The Iron Trial

Callum Hunt knows one thing.  He must fail the test and be refused entrance into the Magisterium.  His father has told him all about the magical training school.  The Masters don't care about the welfare of their students.  They perform experiments on them and involve them in violent wars.  Plus, the school is like an underground prison.  Callum does his best to fail, but it doesn't work.

Callum is now a student at the Magesterium, an apprentice of Master Rufus, the most prestigious teacher at the school, and he's not really sure how it happened.  After a rough start, Call reluctantly starts to befriend his fellow apprentices, especially Tamara and Sean who are also working with Master Rufus.  There are some things about the school that reinforce what his father has always told him, but the longer he lives there, the more he begins to like it.  He even discovers that he is actually good at magic.

His twisted leg, broken when he was a baby, has always held him back in school, but at the Magesterium it hardly seems to matter to the other students.  But even as he starts to settle in to life in his new underground school, there is a growing uneasiness in the magical community.

The Enemy of Death was once a student at the Magesterium until he turned on everyone and began a war that ended in a great slaughter children, the old, and the sick:  The Cold Massacre.  There has been a truce for the last twelve years, but everyone knows it can't last forever.  What if the enemy returns?  What if Callum's father was right, and he's about to be forced into battle with the Enemy of Death?

This new series opener by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare is fun read.  There are some good twists and turns to the plot, but it does have heavy overtones of Harry Potter.  Potter fans will probably enjoy the familiarity of the special child sent to magic school with enigmatic teachers and secrets.  This is a solid book, and I look forward to seeing where the series goes in the next book.

Always, Abigail

Abigail is sure 6th grade is going to be awesome!  She and her two best friends, Ally and Cam (AKA Allicam) have been obsessed with the poms since they were little, and this is the year they can join.

But things don't go the way Abigail expects.  First Allicam are in one homeroom, and Abigail is in another.  Plus, they don't have any classes together.  Plus, Abigail is in Old Hawk's homeroom, the oldest and strictest teacher in school.  Plus, Abigail also has Old Hawk for language arts.  Plus, Old Hawk is making them do a friendly letter assignment all year long.  Plus, Old Hawk is assigning the partners.

Abigail's partner is Gabby Marco, the weirdest girl in school.  She can't believe how terrible her luck is.  Not only is she separated from Allicam, but she is forced to write letters to Flabby Gabby.  This girl laughs randomly and lives in a beat up trailer.  Sixth grade is not going well.

The real problem, though, is Abigail begins to see Gabby as a real person who is actually kind of fun.  She also starts to see the mean side of Allicam.  Abigail knows she should defend her new friend, but that would mean giving up her old friends and her goals for 6th grade.

Nancy Cavanaugh's new book perfectly captures the middle school struggle of changing friendships and dealing with bullies.  This book really took me back to my own middle school days.  Abigail is the perfect every girl stuck between wanting to be popular and doing the right thing.  I highly recommend this book!

Mountain Dog

When Tony's mother goes to prison for breeding and fighting pit bulls, he has nowhere to go.  Even though life with his mother was violent and scary, it was the only life he knew.

It's a surprise when his social worker tells him she's found a relative to be his foster parent, a great-uncle.  Tio lives in Sierra Nevada mountains and works as a ranger and rescuer with his dog Gabe.  Life with Tio and Gabe in the mountains couldn't be more different than life in inner city LA, but it doesn't take long before the knots in Tony's heart begin to loosen.

He loves the mountains, and he especially loves Gabe.  The chocolate lab is different from the angry and abused pit bulls Tony has always known, and Gabe seems to know how to heal Tony's broken spirit.

The best part of Tony's new life is learning how to help train rescue dogs and survive in the wilderness.  Tony loves being part of a team that can save people from almost certain death.

Life in the mountains may be the best thing that ever happened to Tony, but he still has the lingering fear that all this is temporary.  Tio's cabin is only his foster home.

I loved Margarita Engle's story of heartbreak and healing.  The verse novel is told in alternating chapters from Tony's and Gabe's points of view and is a story any animal lover will instinctively understand.  We may rescue our pets from shelters and bad environments, but in the end they are the ones who rescue us.  Highly recommended!

Tell Me

Anna is an aspiring actress who always puts her whole heart into every role including her current role as a dancing cranberry at the mall, but life isn't all dancing cranberries.  Her parents are fighting more all the time, and her dad's temper is getting out of control.

That's why she's gone to spend some time with her grandmother, Mim, in Rosemont.  Maybe she can spend some time helping the town get ready for the annual Flower Festival while her parents figure out what to do next.

It isn't long before Anna is caught up in Rosemont life and the flower festival, but one day she sees something.  Well, she's not even sure if it's really anything, but it just seems wrong.  That girl in the van just didn't look right.  She looked...terrified.

Anna and her new friends are convinced this girl is in trouble, but they will need to convince the police that what Anna saw and her gut feeling are enough to go on.  Anna refuses to give up because she knows she may be the only real chance this girl has.

Joan Bauer has written another great story about a strong girl who refuses to back down.  I love all of Joan Bauer's books because of the strong characters and the issues they face.  Tell Me is no exception.  Anna deals with her personal struggles while catching a glimpse inside the world of human trafficking.

Space Case

The year is 2040, and Dash and his family are part of the team on Moon Base Alpha.  They are the first humans to live on the moon.  Sounds awesome, right?

It is...except for the incredible small size of the base, the horror of rehydrated food, and the toilets that just insist on breaking.  The only other kid his age is addicted to video games, and spends all his time in the virtual world.  Life is pretty boring for a kid in space, but everything changes when Dr. Holtz dies.  Everyone insists it was an accident, but Dash believes there is something more sinister going on.

When he insists Dr. Holtz's death was murder, he's ordered to be quiet and stay in his apartment, so Dash decides to do some secret investigating on his own.  He has help from Kira, a new arrival on MBA and a normal kid he can finally talk to, and Zan Perfonic, another new arrival who knew Dr. Holtz.

Will Dash and Kira discover the truth, or will they become victims themselves?  Read Stuart Gibbs's new book to find out!  This is another great book, by a fun author.  It has all the things that make the FunJungle books except we are in space instead of at a zoo.  Highly recommended for mystery fans!

Poached

Teddy Fitzroy has a big problem.  Vance Jessup may be stupid, but he is big, mean, and making Teddy's life miserable.  When Vance bullies Teddy into pulling a prank at FunJungle, the zoo where Teddy's parents work, it sets Teddy up for disaster.

He's already in trouble with large Marge, head of security at FunJungle for throwing mannequin parts in the tank at Shark Odyssey when Kazoo the koala is kidnapped.  Marge hates Teddy, and she's convinced he's the kidnapper, so she won't even follow other leads.

This leaves Teddy to investigate on his own to prove his innocence before Marge has him arrested.  J.J. McKracken, owner of FunJungle, has threatened his parents' jobs if Teddy gets involved, but he is determined to find the truth not just to save himself.  The person who stole Kazoo didn't take any food, so if the koala isn't discovered soon, he'll starve to death.

It's a race against time in this companion novel to Belly Up that puts Teddy in the thick of the investigation once again.  Maybe this time he can save the animal in question instead of investigating its murder.

Stuart Gibbs brings the same mix of sincerity, mystery, animal poop, and slapstick to Poached that I enjoyed in Belly Up.  I hope there are more books to come in this series!

The Haunting of Gabriel Ashe

After their home burns down, 8th grader Gabriel Ashe and his family move to the small town of Slade to live with his grandmother.  There isn't much to do in Slade, and Gabe spends a lot of time with a neighbor boy in the woods behind their houses.  The game seemed a little childish at first, but it was fun, and it's not like Gabe had anything else to do.  The two boys become warrior princes who have to save their kingdoms from a creature called The Hunter.

School starts, and Gabe learns that Seth is the school victim.  He feels torn between his friend and the popularity he has always wanted.  When strange things begin happening in town, everyone blames Seth.  Seth insists it was The Hunter.

At first Gabe is annoyed.  It's just a game, right?  But their is a suspicion in the back of his mind that maybe Seth is telling the truth.  Either way, the pranks are becoming more dangerous, and Gabe finds himself in the center as both victim and accused.  Will he discover the truth before it is too late?

This is something different from Dan Poblocki's other stories.  It starts out as a friendship story turns to a mystery and ends up in horror.  It will definitely keep you guessing about who is to blame and how everything will resolve.  It's a bit of a slow start for a horror story, but keep with it.  You won't be disappointed!

The Great Touble

Eel was earning his living as a mudlark gathering scraps and debris from the filthy water of the Thames in 1854.  A change of fortune got him room, board, fresh water, and enough money to support himself.  This is a vast improvement over his previous life.

Everything changes one August day when a rival accuses him of stealing jeopardizing his job.  When he tries to get support from one of his other employers, he makes a horrifying discovery.  The blue death has arrived, and it quickly spreads.  Eel knows there is only one person Eel can think of to help.

Eel has been feeding animals and cleaning cages for Dr. Snow who uses the animals in his medical inquiries.  Dr. Snow is more interested than Eel thought, but not for the reasons Eel had hoped for.  Most people believe the blue death, or Cholera, is caused by the foul smelling air coming off the polluted Thames, but Dr. Snow believes there is a more direct cause, and he intends to prove it.

With Eel's help, Dr. Snow races to discover the true cause of the Cholera outbreak and stop the spread before more people die.

I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would.  It's a true medical mystery based on the real cholera outbreak of 1854.  Be sure to read the author's note at the end to find out more about cholera and its spread as well as the real people Deborah Hopkinson used as characters in the book.  Highly recommended!

Zane and the Hurricane

Zane's father died before he was born in a car accident, so he's only known his mother's side of the family in New Hampshire.  All that changes when his mother discovers a long lost relative in New Orleans, Louisiana.  She's not just any relative though; she's his great aunt Trissy who raised his father.  She's very old, and she wants to meet Zane.

Zane only agrees to go if he can bring his dog, Bandy, so the two set off reluctantly for New Orleans.  Things are going so awful until a few days after his arrival when news of Hurricane Katrina arrives.  In their efforts to escape, Zane is separated from Miss Trissy.

Now Zane must survive the worst storm he's ever experienced, but what happens after the storm is even worse.  Plus, he's on his own in a city filled with danger.  The once beautiful city is now full of filthy water, dead bodies, and violence, and it seems like no one is willing to help.

Zane is lucky to find two other survivors who are willing to share early on, and the three companions set off looking for dry land and shelter, but it seems there is very little compassion left for the poor bedraggled companions.

Rodman Philbrick's new book is a powerful story of survival and the importance of compassion.  This book is a great entry to the Hurricane Katrina disaster for readers of all ages.  Highly recommended.

The video below shows the day by day development of the storm.  If you want to see more storm footage and the devastating effects, there is plenty of video available on the internet.

Stubby the War Dog

I was trying to get this review done yesterday in time for Veterans Day, but it didn't happen.  This was such a cute story!  I can't believe it hasn't been made into a movie yet.

This is the true story of Stubby, a stray dog who wandered onto the training grounds where doughboys (soldiers) were getting ready for deployment during WWI.  There he met Robert Conroy, and the two became fast friends.

Stubby went to Europe with Conroy and became a valued part of the unit by detecting poisonous gas, bombs, and injured men.  He also provided much needed companionship to lonely soldiers far from home.

Once the war was over, Stubby became a celebrity!  I am barely skimming the surface in this review because I don't want to give away all of Stubby's tricks.  Read Ann Bausum's new book, and you'll fall in love with Stubby, a real American hero.

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy

Ophelia, her sister Alice, and their father are still grieving from her mother's death when her father gets a special commission to prepare the world's greatest exhibit of swords.  As an expert in swords, Mr. Whittard takes the job hoping to distract himself and his daughters from their grief.

But this is no ordinary museum.  The displays are strange and shifting, and the museum curator, Miss Kaminski, is strange and beautiful.  Mr. Whittard is too distracted by the swords to pay much attention, and Alice is enamored by Miss Kaminski who gives her clothes and makeup.  This leaves Ophelia to explore alone.

Soon she finds a door hidden in a mosaic image of the sea.  The door is locked, and inside is a boy.  He does not know his name, and he has been the Snow Queen's prisoner for many many years.  Slowly, he tells Ophelia his story, the story of how he was trained to fight the Snow Queen, but he is now her prisoner.

And slowly, our scientific Ophelia begins to believe.  And she knows she must help him no matter how terrible the danger because if she doesn't, the Snow Queen will bring about the end of the world.

I love Karen Foxlee's new book about magic and friendship!  It is a sweet and delicate tale.

The Forbidden Stone

Wade Kaplan's world gets excited when he and his stepbrother Darrell discover a coded email on his father's computer.  That message sends the whole family into a world of danger, mystery, and ancient secret societies.

The message is from Dr. Kaplan's former teacher, and when he tries to contact the man, he discovers his friend has been murdered.  When he takes the boys, along with cousin Lily and friend Becca, to Germany to attend the funeral and investigate the message, they are quickly trapped in a dangerous web of artifacts and clues started by none other than Copernicus!

Each of them has a skill they will need to solve the mystery.  Wade loves the stars and math just like his dad and Copernicus, Lily is a whiz with computers, Becca is gifted in languages, and Darrell is a man of action.  With their combined skills, they will begin a quest that will lead them to a gemstone that is part of a device created by Copernicus that will change the way we see time and space.

Of course, the Kaplans aren't the only ones on the trail, and their enemies don't care who they hurt in pursuit of their goal.  Read Tony Abbott's new series starter for a dose of action and adventure!

Serafina's Promise

Serafina has a secret desire to become a doctor.  Ever since the day she met Antoinette Solaine, the doctor who tried to help her baby brother, Serafina has known she wanted to become a doctor, too.  But you have to go to school to become a doctor, and Serafina's life is full of chores.  Every day she takes the bucket to stream where she collects water for the family's needs.  Then she sweeps the dirt floor of their home, helps wash the clothes, and then helps Manman and Gogo prepare the rice for dinner.  Even if there were other children to help with the chores, Serafina knows there is no money for school.

But Serafina will do whatever it takes to go to school so she can help the people of Haiti one day just like Antoinette Solaine.  Her dream will have to overcome more than crippling poverty.  Serafina's family will face illness, hunger, floods, and eventually the earthquake that destroys most of the island.  Life only gets harder for Serafina and the people of Haiti, and she will see the truth of Manman's words, "The only unbreakable home is one made with love."

I LOVE Ann E. Burg's newest verse novel.  It is beautiful story about dreams and love in the face of extreme poverty and devastation.

The Mark of the Dragonfly

Piper has been living alone in Scrap Town 16 since her father died.  She makes her living by scavenging from the debris that falls from the sky in regular storms.  Piper is a machinist with an ability to fix almost anything mechanical, and this talent has helped her scrape by, but she dreams of going to the city one day to make a new life for herself.

When she finds a girl unconscious in the debris after a storm, she brings the girl home to try and help her. When she finally wakes up, Anna is unlike anyone Piper has ever met, and she is terrified of the man who shows up saying he is her father.  She remembers nothing about her life except her name.  But there is one more strange this about Anna; she has a dragonfly tattoo on her arm, a tattoo that marks her as under the special protection of King Aron, ruler of one of the warring nations in their world.

Piper makes a split-second decision to run away with Anna to try and save her.  This begins the journey of a lifetime for the girls on the 401, a train that will lead them to the city.  Thanks to the dragonfly tattoo, the girls make it onto the train, and Piper begins to experience a whole new side of life.

As they travel closer to the city, danger is around every corner, and the more Anna remembers about her old life, the more Piper wants to protect her from going back.  In a world populated by shape-shifters and telepathic creatures, Piper will discover her own kind of magic as she commits to saving her friend.

Read Jaleigh Johnson's first book in this new fantasy series!