Ollie hasn’t been much of a people-person, but since her mother died the only solace she can seem to find is in books. On a bike ride home from school, she comes across a woman sobbing by the lake, trying to talk herself into throwing an old black book into the water. On a whim, Ollie steals the book and discovers within its pages a strange and spooky old story about the Webster family and their tragedy brought on by a sinister “smiling man.” The […]
Here There Be Giant Catfish Monsters
When Mr. Baker takes his sixth grade class to the Carslbad Caverns for their end of year field-trip, he assures them they’ll find awe and adventure. Turns out they find a little too much of both. Wandering the cavern’s depths, they get caught in an earthquake that sends them deeper underground and the students find themselves split up, teacherless, and lost in the middle of the earth. As they try to find their way back, they will encounter unrecognizable wildlife, conquer their own fears, and […]
Princess Sparkle Destroyer of Worlds
What sort of mischief would two tweens who grew up on a space station get into? Why, inventing new species and saving the day of course! Sanity and Tallulah are best friends and children of VIPs on board their space station home. Sanity is the smarty pants who spends her time experimenting and futzing with mechanics, usually on the sly and not quite in the realm of what her parents would allow. Tallulah is along for the ride, though she prefers gushing over their favorite […]
Too Dangerous For Adults
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart (2007) – I never really understood the YA (Young Adult) and MG (Middle Grade) labels on books until I read this. With Harry Potter and the young heroes in Andre Norton’s books, the protagonist is a kid (and kids love to read them); however, they are not strictly YA or MG. The reason is the writing style. Trenton Lee Stewart shares an exciting adventure of four unique heroes, but the writing is simple and straightforward. No complex […]