Wonder

When Auggie was born, the doctors didn't expect him to survive, but he did, and now, even after multiple surgeries, he has so many facial deformities that he hates going out in public.  He's never even been to school before.  All that is about to change.

August Pullman is beginning his fifth grade year at Beecher Prep.  He knows it will be a challenge, but for some reason, he's ready to move on.  There's no way he can blend in, and at first he struggles to find a place for himself in the sometimes heartbreaking world of middle school.  People can be cruel, sometimes even your friends.

Told from multiple perspectives, R.J. Palacio's first book explores what the world is like for someone who is constantly in a negative spotlight because of his appearance.  I can't really tell you much more than that because I don't want to ruin the story, but you MUST read this book and always remember to be a "little kinder than is necessary."



And because I haven't been able to get this song out of my head since Palacio quoted it at the beginning of the book, here's a little Natalie Merchant for you.  :)

Three Times Lucky

Mo's life has always been a bit of a mystery.  Ever since she and the Colonel washed up on the shore of the river in a hurricane, she's been trying to figure things out.  The Colonel was in an accident and has no memory of his former life.  The first thing he remembers is pulling Mo from the river. 

Now Mo lives with the Colonel and Miss Lana in the back of the Cafe they own and run in Tupelo Landing, Mississippi.  Life goes on as usual until the day Detective Joe Starr shows up investigating a murder.  Now there is a dangerous criminal on the loose, and people are disappearing. 

Mo and her best friend decide to investigate, but who can they trust in a tiny town where everyone knows everyone?  It will take all of Mo's wit and common sense, not to mention the help of friends and a few enemies, to figure this one out!

With a cast of zany characters and a truly twisted mystery, Sheila Turnage's new book is a great read!

Ghetto Cowboy

When Cole's mother learns that he has skipped so much school that he may have to repeat the seventh grade, she reaches the breaking point.  She packs up Cole, and drives straight from Detroit to Philadelphia where she leaves Cole at his father's house.

Cole can't believe she would actually do it.  He hasn't seen his father since he was a baby, and he feels hurt and abandoned.  His father is not exactly thrilled to see him and is not really prepared to take on a child.

Cole's dad lives in the worst part of Philly with crumbling buildings and run-down streets, but there is something different about this neighborhood.

They have horses.  Horses!  In the middle of the city!  Cole is skeptical at first, but he quickly bonds with one of the horses.  Things are not easy for these ghetto cowboys or their horses.  The city wants to shut them down, and Cole is caught in the middle of everything.

Flying the Dragon

Skye is not happy to learn that she will have to spend extra time in Japanese classes instead of at soccer practice.  She's never met her Japanese relatives who are moving to America, and she doesn't really consider herself Japanese.  Her father may have grown up there, but Japan isn't a part of her daily life.

Hiroshi loves his life in Japan making kites with his grandfather.  He can't wait for the upcoming kite fighting battle, but all his plans are changed when he learns his family will be moving to America.  He loves his life in Japan.

Skye and Hiroshi will have to figure out how to communicate with each and how to navigate this new world.  Things go wrong from the start, and at the center of their conflict is Grandfather.  Hiroshi is jealous of any time Grandfather devotes to Skye.  He wants things to be the same as they always have.  Skye thinks Hiroshi is being selfish.  He's had his whole life to get to know Grandfather, and she's only just met him.  But time may be running out for Grandfather who just wants his grandchildren to be friends.

This book alternates chapters between the two main characters highlighting Hiroshi's confusion and frustration with new food, customs, and language as well as Skye's embarrassment over her Japanese cousin who makes her seem different from the other kids at school and her anger at having to sacrifice something she loves for a family she's never met.

You will also get interesting information about kite construction and rokkaku battles.  Read Natalie Dias Lorenzi's tale of two kids in unfamiliar territory.

Watch the video below to see a rokkaku battle!

The Colossus Rises

The Colossus Rises is the first book in the new mythological series by 39 Clues author, Peter Lerangis.  And there's a quote from Rick Riordan on the cover!  Fans of Riordan's Percy Jackson books will love the Seven Wonders series!  I have to echo the sentiments of one of our fellow gators, "It's not as good as Percy Jackson, but it was still really good!"

One morning Jack McKinley is a normal kid on the way to school until he collapses and wakes up in a secret compound that he soon discovers is on Atlantis, as in the lost city of ancient fame.  Professor Beghad tells Jack he, and the other kids on the island, are selects.  This is awesome because it means they will develop superhuman powers, but it also means they are all going to die in the next few years.

There is hope!  Long ago seven magic Loculi were created to protect the powerful secrets of Atlantis, but the Loculi were stolen and Atantis sank.  Now Jack and his friends must find the Luculi to save the world and themselves.  Marco is super strong and has incredible accuracy, Ali can fix anything, Cass has a photographic memory, and Jack...well, Jack's not quite sure why he's involved in all this.

All the kids are suspicious of Professor Beghad and his colleagues at the Karai Institute, but the further they are involved in the mystery, the more evidence they find to support Beghad's theories.

Join Jack and the other selects on this wild adventure!  Don't forget to check out the series website for games, videos, and more!

Freaky Fast Frankie Joe

When Frankie Joe's mom goes to jail, he is forced to leave his home at the Lone Star Trailer Park in Laredo, TX, to live with a father he doesn't know in Clearview, IL.  Frankie Joe loves his life in the Texas desert with his retired neighbors and best friends.  Besides, his mom needs him.  He knows this move is only temporary, and he can't wait to get home.

He soon discovers that his father has a wife and four other sons, and Frankie Joe's arrival unsettles everyone.  His four brothers resent him, and school is a disaster.  School was never that important to Frankie Joe's mom, so it was never that important to him.  He's paying for that now.

The only good thing is Frankie Joe's new business plan.  He starts making deliveries for people in town to earn extra money, and everyone starts to count on him.  Why does he need all that extra money?  Frankie Joe isn't going to stay in Clearview one minute longer than he has to.  Once he's gone, he can get back to his normal life, and so can everyone else.

Read Lutricia Clifton's novel about family, responsibility, and find where you belong.

Glory Be

The summer of 1964 in Hanging Moss, MS, is set to be the same as ever for Glory:  hot.  She's looking forward to spending her days in the community pool and the library, but before she can even plan her July 4th birthday celebration, the pool is inexplicably closed.  The sign on the gate says the pool is closed for repairs, but Glory doesn't believe it.

Suddenly, she is seeing Hanging Moss in a new way.  There's a new girl in town visiting from Ohio who is challenging Glory's world and revealing her best friend in a new light.  Laura doesn't understand why water fountains and restrooms should be segregated, let alone swimming pools, and Glory is starting to question things she's never even considered.

Meanwhile, Frankie, her longtime best friend, seems to be more willing to listen to his hateful and mean-spirited older brother and father everyday.

She's also got her older sister, Jesslyn, to deal with.  Glory and Jesslyn used to be close, but now Jesslyn cares more about her pep squad friends and her lipstick than she does about her sister.

With everything that's happening, Glory has a lot to figure out.  Luckily she has help from her housekeeper Emma and an open-minded librarian.

Read Augusta Scattergood's debut novel about a time of change in the American South.

Walls Within Walls

The Smithfork kids are not happy about moving to Manhattan.  Having a dad who is a the designer of one of the most popular video games sounds great, but when Bruce Smithfork suddenly became a success, the family moved from there beloved Brooklyn neighborhood to a strange apartment that is part of an old mansion.  The people there are weird, not friendly like their
Brooklyn neighbors.  Plus, their dad now spends all of his time at work instead of spending time with his family and letting them test out new video games, and their mom spends all her time shopping and decorating, so she has none left for the kids.

CJ, Brid, and Patrick are left with a cranky nanny and loneliness.  It doesn't take long, however, for them to discover that there are secrets buried in their new home, secrets that might lead to a treasure that's been lost for decades.

As soon as they start investigating, weird things begin to happen.  Are their neighbors really who they say they are?  Will searching for this treasure put the kids in the path of criminals and kidnappers?  Besides, how can three kids solve a mystery that has stumped detectives and adults for decades?

Read Maureen Sherry's book to find out.  Will you solve the mystery before the Smithforks can?

Overall I enjoyed this mystery, but the characterization was a little weak at time for me.  I was confused as to why some of the characters were in the book at all.  I did enjoy the mystery and the National Treasure style search for clues.  I recommend this book for fans of The Westing Game and Chasing Vermeer.

Whatever After: Fairest of All

In the first book of this new series by Sarah Mlynowski, Abby and her little brother Jonah discover that the mirror in the basement of their new house is no ordinary mirror.  It is actually a passageway into a fairytale kingdom!

They arrive just in time to stop Snow White from eating the evil queen's apple.  Awesome!  They are heroes!  Until they realize that now Snow White won't die, so she can meet her handsome prince and live happily ever after.  Oops.

Now Jonah and Abby have to find a way to fix Snow White's story and get home before their parents realize they are gone and freak out!  That's a lot to accomplish.  It's a good thing they have each other.

I really enjoyed this good fairy tale romp with all the original characters plus a modern twist!  Check out the Scholastic website for for Whatever After games and info!

The Second Life of Abigail Walker

Abigail Walker is a shy overweight girl whose friends push her around and whose parents constantly harass her about her weight.  She lives her life hiding her true self from the world until the day she discovers the fox in an abandoned field.

The fox bites Abigail in a gentle and friendly way one afternoon, and suddenly Abigail sees the world in a new way.  She finds the courage to stand up to her friends when she finally realizes they are medium girls living medium lives.  Even when they turn against her, Abby stands her ground.

She also begins to explore her world beyond the boundaries of her neighborhood.  She meets a new friend whose father suffers from PTSD, and and Abby becomes involved in the effort to help him heal.  As she begins to make new friends, she gains self confidence and learns more about the person she wants to be.

The fox is also a recurring character as an ancient creature who has been part of many stories throughout time.

The more I thought about Frances O'Roark Dowell's new book, the more I liked it.  Even with the magical element of the fox, Abby's story feels real and true.

Game Changers

Ben McBain is the guy you want on your team!  He can be a star in any position, but he really wants to play quarter back.  For Ben it's not about being a star player (even though he is one); it's about being part of a team and being loyal to your friends.  Despite all this, he can't ever get his coach's attention.  No matter how great his tryout is, all they can see is his size.  Ben may have his dad's football skills, but he inherited his mother's size.

This year won't be any different now that his new coach also happens to be the father of the other guy trying out for quarter back.  Ben isn't really surprised when Shawn gets the quarter back position again even though his last season was really uneven.  After all, his dad is the coach and a former pro quarter back.  But Shawn has a bad attitude and holds himself apart from the team.

When Shawn chokes at the first few games, Ben's dreams of a winning season are challenged.  Despite his frustrations, Ben decides to help Shawn for the good of the team.  Ben may be loyal to Shawn and the team, but will be Shawn be loyal to Ben when it counts?  And will the Rams be able to pull off a winning season after all?

This is the first book in a new series by one of our favorite sports writers, Mike Lupica, so there will be more to come from Ben and his friends!

The Humming Room

In Ellen Potter's update of The Secret Garden, Roo Fanshaw is a quiet girl who is more comfortable alone in dark quiet places where she can be close to nature, but now that her father is dead, everything will change for her.

Her life in the trailer wasn't perfect, but it was familiar.  Now, she is sent to live with an uncle she's never met on an island called Cough Rock so named because her uncle's house was once a hospital for children with tuberculosis.

This creepy former hospital is filled with the ghosts of the dead and provides a mysterious atmosphere for the story.  There are moments of intensity and oddity in this book that I really enjoyed, but I wanted a bit more characterization and plot, especially at the end.  Still it does have great atmosphere and mood, and if that's what you're looking for, you'll be satisfied with this one.

Animals Welcome

Peg Kehret is one of the most popular authors in our library with books like Runaway Twin and The Ghost's Grave.  Now she has written a memoir about her life rescuing animals.

Each chapter details Kehret's experiences with different animals including wildlife, and her sincere love of animals shines on every page.  A large portion of the book focuses on cat rescue.  Caring for cats is easier for Kehret because her body is weakened by childhood polio.  Each animal's personality comes shining through as the author details its rescue story.

Fans of Peg Kehret's mystery novels and animal lovers alike will enjoy this memoir about the many ways she and the animals in her life have rescued each other.

Here is a video of Peg Kehret talking about one of her most popular books, Stolen Children.  It is filmed in the home she describes in Animals Welcome, and you can hear her dog, Lucy, barking at the beginning. :)

Zombie Makers: True Stories of Nature's Undead

This books is so awesome and disgusting!  Zombie Makers includes information on five creatures that use other animals and insects to reproduce.

Each chapter includes a story about how an animals or insect might become infected and a description of what happens after infection.  With large photographs and cool graphics this book is a horrendous pleasure to read!

For example, there's a fungus that grows inside a fly until it kills the fly and fills it with spores.  Then the spores explode out of the dead fly to infect others.  Gross!

Several chapters also include information about scientists who discovered or study the parasites.  This book includes a glossary, source notes, and suggestions for further reading/viewing.  I highly recommend Rebecca Johnson's latest book! 

Almost Home

Sugar Mae Cole lives with her beloved mother, Reba, a woman who knows about sweetness in the little house they bought with her recently deceased grandfather, King Cole.  She loves her sixth grade language arts teacher, Mr. B, who encourages her to write and to think.  All in all, life is pretty good.

But now that Reba's lost her job, and all their saving are gone, the bank is sending scary letters and phone messages.  Reba thinks Sugar's father, Mr. Leeland, will finally come through and support his family instead of just showing up when he needs money.  Sugar isn't so sure.  The day they are evicted is the worst day of Sugar's life.  She can't believe this is happening, and she can't believe Reba won't act like the grown up and figure out what to do.

But Sugar has her positive attitude, words of wisdom from King Cole's autobiography, and her dog, Shush, to keep her going.  Even though she is far away, she even has Mr. B who continues to send her encouraging emails.

As Sugar quickly learns what is means to be homeless, she also learns about her gifts and strengths.  And while some people, like Mr. Leeland, may always try to bring her down, there are many others who will support and encourage her.

Joan Bauer's latest book is heartbreaking and uplifting.  She is one of my favorite authors, and Almost Home is another great read!

The Spindlers

OK, I am cheating a little bit on this one because this book isn't actually in the library yet.  It's on that big order list that I told you about.  I promise the books are coming; the order is just bogged down in the approval process.  Now you will have something to look forward to because I really enjoyed this one.

Liza knows the boys sitting across from her at the breakfast table isn't her brother, Patrick.  He looks and sounds like Patrick, but he's just wrong.  Liza quickly realizes the Spindlers have stolen her brother's soul and left this sinister imitation in his place.  Of course, no one believes her.  Her insistence just frustrated her already worried parents who are dealing money problems and other stresses.

To save her brother, Liza journeys to the world below.  It is a world filled with beautiful and deadly creatures, and Liza will need all her courage to save Patrick.  Guided by a rat named Mirabella, she will navigate this new world, but things are not always what they seem.  Who and what can Liza trust?

I really enjoy a good creepy fantasy, and this book has a strong creepy factor plus humor!  Visit Lauren Oliver's website to learn more about the author and her books.

Check out this video of the author talking about her inspiration for the story:

May B.

If you've ever been a fan of Little House on the Prairie, you'll enjoy this book, and if you enjoy May B, you should check out Little House on the Prairie.  We have the books in the library, and you can get the TV show from Netflix.

May feels useless.  Her struggles in reading mean her chances of returning to school are slim, and she's not a boy, so she can't help out on the farm like her brother, Hiram.  Her parents have decided to hire her out to Mr. Oblinger and his new wife; they need the money and it's only until Christmas, just five months.  But for May, five months might as well be forever, and the fifteen miles to Oblinger's farm might as well be a hundred.

Soon after she arrives at the lonely sod house, things go wrong, and May will have to find a way to survive on her own.  During these lonely hours she will also work out old frustrations and fears.  It is so tempting to just give in to depression.  Will May B. find a way to gather her strength?  Maybe she will; maybe she won't.

Read Caroline Starr Rose's new book, and you'll be transported back to another time when May's survival is a day to day matter, but many of her struggles are the same ones children face today.  The format of this verse novel contributes to the starkness and loneliness of May's life on the prairie.

The One and Only Ivan

Ivan is a gorilla who lives at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall.  His life isn't so bad.  He has his friends Stella the elephant and Bob the dog to talk to, and he has his art.  Ivan loves to draw with the crayons and paper his friend Julia passes through the hole in the glass of Ivan's cage.

One day a new baby elephant named Ruby arrives, and Ivan begins to see his world through her eyes.  All the things that seemed not so bad for 27 years suddenly seem broken and sad.  But Ruby does more than help Ivan see his the darkness of his life at the Exit 8 Mall, she also helps him remember his life before when he lived in the jungle with his family.

Now Ivan knows he has to help Ruby.  He can't let her grow up to be sad and broken.

Go to author, Katherine Applegate's, website to find out more about her and the real Ivan who inspired the story!

I love this book!  It broke my heart and put it back together again.  I hope you will read this book and think about who you are and how you fit into this world.