Kalahari

by Jessica Khoury

Summary:

When an educational safari leaves 5 teens stranded in the middle of the Kalahari Desert, it is up to Sarah to try and lead them to safety. Having grown up in the field with her zoologist parents, she's well equipped to lead the teens to safety. But when a silver lion starts stalking them, they realize there might be more going on than they think. Now on the run not only from the lion, but also from the silver disease and the company that created it, Sarah will have to use everything she knows to keep them alive.

Review:

Kalahari was not what I expected when I picked it up. An adventure novel with a scifi twist, it does require quite a bit of suspension of belief, all while trying to be as realistic as possible. It succeeds for the most part, and will find many readers who truly enjoy the book. Good for more advanced middle grade readers, the characters both play into typical teenage stereotypes while making them believable. 

Genre: Scifi Adventure

Age Level: 7th Grade

Hostage Three

by Nick Lake

Summary:
The last thing Amy wanted to do was be stuck on a yacht sailing around the world with her dad and stepmother. But even she didn't imagine it would end like this. Told mostly as a flashback, Amy's story is not just one about pirates, but about how people end up where they are. How people turn to illegal measures after all has been taken from them. How others rise above and find more of themselves. Hostage Three is a book about love and loss, and an adventure that will stay with you long after you finish it.

Review:
Once I picked up Hostage Three I had a hard time putting it down. The book's fast pace keep you wondering what will happen next. Lake does an excellent job explaining the history of Somalia and how things led to the piracy industry there. The love story between Amy and Farouz is believable, and the ending entirely realistic. The book doesn't pull any punches and is definitely a good read to give to teens who like suspenseful adventure novels.

Genre: Adventure Fiction
Age Level: 9th Grade

The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die

by April Henry

Review:
As she comes to, she has no memory of who she is. Of how she came to be in this cabin with two men arguing about whether or not to kill her. All she knows is that one of them just left, and if she's going to survive, she's going to have to find a way to fight back and survive.

Summary:
"The girl who was supposed to die" is a quick paced thriller about a girl who must remember her past before it catches up with her and kills her. While for the most part the book is fairly unbelievable, the quick plot will keep readers attention as they try and figure out who she really is with her. A good quick read, good for teens who like thrillers where they don't have to think about.

Genre: Mystery
Age Level: 8th Grade

Girl in Blue

by Ann Rinaldi

Summary:
When the call goes out for men to enlist in the Union Army, Sarah sees her chance to escape the life she's been trapped in, and her impending marriage to her terrible neighbor. Disguised as a boy, she joins the army and becomes a Union soldier.  After fighting in the battlefields of Virginia she's discovered to be a girl. Offered a chance to become a spy instead of being court martialed for lying to the government, she leaps at the chance to keep serving her country.  But being a spy is much harder than being a soldier, being a spy means betraying those whose trust you are out to gain.  Being a spy might even being betraying herself.

Review:
As usual, Rinaldi does a fantastic job of creating a historical novel that draws the reader in and makes them truly invested in the characters.  Sarah is a likable character, with flaws and dreams.  The people she meets along her journey each shape a part of the next stage in her life. it's a great book for girls who like adventure or historical fiction.

Age Level: 7th Grade
Genre: Historical Fiction

The Pirate Captain's Daughter

by Eve Bunting

Summary:
Catherine has always known her father was a pirate, even though he tried to keep the truth from her mother and her. When her mother dies, rather than be cast off to live with her aunt in America, Catherine convinces her father to take her to sea with him.  Disguising herself as a boy, she joins his crew as a musician.  But she's soon to discover that the life of a pirate isn't anything like the songs make it out to be.  Life as a pirate means she might not live to make it to the next port.

Review:
Catherine is a strong character with ideas of her own and a desire to make her own way in life, regardless of the standards of the time.  Bunting's book combines action and adventure with a little bit of romance.  The pirate crew is an unlikable bunch, and the things that happen aboard ship seem pretty true to life (fights and the like).  The book is great for girls that like adventure novels. 

Age Level: 6th Grade
Genre: Historical Fiction

Turtle in Paradise

by Jennifer Holm

Summary:
Turtle and her Mama are like 2 peas in a pod.  Well, at least they were til her Mama sent her to live with relatives in Key West since Mama was working as a housekeeper for a lady who didn't like children.  Now she's living with her aunt and cousins in a ramshackle house on the keys, surrounded by even more family members she's never met.  But she finds ways to keep busy, helping her cousins with their babysitting business (even if no girls are officially allowed) and discovering a map to some buried treasure.  But when a freak storm comes in while she and her cousins are looking for treasure they are left stranded and just hoping that someone will find them.  Adventures in the comics always turn out swell, but will they in real life?

Review:
Holm's book is not your typical book about a family during the Great Depression.  While it touches on themes of want and talks about how far people have to travel for work, the overarching theme through the book is about family and being resourceful.  Turtle is a spunky character many girls will identify with.  The quirky Key West family she finds herself with are colorful and fun, making me wish I lived in the Keys myself.   It's an absolutely fabulous book for tweens, especially those who like a little bit of adventure in their books.

Genre: Fiction
Age Level: 4-5th Grade

Moon Over Manifest

by Clare Vanderpool

Summary:
Abilene and her daddy have been wanderers since the day she was born.  Together,they have rode the rails, jumping on and off trains in and out of towns they would see once and then never again.  But then Abilene hurt herself, and after she recovered her daddy sent her to live with old friends of his in Manifest, Kansas.  But Manifest is more than it appears, and it might just hold the key to her father's past, and both of their futures.

Review:
Moon over Manifest is one of the best true tween books I have read in awhile.  The writing is excellent, the characters well developed and appealing to readers young and old.  The story is told mainly in present day (present day being about 1936), with stories of Manifest in her daddy's day told by the local Gypsy woman as visions.  The result is a absolutely wonderful story about a town coming together during the hardest of times and being inspired to do so again. A fantastic read for tweens.

Age Level: 4-5th Grade
Genre: Historical Fiction

The Agency

by Y. S. Lee

Summary:
Mary Lang's life wasn't easy.  That's why when she is sentenced to death for stealing, she takes it as her due.  Perhaps dying at 12 is easier than living as a beggar and thief any longer.  But when a stranger offers her the opportunity to skirt the gallows and attend Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls, Mary Lang takes Quinn's place.  And this Academy teaches it's girls more than the usual skills.  This Academy sets it's girls up so that when they are ready they can take their places in the Agency, London's premiere women only spy house.

Review:
The Agency series is an entertainingly written novel about a mythical spy agency run by women.  Mary Quinn (Lang) is an interesting character who's history is revealed slowly through the three novels.  Her Chinese heritage is only hinted at in the first novel, but becomes more and more intriguing during the following ones.  The books are a great spy read.

Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Level: 7-8th Grade

Series Information:
Book 1: A Spy in the House
Book 2: Body at the Tower
Book 3: Traitor in the Tunnel

Once Upon a Marigold

By Jean Ferris

Summary:
Christian was raised by a troll in a cave, literally by a troll in a cave.  But he can't help but think that one day, maybe, he could meet the beautiful princess he sees every day across the river.  Maybe if she knew he existed he could be the thing that makes her happy, since he can't help but notice her immeasurable sadness every time he sees her.  With a little help from his stepfather the troll, and a lot of ingenuity, Christian finds a way to finally meet her, but will everything turn out ok?

Review:
Once Upon a Marigold is a charmingly witty fairy tale about an inventive boy with a heart of gold, who wins himself a princess.  The book has a few fun twists in it which keep the reader guessing about Christian's true roots and the real motives of the queen.  It isn't overly complicated making it ideal for tweens who like princess stories.

Genre: Fantasy Fiction
Age Level: 5-6th Grade

The Two Princesses of Bamarre

by Gail Carson Levine

Summary:
Meryl has always been the more adventurous sister.  The one who is anxious for adventures, loves sword fighting, and above all is always there to protect her sister Addie from trouble of any sort.  But when Meryl falls sick with the plague, it is up to Addie to find the cure that could save her sister.  But can Addie, who has never even had to get rid of a spider, face ogres or dragons or worse?  Will she succeed in saving her sister, or will she end up dead too?

Review:
Gail Carson Levine is well known for her entertaining and feel good princess stories, and The Two Princesses of Bamarre does not disappoint.  The story is well written, though predictable, with characters which will draw in girl tweens with their determination to be better than they are.  The book even has a love story in it, making it a great choice for any princess tale loving girl.

Genre: Fantasy Fiction
Age: 6-7th Grade

Princess of the Midnight Ball

by Jessica Day George

Summary: 
There is a mystery in the palace in Westfalin.  A mystery that no one has been able to solve.  Though the twelve princesses are locked in their room every night, they manage to wear out their dancing slippers every third night without fail.  Galen has served his country during it's long war, but now he has returned and is working in the palace gardens.  As he meets and falls in love with the eldest princess, he realizes that he is the only one who might be able to discover the secret that the princesses keep.  But will he be able to discover it before the princesses are ruined by the whispers of witchcraft and murder which surround them?

Review:
The Princess of the Midnight Ball is an entertaining retelling of the Grimm Brothers Twelve Princesses fairy tale.  It is a quick read, but manages to be entertaining without being too silly, combines a love story with heroism, and pits good against evil.  The book will be appealing to tweens of all ages who like a romantic but adventurous tale.  

Genre: Fairy Tale
Age Level: 7th-8th Grade

City of Ember

by Jeanne DuPrau

Summary:
Imagine living in a world of darkness.  Where the only light comes from your electrical lights, but beyond your city, beyond it's streetlights, is a vast place of nothingness but the darkness.  This is Ember.  While the lights have worked since it became a city over 200 years ago, they are starting to flicker.  And blackouts have started, blackouts no one can stop.  And when the only light in a city is gone, what happens to that city and all the people in it?  Lina and Doon might not be the only 2 people in the city worried about what happens when the lights turn off forever, but they might be the only ones with the courage to do something about it. 

Review:
City of Ember is an interesting book about a place built to ensure the survival of the human race, a place built to survive when the rest of the world collapses upon itself.  The characters themselves are well developed and relatable.  Tweens might particularly enjoy the parts of the book where Lina and Doon have to figure out what simple words like 'boat'' or 'match' mean and how they relate to the world outside them.  A world they are hoping to discover. 

Genre: Fantasy Fiction
Grade Level: 5th Grade
Series Information: Book 1 of a 4 part series (City of Ember, People of Sparks, Prophet of Yonwood, The Diamond of Darkhold.\)

Toys go out

By Emily Jenkins

A series of short stories about the adventures of 3 toys.  This is the first book of 2 in the series. 

Zoobreak

 Zoobreak

Author: Gordon Korman

Publisher: New York : Scholastic Press, 2009.

Plot Description:

            When Savannah’s pet mokey Cleo disappears, she and her friends Griffin and Ben look everywhere for him.  What they don’t expect is to find her in the floating zoo their teacher takes them to on a field trip.  But this zoo isn’t a nice zoo, it’s the dirtiest, most disgusting place that Savannah has ever seen.  And when the zookeeper refuses to admit that Cleo is Savannah’s, it’s up to Griffin, the ‘man with the plan,’ to come up with a way to get Cleo back before the zoo takes off for it’s next port.  In a fun filled adventure Griffin enlists the help of his classmates for Operation Zoobreak. 

Review:

            Zoobreak is a fun story about kids taking matters into their own hands when parents can’t solve a problem.  With excellently written characters, Korman creates a story which will appeal to all tweens because they will surely find someone to identify with.  The book focuses on a love of animals, but the plot has a few fun twists and any would be lawbreaker will enjoy the misadventures of Griffin and his gang. 

Genre: Animal Fiction

Reading level: 5^th Grade

Similar Books: Artemis Fowl

Reader’s Advisory:

Personal thoughts- Fun characters and excellent plot turns

Subjects/themes- Animals, Adventure, Zoos, Theft

Series information- Second book involving Griffin and his gang

Character names/descriptions-

            Savannah- loves all animals, Cleo is her monkey

            Griffin- the man with the plan

            Ben- has narcolepsy, but a ferret they free from the zoo fixes all that

            Mr Natase- the mean owner of “All About Animals’

Annotation: When all else fails, the man with the plan will come through!

Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief

Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief

Distributed by Fox

Publisher: Beverly Hills, CA : 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, c2010.

Plot Description:

            Percy Jackson didn’t know he was a demi-god, the son of the god Poseidon. But after a school trip where his teacher attacks him and he is chased by the minator to Camp Half Blood he has no choice but to believe.  Unfortunately not he is being accused of stealing Zeus’s master bolt, and must set out on a quest to prove his innocence.  But will he be able to do it in time?

Review:

            The movie has some stark differences from the book.  It is still well acted and fun for tweens, but those who are dedicated to the book might be annoyed by the changes between the two.  I thought that the movie was a fun experience, with lots of action and adventure.  It is a great epic about the Greek gods which will entertain tweens young and old.

Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Viewing level: 4^th-all grades

Similar Movies: Inkheart, Harry Potter

Reader’s Advisory:

Personal thoughts- Good but the differences from the book were unnecessary

Subjects/themes- Gods, Friendship, Greek Mythology, Adventure, Quest

Character names/descriptions-

            Percy Jackson- 12 year old son of Poseidon, thought to be the one who will bring

down the gods

            Annabelle- daughter of Athena, helps Percy on his quest

            Grover- Percy’s protector

            Chiron- Teacher at Camp Half Blood

            Luke- son of Hades who pretends to be Percy’s friend

Annotation: Sometimes being a demi-god can be a curse.

Countdown to the Year 1000

Countdown to the Year 1000

Author: Kate McMullan

Publisher: Edina, Minn. : Spotlight, [2007], c1999.

Plot Description:

            The year 1000 is fast approaching, but there is no cheering going on for the new millennium.  Instead everyone is worried thanks to the prophecy declaring that the world would end when the clock strikes midnight on the last day of the year 999.  But when Count Upsohigh declares that he has a plan to save everyone, a plan that requires everyone to give him their gold, it is up to Wiglaf and his friends at the Dragon Slayer Academy to figure out the truth.

Review:

            Countdown to the Year 1000 is a fun fantasy book.  It is one of a series which all takes place at the Dragon Slayers’ Academy, where young boys and girls learn to become dragon slayers and knights.  McMullan creates a very involved world full of new characters with funny names which are all a joke if one looks at them carefully.  A great series for tweens interested in fantasy fiction.

Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Reading level: 5^th Grade

Similar Books: Eragon

Reader’s Advisory:

Personal thoughts- fun series about the middle ages

Subjects/themes- Dragons, Adventure, Prophecies, Time Travel, Fiction

Series information- Part of the Dragon Slayers’ Academy series

Character names/descriptions-

            Wiglaf- one of the newest members of the DSA

            Zach- comes from the future to tell them that the world won’t end in 1000

            Count Upsohigh- has a plan to take all the people’s gold

Annotation: How can you prove the world won’t end?

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief

Author: Rick Riordan

Publisher: New York : Miramax Books/Hyperion Books for Children, c2005.

Plot Description:

             Percy Jackson has always felt different from others his age.  Maybe its because he’s always in trouble, or the fact that he’s never stayed at one school longer than a year.  Or maybe it’s because he’s a demi-god and his father is Poseidon, God of the Seas.  Or so he finds out the year he turns 12, where after a series of events he ends up at Camp Half Blood.  Here he can be with other demigods, and learn how to survive.  But when he is given a quest to find whoever stole Zeus’s master bolt he must use all his wits ot survive.

Review:

            A very engrossing book about a boy, the Greek gods, and an adventure.  One of the most interesting things about the book is how it weaves so much Greek mythology into it, keeping kids both interested in the story as well as a culture that they had to learn about in school.  Percy is a likeable character and a heroic one.  The book’s ending definitely encourages one to read the entire series.

Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Reading level: 5^th-6^th Grade

Similar Books: Harry Potter

Reader’s Advisory:

Personal thoughts- Very fun book

Subjects/themes- Gods, Friendship, Greek Mythology, Adventure, Quest

Series information- Book 1 of 5

Character names/descriptions-

            Percy Jackson- 12 year old son of Poseidon, thought to be the one who will bring

down the gods

            Annabelle- daughter of Athena, helps Percy on his quest

            Grover- Percy’s protector

            Chiron- Teacher at Camp Half Blood

            Luke- son of Hades who pretends to be Percy’s friend

Annotation: Being the son of a god isn’t all fun and games

The Penderwicks

The Penderwicks

Author: Jeanne Birdsall

Publisher: New York : Knopf : Distributed by Random House, c2005.

Plot Description:

            The 4 Penderwick sisters, their father, and their dog Hound have decided to go somewhere new for vacation this year.  But instead of the small cottage they expected to find, they find themselves on a beautiful property called Arundel.  Here they get to explore the beautiful gardens and have wonderful adventures, and make a few new friends.  But the owner of the estate, Mrs. Tifton, is nowhere near as lovely a person as her gardens.  As the Penderwick sisters befriend her son Jeffrey, maybe they will learn to stay out of trouble, or maybe they will cause even more.

Review:

            A really cute story about 4 very different sisters.  The adventures they have together are both sweet and fun, and each sister brings a different perspective to the book, from responsible Rosalind to silly younger sister Batty.  They have a strong sense of loyalty to their family and friends and help to change the lives of everyone they meet.  I especially liked the meetings of the MOOPS and MOPS.  A great story for mid-range tweens.

Genre: Fiction

Reading level: 4^th-5^th Grade

Similar Books: Aquamarine, Esperanza Rising

Reader’s Advisory:

Personal thoughts- Really cute story about sisters

Subjects/themes- Sisters, Family, Adventure, Fiction

Series information- Part of a series

Character names/descriptions-

            Rosalind- the practical eldest Penderwick

            Skye- known for he blue eyes, the feistiest of the sisters

Jane- a great writer who is constantly looking for new plots for her character, Sabrina Starr

            Batty- the youngest sister, who never takes off her butterfly wings and loves

Hound

            Jeremy- Mrs. Tifton’s son, who the Penderwick’s show how to have adventures

            Cagney- the groundskeeper who Rosalind has a crush on

Annotation: Summertime brings all sorts of adventures to those who look for them.

The Great Wide Sea

 The Great Wide Sea

Author: M. H. Herlong

Publisher: New York : Viking, 2008.

Plot Description:

            After Ben’s mom died, his father decides to take him and his two brothers on a year long sailing trip in the Caribbean.  It’s the last thing Ben wants to do, but as his father sells their house and packs up all their possessions and buys the boat, he realizes that he’s got no choice but to go.  As they settle into life on the sea things begin to even out a bit for Ben, and he realizes that a year isn’t too bad.  But then one morning he wakes up to find his father gone, and a storm brewing on the horizon.  Together he and his brothers must fight to keep their boat afloat in the worst storm they’ve ever seen and then survive on the island they crash into.  As they fight for survival and hope for rescue they face tougher choices than they imagined.

Review:

            A well written and engaging read about the way a family copes with a tragic loss and comes to find balance again.  Ben is a well written character who will appeal to both genders of tweens.  The skills the boys learn on their year long voyage are what enable them to survive on their own.  They realize more and more during the trip that family is what is truly important, and that being together is what keeps them safe.

Genre: Survival Fiction

Reading level: 7^th-9^th grade

Similar Books: Hatchet, Holes

Reader’s Advisory:

Personal thoughts- Really good book about brothers surviving together

Subjects/themes- Adventure, Survival, Loss, Brothers-

Character names/descriptions-

            Ben- wanted nothing more than to turn 16 and get a car, but instead must keep his

brothers alive when they are stranded

            Dylan- The middle child and incredibly resourceful

            Gerry- the youngest who proves adept at spear fishing

Annotation: Ever wish you could run away from your problems? Ben’s dad thought so, and now he is stuck on a boat for the next year.

Artemis Fowl

Artemis Fowl

Author: Erin Colfer     

Publisher: New York : Hyperion Books For Children, c2001.

Plot Description:

            Artemis Fowl is determined to get his family fortune back.  He might only be 12, but he is a genius.  A genius who knows about the fairy world and has a plan to capture their gold to restore his family. The magic world of fairies, trolls, dwarfs, and goblins might not know about Artemis, but he is more than ready for them. 

Review:

            I began reading Artemis Fowl with little knowledge about the book, though I thought the plot of a 12 year old mastermind to be a bit silly.  What I found was a book that is both well written and engaging, full of action and adventure that often makes you forget the age of the protagonist.  It creates an entire fantasy world beneath the earth, and does so in a way that leaves you thinking that it just could happen.  The book is definitely appealing to tweens of both genders who are interested in fantasy fiction, especially when they like when things blow up!

Genre:  Fantasy Fiction

Reading Level: 4-5^th Grade

Similar Titles: Inkheart

Reader’s Advisory:

Personal Thoughts: Very fun

Subjects/Themes: Fantasy, Fairies, Adventure, Action

Awards: 2004 Young Reader’s Choice Award

Character Names:

            Artemis Fowl; 12 year old genius out to restore the family fortune after his father

disappears

            Butler: Artemis’s bodyguard who’s family has served the Fowl’s for generations

            Captain Holly Short: the fairy Artemis captures for ransom

            Commander Julius Root: Holly’s superior officer who goes to save her

            Foaly: LEP’s gadget centaur

Annotation: It might be dangerous, but getting fairy gold is always worth it.