singing songs self-acceptance identity | Four Stars | A creative fairy tale that combines song and story. Listening to this book presents it in a unique interesting way. Story of a plain commoner and her struggle in life until happenstance and her unique gift lead to a fairly tale ending. Great story for middle grades and above. | Gail Carson Levine | Fairest |
| fiction | abandoned children interpersonal relations runaway | Five Stars | Lucky (10) lives with her mother until she is electrocuted by a power line downed in a storm. Her father, who doesn t want to care for her, arranges for - Brigitte, his ex-wife, to leave France and take residence in Hard Pan California to care for the child. Hard Pan (pop. 42) is in the middle of the California desert. Lucky's choice of activities and friends is very limited to say the least. She likes to listen to addicts tell their stories of addiction, has an unusual friend who is a genius for tying intricate knots, and often looks after an attention starved little boy. She is worried that Brigitte will up and leave, but has been able to keep her fears in check with the creation of a survival kit backpack and searching for her Higher Power. The colorful characters, language, and impending plot move the reader forward with a desire to understand Lucky and know how various conflicts in her life will be resolved. | susan patron | The Higher Power of Lucky |
| realistic fiction | interpersonal relations self perception graphic methods | Five Stars | Colin Singleton is not your ordinary high school prodigy and he is not going to become one or even become ordinary anytime soon. Far from it. He and his high school friend, Hassan, embark on a road trip that becomes one soul searching and eye popping adventure. The reader discovers how 19 different Katherines have edged Colin to obsess about having a Kathrine in his life. However, that doesn t mean there isn t action in this story. Plenty of action from wild boar attacks, to alcohol, tobacco, characters frolicking in the woods naked, mysteries about who is buried where, and what is grandma up to anyway? This is probably not a book to read aloud in school and it might even have trouble making some reading lists, but for those that like adventure, sex, and hoping for the days that the nerds dominate, this is a read for you. I really want to know what others think about it. Anyone read it, let me know | John Green | An Abundance of Katherines |
| historical fiction | indentured slavery south Carolina colonial America Florida Africa Americans | Not yet | Stolen from her village, sold to the highest bidder, fifteen-year old Amari has only one thing left of her own - hope. Two 15 year old girls one a slave and the other an indentured servant escape their Carolina plantation and try to make Fort Mose Florida sanctuary. Coretta Scott King Award | Sharon Draper | Copper Sun |
| realistic fiction | autism paraplegic brothers sisters disabilities | Five Stars | Catherine and her autistic brother David have a Frog and Toad relationship. Any brother would be proud to have a sister as insightful as Catherine. She sees the depth in most situations, which isn t always helpful in making decisions. I m torn between all losing choices. David will scream if I make him go inside now. Mom ll think I m selfish if I beg her to take him with her. Then there is Ryan. I cross my arms and pick the one maybe choice. Maybe Ryan doesn t want to look bad in front of Kristi any more than I do. Lord tells a story that not only captures the special bonds between brother and sister and how Catherine has learned to cope with his special problems, but additionally Lord opens new doors for Catherine with the introduction of adolescence and coping with peer pressures as she becomes entwined in Jason s life. Jason is about 14-15, wheelchair bound, and communicates with a speech book. Catherine uses her experiences, her insight, and her creativity to cope with her adolescent peers and create winning situations. A compelling story about a really remarkable girl as well as giving a genuine glimpse into special populations and their families. | Cynthia Lord | Rules |
| nonfiction | mathematics | Four Stars | Very good letters. However, they might get repetitive or too much of a good thing for some readers. One or two a year read orally would be a good diet for all middle school students. Be selective. | Ian Stweart | Letters to a young mathematician |
| fiction fantasy | cats animals myths space time England | Not yet | Jane Johnson | The Secret Country The Eidolon Chronicles | |
| picture book fiction fantasy | Five Stars | This is really creative, interesting, adventure, for primary students that like good guys versus bad guy stories. In addition to the marvelous pictures on every page. | Wiley Miller | The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Basil | |
| fiction | multiplication | Not yet | Katy Kelly | Lucy Rose Busy Like You Can t Believe | |
| historical fiction | navy Great Britain sea stories HMS Victory Admiral Horatio Nelson | Four Stars | A picture of Lord Nelson, an excerpt from Shakespeare s Tempest, a flashback to Lord Nelson s funeral, and the giving of a piece of flag to Samuel Robbins all happens before the main character, Molly, 11, is introduced. In the first chapter she is rescued from drowning, we learn of her sideways moments (seizers), her complicated family situation, recent birth of a brother, her stepfather s relocation from America to England, and her mother s and new family s desire for her to develop a love of sailing. Things get more complicated when she is drawn to the book - Life of Nelson. Flashback to Sam Robbins, 11 and his farming family in Kent, England in 1803 where Sam and his Uncle are pressed into service for His Majesties Service on the Victory . The story of Molly and Sam are intertwined even though their lives are separated by more than 200 years. Within this story is a sub story about Admiral Nelson, the Victory, and the battle at Trafalger that changed the course of history. This story is compelling enough to stand on its own while the story of Molly while interesting Cooper didn t sell the connection of the past to the present. Time travel, over active imagination brought on by seizures, or some other mysterious connection that wasn t explained, but left the reader wondering. | Susan Cooper | Victory |
| science fiction | super heroes villains peer pressure society trust human nature reasoning | Four Stars | Ten years after the disappearance of superhumans, both heroes and villans, thirteenyear old Danny and Colin begin to develop their super powers, making them the object of much unwanted attention. A sci-fi adventure that raises interesting ideas with respect to science, super heroes, friends, and trust. | Michael Carroll | Quantum Prophecy: The Awakening 01 |
| realistic fiction | bullies holocaust brothers and sisters family African American Jewish | Five Stars | Esme Tai Codell is a master of the story. She has done it again. A story about a young girl Paris, whose father is a drummer, and wants all of his children to be able to play an instrument, sends her off to piano lessons with one of her brothers. While Paris s relationship with her piano teacher is central to the story so too is her family with five brothers and a few classmates of hers and her brothers. These characters are intertwined in a powerful story about abuse, bullying, dreams, being Jewish in World War II and concentration camps. Out of which comes an inheritance accompanied by a deeper understanding of human nature that enables Paris to make decisions that all people make to help one another. Powerful use of language to create a beautiful story. | Esme Rai Codell | Vive La Paris |
| realistic fiction | realistic fiction adolescent sex masturbation middle school production movie video gifted motion pictures | Five Stars | Gifted eighth grader, Leon Harris, becomes an overnight phenomena when his class project is declared too risqué and censored by the school power brokers. The dialogue and conversation of the characters is humorous and right on with feelings that 13 year olds can experience in junior high or middle school. Selzer has written a very creative and imaginative novel. | Adam Selzer | How to Get Suspended and Influence People |
| science fiction | genetic engineering adventure school | Four Stars | Second in the Maximum Ride series - After the wild adventures in The Angel Experiment the six meet up with Ann Walker FBI and begin a normal life as far as even attending school. While the question of their origin and purpose of their being has not been answered Max s desire to understand grows until she has to take flight and seek answers. The answers will not come easy and it is one intense thrill after another as they seek answers to the mystery and remain alive. | James Patterson | Maximum Ride: School s Out - Forever |
| to do | Not yet | Katie Di Camillo | The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane | ||
| picture book fantasy | recursive picture in a picture | Four Stars | A boy s visit to the beach has an underwater camera wash to shore at his feet. The fantasy of the camera s voyage is photographically depicted in the film contained in the camera. Of course it is the duty of any curious young child to explore and discover the camera s purpose so that he can send it on its way to the next waiting young girl. | David Wiesner | Flotsam |
| graphic novel | fiction comic | Four Stars | Between a graphic novel and comic book. Historical birth of super heroes on Earth. | Neil Gaiman | Marvel 1602 |
| fiction high fantasy | adolescent growing up friendship responsibility heroes | Four Stars | John Flanagan | Ranger s Apprentice Book Three: The Icebound Land | |
| Loosely based on Charles. Perrault's "Tom Thumb; seven brothers in modern day France flee their poor parents farm, led by the youngest who, although mute and exceptionally small, is exceptionally wise. | Five Stars | Jean-Claude Mourlevat brings Charles Perrault s character Tom Thumb and seven brothers into modern day France. Tom, the youngest, convinces his brothers to flea their parents and head for the Ocean. The story is told by the accounts of the different characters as they experienced the boys. A very creative story for children who enjoy self-reliant and industrious characters in an adventure. | Jean-Claude Mourlevat | The Pull of the Ocean | |
| historical fiction | Not yet | Travel to India and Nepal where she interviewed women of Calcutta s red-light district and girls rescued from the sex trade. | Patricia Mc Cormick | Sold | |
| Fiction | Bullying school friendship mothers daughters Oklahoma classroom management | Five Stars | After Bird ( 14 year old Robin) participates in a cruel prank, her mother moves them to Oklahoma, where fourteen-year-old Robin wants to each her mother a lesson which leads to helping the middle school students as a result of her being mistaken for the substitute principal. While it is realistic fiction their are parts that require a bit of readership willingness to go along with the story. If they are, they will get to see a new perspective on bullying, | Anna Myers | Confessions from the Principal s Chair |
| fantasy fiction | Not yet | High school or upper upper middle school | Paul Park | The Tourmaline | |
| fiction picture book | poems humor | Five Stars | Collection of stories for beginning readers. Illustrated with pencil sketches. Outragous read! Simple pencil drawings to inspire young artists! | Andy Griffiths | The Cat On the Mat Is Flat |
| fiction picture book | costume dress manners customs family life | Four Stars | Let s be fancy for a day... | Jane O Connor | Fancy Nancy |
| picture book historical fiction | immigration wordless books cartoons | Five Stars | A picture book or a graphic novel that includes images so the viewer feels both an apprehensiveness and strangeness as well as a sense of adventure and wonder that flip-flops through the viewers mind as scenes of family, family goodbyes, standing alone, reflecting, longing, waiting, anticipating, among crowds of immigrants as they travel, arrive, and begin a new life in an unfamiliar, strange, and hopeful place. Tan s pictures both urge the viewer on and ask them to linger and interpret the story in this wordless book. | Shaun Tan | Arrival |
| picture book | surreal art | Not yet | Everything that Creeps | ||
| picture book | salt | Four Stars | If you don t know about the importance of salt now and historically, there is information in this book that you might want to know about. I is filled with information about salt that can be found to be fascinating. However, it requires a person with the disposition of wanting to know about salt to be a good read. It does lack a style and plot that pulls the reader into reading and encourages him or her to read and turn the pages. | Mark Kurlansky | The Story of Salt |
| nonfiction | history China travel spices trade | Three Stars | Want a nonfiction story about Marco Polo, then this has the information you desire. It is a good read for those motivated to know about Marco or early exploration. However, it doesn t have that punch to draw non motivated readers into the story. | Freedman | Marco Polo |
| fantasy fiction | child prodigy adventure | Four Stars | Colfer, Eoin | Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony | |
| fiction | foster care home Vietnam veterans | Five Stars | Twelve year old Gabe is down on his luck. Can t be any one more down. His mother and father are gone and he is living with his Uncle who is in the process of changing his life because of Gabe. One day when Gabe comes home he finds his uncle dead. Aftraid he will be sent away he hides his uncle s death from the local authorities, he is not prepared for what happens when this secret is discovered. An excellent story about how a friend of his Uncles a Vietnam veteran and other characters work together to try to do what s best for Gabe. A scared young boy who needs to find himself and how others that help each him end up helping themselves in return. A frustrating, but real story that gets below the surface of the different troubles the more significant characters in the book have and how more people work to help them, instead of so many being jerks as is usually portrayed in many television programs. | Audrey Shafer | The Mailbox |
| fiction | Johann Gutenberg apprentices magic Oxford England mystery detective story family problems Bodleian Library quest | Not yet | Matthew Skelton | Endymion Spring | |
| graphic novel comic book picture book | Four Stars | Jimmy Gownley | Amelia Rules Super Heroes | ||
| Four Stars | Have a reader that wants more of the Pirates of the Caribbean and would enjoy a much younger, but still egotistical Jack Sparrow with plenty of sarcasm? Then this is the book for you. | Rob Kidd | Jack Sparrow: The Coming Storm | ||
| fiction | school teaching federal mandates Everybody reads in America program | Four Stars | Judy Finchler & Kevin O Malley | Miss Malarkey Leaves No Reader Behind | |
| science fiction | super heroes villains peer pressure society trust human nature reasoning | Four Stars | Ten years after the supposed disappearance of the world s superhumans these new heroes begin to develop their powers and before they can fully realize their potentials, their secret identities of the three newly endowed super heroes are mysteriously leaked to the press. The teenagers must take refuge at a hidden military installation that houses and trains other new super heroes. A sci-fi adventure that raises interesting ideas with respect to science, super heroes, friends, and trust. | Michael Carroll | Quantum Prophecy: The Gathering 2 |
| science fiction | future city | Four Stars | Jeanne DuPrau | The Prophet of Yonwood the third book of Ember | |
| fiction high fantasy | adolescent growing up friendship responsibility heroes war | Four Stars | After Ranger s Apprentice Will frees Evanlyn Will s kingdom of Araluen join forces with rival Kingdom Skandia to defeat a common enem. | John Flanagan | Ranger s Apprentice Book Four: he Battle for Skandia |