Wednesdays in the Tower -- Jessica Day George

A castle that is constantly rearranging itself, and a young royal family sworn to protect it . . . Celie, Rolf, and their beloved Castle Glower are back in this exciting sequel.

Strange things are afoot in Castle Glower: new rooms, corridors, and even stables keep arriving, even when they aren't needed. Celie's brother Bran, the new Royal Wizard, has his hands full cataloguing an entire storeroom full of exotic and highly dangerous weapons, while Celie has her hands full . . . raising the creature that hatches from a giant egg she finds! Will they be able to find out what's making the Castle behave this way in time?


An absolutely delightful sequel to Tuesdays at the Castle. I felt I knew the characters better this time, and I was more familiar with the castle's quirks, which made the story easier for me to follow. I bought two copies for the junior high school library and had a half dozen students read it before the library closed for the school year. All of them loved the book as much as I did.

This series would be an excellent addition to literature circles or read aloud to the class for grades 1 through 7, or I highly recommend the book as a welcomed gift for wither boys or girls in the same age range. 

The book opened in the New York Times Bestseller list. Bravo, Jessica!

Only one thing to note, I'm not looking forward to waiting an entire year before I know what happens on Thursday!

Cragbridge Hall: The Inventor's Secret -- Chad Morris

Abby and Derick have been accepted to the most prestigious secondary school in the world: Cragbridge Hall. Due to the inventions of their grandfather, Oscar Cragbridge, they will be able to experience history in 3D, use their minds to literally project visual interpretations of classic literature, and become animal avatars for zoology. But when their grandfather and parents go missing, Abby and Derick must follow clues Oscar left for them that will reveal a dangerous secret. Along the way, they discover there is much more to one of their grandfather's inventions than anyone has ever dreamed. Saving their family will take all of Derick's mind and Abby's heart as they come face to face with a crazed scientist who desperately seeks to change the past. If they fail, the world past and future will never be the same.

Shadow Mountain has brought us what appears to be another delightful, and popular fantasy series for young readers. In the vein of Margaret Peterson Haddix's Missing series, The Infinity Ring series under the tutelage of creator and author James Dashner, and a dash of the 39 Clues series tossed in for good measure, Morris's novel takes us to the delightful possibility of time travel in an incredible school, unlike any in existence, and teaches a bit of history along the way.

Although some of the history was obscure and likely not familiar to the majority of young readers, they will immediately recognize, and experience the suspense, of the sinking of the Titanic. A little more development about Ernest Shackleton, Hugh Glass and John Colter, and the complete omission of the reference to Joseph Smith would have improved the historical aspects of the novel. The paragraph about Smith was confusing, causing me to reread three times and still not understanding why such an obscure event to the non-Mormon world was even included, other than to serve as an all-too-obvious head-nod to the local community of readers.

With that one exception, I loved the book and will recommend it to my junior-high students. The addition of discussion questions lends the book to small group study, such as literature circles.     


 

Princess Academy: Palace of Stone - Shannon Hale

When Miri and a few of the girls from Mount Eskel's princess academy travel to the capital to help the princess-to-be get ready for her wedding, they have no idea what to expect. Some are worried about leaving their beloved mountain for the first time, others are thrilled about going to the big city, and Miri is mostly just happy to see her best friend.

But not everything in Ashland is as perfect as the mountain girls hoped. As Miri learns more about her new home, she finds herself deep in the missdle of an up heaval that affects everyone she loves. Torn between her loyalty to the princess and her belief in her new friend's daring ideas, and between an old love and a new crush, Miri must test the strengths and skills she gained in the princess academy.

Palace of Stone serves as a perfect sequel and continuation of the story readers loved with the original Princess Academy, and will open the world of Shannon Hale to middle grade readers who are certain to love the vivid descriptions, interesting characters, and almost-magical worlds she creates.

Miri's exploration of ethics introduces readers to the idea of choosing between two perhaps equally worthy or appealing choices, options in which the final outcomes may be drastically different. With the new Common Core Standards' focus on writing argument papers, teachers may want to use this novel to read together as a class, or as a support text for independent reading.

The inclusion of poetic epigraphs and informal letters expands the opportunity for student-centered writing activities and teacher-directed discussion of text structure and writing styles.

Educational uses aside, Palace of Stone is a wonderful story for both independent reading or to read aloud. Highly recommended for fans of Shannon Hale, Jessica Day George, and Gail Carson Levine.

Princess of Glass -- Jessica Day George

Despite the fact I wasn’t familiar with the fairytale used as a basis for Princess of the Midnight Ball, I loved that book and have already recommended it to many of my students. This time, youngest sister, Princess Poppy, is back in a tale of her own that is woven into the more familiar Cinderella story which made for a delightful read.

It is no wonder that Princess Poppy doesn’t want to dance with the many potential suitors she meets in the royal exchange program her father and some neighboring kings have devised, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t interested in the handsome prince who promises her friendship . . . and perhaps more. But when the penniless servant Eleanora enters the picture, Poppy must unravel where the other girl gets those fine gowns she wears when she is somehow invited to the ball.

A Season of Gifts - Richard Peck

Watch out readers—Grandma Dowdel is back, and her feisty spirit and creative way of dealing with trouble makers hasn’t gotten old, even though Grandma herself has.

In a story told through the eyes of 12-year-old Bob, the son of the new preacher and his family just moved to town, readers will enjoy yet another series of tales set in 1958 Southern Indiana.

Bob and his parents have plenty of trouble of their own, without adding Grandma Dowdel to the mix. Bob is harassed by a bunch of bullies; his older sister, Phyllis, is obsessed with Elvis, or anyone who might remind her of the King; and his younger sister, Ruth Ann, isn’t quite sure she still believes in Santa Claus, despite Grandma Dowdel’s efforts to offer proof to the contrary.

Like A Long Way from Chicago and A Year Down Yonder, this story will make you laugh, it may make you cry, and it will definitely touch your heart. This one will be a great read aloud for teachers to share with their students and parents will want copies for their own children as well.

The 13th Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters - James Dashner

Looking for a new fantasy series that will make you laugh, while taking you places you never knew were possible? Then The 13th Reality series will be the books for you. Atticus Higginbottom —Tick—just can't get past being a nerd. Of course, wearing a knitted scarf to cover a birthmark doesn't help his image either. But once the mysterious letters from M.G. begin to arrive, Tick's skills at deciphering riddles and Internet research come in handy. Being friends with his dad doesn't hurt either, especially when they travel together to Alaska—a dangerous trip for them both. Despite the fact Tick can't quite figure out the required magic words, he will not burn his letter and quit. Soon he is attacked by evil creatures, meets Mothball and Rutger, and finds two other kids also solving the clues. The question is—will they all figure out everything in time?

Fantasy or not, Dashner has set his book in reality, researching both quantum physics and locations for this first book in the series. “I had never been to the place in which it begins, Deer Park, Washington,” he says. Perhaps influenced by his own favorite series, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R. Donaldson, Dashner allows himself, and his main character, to delve into the alternate worlds that Thomas Covenant dared not believe in, despite the fact he suddenly found himself there to fight for that land, and to be the reincarnation of its greatest hero, and The 13th Reality Book 2 will be no different. James adds, “The Hunt for Dark Infinity is in the editing stage. It was a lot of fun for me because I was mostly done with the setup. It jumps right into action and other alternate realities.”

Readers should pick up The Journal of Curious Letters because, as Dashner himself states, it is “unique, fast-paced, full of riddles and plot twists, some humor, kick-butt ending. I'm biased, however! It has gotten some excellent reviews from the likes of Kirkus and the Chicago Sun-Times.” And also excellent reviews from the students of Payson Jr. High School who read it this year in their 7th and 9th grade English classes. As a matter of fact, many of those students also got to read the early draft of The Hunt for Dark Infinity and are now anxious for James to write Book 3.

The 13th Reality is not the first book James Dashner has published. An earlier series, The Jimmy Fincher Saga is also still available from Cedar Fort. But Dashner feels he has grown as a writer since he published his very first book. “Hopefully I'm a much better writer now, and boy would I love to give my first four books a nice revision—all the technical writing skills I’ve learned since then.”

As most writers know, not every book that is written actually gets published. When asked about his unpublished novels, James says, “There are only two, and one is undergoing a major rewrite while my agent tries to sell it on proposal. This one—The Maze Runner—is at ten publishers as we speak. Keep those fingers crossed! The other one, I doubt it. In fact, I've cannibalized it for other ideas, not the least of which is the name used in The 13th Reality: Atticus Higginbottom.”

But how can budding authors break into the business? James says, “Practice. Write a lot. No matter how bad it comes out, keep writing. Also, attend every writer's conference you can possibly afford to. The things you learn and the networking you accomplish are invaluable.” Speaking of networking and getting people to know about your book, he adds that “networking is by far the best route to go. You need to get to those conferences and meet agents and editors face-to-face.” Advice that couldn’t be more true if you want to be a writer.

But, even if you’re just a reader looking for a book that is fun, exciting, and appropriate for both you and your family, The 13th Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters is the book for you.

Squashed by Joan Bauer

When Ellie sets out to do something, she intends to do it in a big way. And big is exactly what she needs if she intends to win the pumpkin growing contest at the Rock River Pumpkin Weigh-In. Only 200 pounds more to go and she thinks she’ll have it, if she can protect her giant squash from pumpkin thieves.

Of course, growing that pumpkin is not her only challenge. For her life to be perfect, Ellie wants to have a better relationship with both her dad and Wes, the cute new guy at school, while dropping a few pounds of her own.

Be ready to laugh right out loud.

River Secrets by Shannon Hale

In Goose Girl readers were introduced to the land of Bayern and characters who could control the elements of nature. Isi was able to control the wind, and reader’s learned in Enna Burning that Enna can control fire.

In this novel, their friend Razo fears that Enna’s power has caused the burned bodies he has found. Has she either broken her promise about the use of fire, or is she burning in her sleep? His quest to discover the truth about Enna leads him to discover the truth about himself.

Sent in a brigade of soldiers to accompany an ambassador on a peacekeeping mission to the Tiran capital, Razo learns his gift is to see and remember everything, making him an excellent spy. A touch of romance is added as Razo becomes friends with the ambassador’s daughter, Lady Dasha, who also has powers to control the elements of water.

Fans of the two previous novels will be excited to read this latest chapter, and also be happy to know that Hale is working on yet another book set in the world of Bayerne.

Crispin: At the Edge of the World by Avi

Crispin has escaped those who wanted to kill him at the end of the previous book, but now he and Bear, a juggler Crispin has adopted as his father, must flee those members of the Brotherhood who want to kill Bear.

Fearful that Bear is a traitor to their cause, the three men have already been successful at severely wounding him with an arrow. Although Crispin has removed the shaft, he cannot cure the fever that begets his only source of safety.

Despite his fear of more harm, Crispin must trust Troth, the cleft-lipped girl who finds them in the woods, and Aude, the old hag who is something of a mid-wife physician. Before Bear can completely recuperate from his injury, Aude is murdered and the three men are found to be nearby. There is no choice except for Bear, Crispin and Troth to join together and head for the sea, what appears to be their only escape from their own untimely end.