Saturday Morning Cartoons

Kirby, Stan. Captain Awesome to the Rescue.
Eugene would be a better Captain Awesome would be a better superhero if his mother hadn't packed his cape when he moved to a new town. Never fear! Once he finds it, he is out to save the world from villians like his baby sister, Queen Stinkypants, just like his hero Super Dude does. When the class hamster goes missing, Eugene and his new friends manage to figure out who the culprit is.

This is book one in a new series coming out soon from Little Simon. The next books are Captain Awesome vs. Nacho Cheese Man, Captain Awesome and the New Kid and Captain Awesome Takes a Dive.

Coven, Wanda. Heidi Heckelbeck has a Secret.

Heidi has been home schooled, but when her brother Henry starts kindergarten, her mother sends her off to the wilds of second grade. Heidi is apprehensive that she won't be able to do the things she wants, and it doesn't help when another student, Melanie, is very bratty to her, telling her that she smells, suggesting to the drama teacher that Heidi should be an apple tree in the Wizard of Oz production, and eventually ruining Heidi's self portrait in art class. Heidi is consoled by the fact that the teachers and other students are supportive of her... and by the fact that she is actually a witch. This is also the beginning of a new series that continues with Heidi Heckelbeck Casts a Spell, Heidi Heckelbeck and the Cookie Contest and Heidi Heckelbeck in Disguise.
Strengths: I can see younger students enjoying both of these series. The books are a bit longer than I Can Read Books but still include pictures and large text.
Weaknesses: Both of these seemed very negative about school, and both main characters were rather unhappy. This was a bit off putting for someone who spent first grde reading about empowered children like Haywood's Betsy or Encyclopedia Brown. I don't think that either of these would speak to middle school students, even though some series for younger readers, like Captain Underpants or Babymouse, sometimes do.

Weekend Reading

Whyman, Matt. Goldstrike.
It's been a while since Icecore (2007), so I didn't think this would be a sequel; the subtitle (A Carl Hobbes Thriller) should have tipped me off! Still, this could be read alone. Carl and Beth, having escaped Camp Twilight at the Arctic Circle and faked Beth's death, and settling into a working class life in London. Beth is working at a perfume counter at Heathrow Airport (even though she has some gold bullion tucked away), and Carl gets a job at Sphinx Cargo. Because they ship priceless artifacts, Sphinx has a sophisticated computer system, named Cleopatra, that controls all functions of the building. Carl gets a job as a night watchman there, and starts to turn the computer to his bidding, trying to program it to protect him and Beth. Things go awry when Beth chafes at being unable to steal more bullion and is put in the sites of a bounty hunter who wants to turn Carl over to the CIA.

Strengths: Lots of action and suspense; excellent computer hacking. The descriptions of the computer system and the building are extremely cool!
Weaknesses: Is Carl becoming more evil? Beth certainly is. And what is their relationship? I'm just as glad it's not discussed more. A sequel could be interesting! Hope it doesn't take four years.

Kantor, Melissa. The Darlings are Forever.
Love, love, love Girlfriend Material, but something about this book did not entice me to pick it up. Once I started, however, the twee title made sense (recently deceased and very dear grandmother called them that) and I enjoyed the book. Three friends who have gone to elementary school together must go separate ways in high school. Jane goes to a performing arts school, Natalya goes to a posh private school, and Victoria is more concerned with her father's political campaign than fitting in to her new school. The three carve out some time to be together, but the story follows their separate problems. A sequel The Darlings in Love is already in the offing.

Strengths: More good stuff from this author, and the NYC setting is always exotic for my students. Like the realistic portrayal of separated friends who still try to remain together.
Weaknesses: Could have done without the safe sex week demonstration of putting a condom on a banana, but there wasn't anything really sexual about it, so I think it will be okay.

Lee, Y.S. The Agency: The Body at the Tower.
Mary Quinn is back, and her latest assignment from The Agency is to go undercover as a young boy working at the building site at the Houses of Parliament to discover why a man has fallen to his death from the clock tower. She must cut her hair, wear boy's clothing, live in a seedy rooming house, and work as a bricklayer's assistant. Not only does she uncover personal drama and corrupted business practices, but she is brought together with James Easton again, after his return from India, and the two continue their flirting relationship.

Strengths: Why is Victorian London so appealing? Lee's background is in this are of history, so the details are exquisite and realistic. The mystery is well-developed, and the characters are fun.
Weaknesses: Mary was found out a little too soon and too frequently for my taste, and while this propelled the plot forward, made me wonder about her suitability for the Agency. I'll look forward to the last book when it comes out!

Archer, E. Geek Fantasy Novel.
Ralph is glad to be free of his boring parents for the summer after receiving airline tickets and an invitation from family in England. His parents have always insisted that he never make a wish, and he finds out why-- many members of his family have died that way, and he soon finds himself imperiled on a quest of his own, fighting an evil aunt and thrust into a world that more resembles Ruinscape (Okay, RUNEscape!) than anything else. Snarky asides and deep investment in hard core fantasy themes sets this apart.

Strengths: Fantasy fans will adore this, from the geeky Ralph to his exploits with exploding bunnies.
Weaknesses: This is not for the casual fantasy reader. No maps, but presupposes deep love of fantasy. 

Also looked at Thanhha's Inside Out and Back Again, which sounded good (in 1975, girl moves from Vietnam to Alabama) until I realized it was a novel in verse. Students really, really dislike novels in verse, and since this is also historical fiction, this would just gather dust in my library. This, of course, practically guarantees it a Newbery mention; Fuse 8 already has waxed lyrical about it. The Page Turn details all the recent love.