Shadow Play and Art Attack

Poblocki, Dan. Shadow Play

September 1, 2026 by Scholastic Press

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Shelby and Jane Hoffman are spending the winter break with their grandparents Betsy and Frank. Their parents are taking a little vacation because the father has recently been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Unfortunately, Betsy and Frank have just moved from New York City to Violet Springs, where they are setting up the Museum of Future Disasters to showcase their sculptures. Violet Springs in an interesting place, with a movie theater, the Orpheum, that used to welcome Vaudeville shows, and Limelight Manor, which is now a performing arts summer camp, but used to have big name performers in the 1950s in its Clover Theater. The caretaker, Mr. Nichols, has recently retired, and in his place is Denis, whose nephews Liam, Felix, and Octave Beaumont are staying with him. Shelby attended the camp in the summer, so when Octave offers to show the girls the house, she's excited, although Jane would rather be at home reading mysteries. Shelby's boyfriend has given her a necklace that turns out to be the one in a portrait of Madame Natalia, a Russian immigrant who had an internship at the theater doing psychic work from 1929-1959. When the kids start to hear and see very odd happenings, they go to the town library to investigate. This leads to poking around in an abandoned house, sneaking into the theater, and even having a scary encounter in a local cave. There are lots of questions as the supernatural experiences pile up, but Betsy tells the girls they can't bother the one person who might know a lot about what went on. There was a fire in 1989 that killed several campers, and even Jane can get behind investigating this. As the group questions local residents and does a lot of poking and prodding, they anger the supernatural, but the bigger threat might be real life residents. Can they solve the mystery before their parents return? 
Strengths: Apparently, New York state is filled with a lot of abandoned summer camps and hotels, which means I am probably never going to get to a Catskills resort for the summer, but has a TON of potential for creepy books. The Clover property has so much interesting history, and the dates are perfect for their to be some original people still around... and friends with Betsy and Frank. I really enjoyed that Shelby and Jane were comfortable enough with their quirky grandparents to be willing to talk to them about all of the hauntings; this is so much better than killing everyone off. Faced with violent ghosts, I'm pretty sure most young people are going to want to consult a trusted adult! The Beaumont boys work well with the girls, and I was able to keep all of the characters straight, which means they were all well developed. There are some twists and turns, but I loved how the kids are able to save the day through not only bravery, but RESEARCH! 
Weaknesses: This wasn't nearly as scary as Poblocki's other work. The inclusion of the tension between Shelby and Jane over their reaction to their father's illness slowed the story down. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who Lawrence's The Many Hauntings of the Manning Family, Parris' Stage Fright, or Keys' Twelfth. Theater mysteries seem to be trending; Kate Messner's Keep the Ghost Light On comes out in February 2027, and Farazin's third The Last Resort coming out in September 2026 is entitled Ghost Light .

Ponti, James. Art Attack (The Sherlock Society #3)

September 8, 2026 by Aladdin

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Alex and Zoe are back after their adventures in The Sherlock Society and Hurricane Heist. With the approval of their parents and the help of their ulta-cool Grandpa Pete, they have put together a web site for their investigative concern and get a job offer; Turner-McGee construction is building a luxury condo and wants to hire the artist Funky Munky to paint a mural on the side of the ten story building. They are willing to pay the artist $200, 000, which means that the Sherlock Society would get a finders fee of $20,000... if they can locate the reclusive and secretive artist. Like Bansky, Funky Munky does guerilla painting with social messages, and no one knows who this is. Since the Turner-McGee group is making their project eco friendly and also putting in low income housing, they are hoping that Funky Munky will agree. It doesn't hurt that Grandpa Pete is spending a lot of time with Marisol, who was the art editor at the Miami Herald, where he used to work. As Art Week approaches in the city, the kids have just a month to find the artist. This search takes them to meet lots of different artists, as well as Peyton Reed, a pod caster and muralist. They look at different paints, see lots of graffiti, and learn terms and techniques from the artists themselves. They even manage to figure out who Funky Munky is... but does Turner-McGee really want to hire the artist?

This is another fun romp with Alex, Zoe, Lina, and Yadi. I loved how the grandfather continues to be involved, and how the parents occasionally step in and punish Alex for breaking their rules! There are a lot of artists, and the grandfather and Marisol's connections help... and who doesn't want to be driven around in a vintage car. Some of the funniest moments were Alex's attempts to dress for spirit week at school, but there are plenty of adventures as well. This series has been popular with my students, so I will definitely be ordering a copy. If your Carl Hiaasen books are worn out, this is a great replacement for them. 

Keep forgetting to post my statistics for August. Feel lackluster at best about my reading; did love VanDraanen's upcoming GHOSTED.

Ghost Light (The Last Resort #3)

Farazin, Sara. Ghost Light (The Last Resort #3)

September 1, 2026 by Scholastic Press

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Things have been perilous in Castle Hill, Ohio ever since Caleb and Lila's grandfather was murdered and Teddy moved to town in Kelly's The Last Resort.  With the help of Rosteen, a ghost whom they met in Warga's The Claiming, the group has waged a war against the Fire Maiden, an evil spirit bent of bending people to her will and causing devastation and death. Lila almost lost her life in trying to control the Fire Maiden, but the group thinks that they can get help from Blight Howler, the ghost of the man who killed Lila's grandfather, to defeat her. They summon him, but he proves time and again that he's not trustworthy. As the town plans it's Founders' Day celebration, complete with a play, there are even more problems. Rosteen meets the ghost of Jeremiah, a disgruntled spirit who claims HE was the one who founded the town, along with Arnie, a performer killed by lights after one of Jeremiah's rages. Hoping to summon the ghosts of people killed by the Fire Maiden in various disasters in order to defeat her. the kids travel through another dimension to Cloquet, Minnesota, the site of the Moose Lake Fire of 1918, as well as to the Great Molasses Flood in Boston, to collect talismans. This travel is fraught with dangers, but the biggest danger surfaces as the town prepares to stage the play and Caleb is possessed by Blight Howler! He's taking away fire extinguishers and locking people inside the theater. Will Rosteen and his living friends be able to avert tragedy and finally defeat the Fire Maiden?
Strengths: I appreciated the inclusion of different historical disasters; readers who want to know more about "real life" ghosts related to disasters might want to look up Williams's True Hauntings: Deadly Disasters. The Fire Maiden is definitely evil, and giving her a long line of disasters makes fighting her seem even more important. We see a lot of Rosteen's emotions about being a ghost, and his childhood in the last century will be intriguing to middle grade readers, since there seems to be a lot of nostalgia for the 1990s right now. (Sorry, readers in your 30s and 40s. The 1990s are now ANCIENT to middle school students!) The town celebration makes sense, and brings together lots of different threads in The Last Resort storyline. This feels like the last book in the series, but could continue. That Fire Maiden is hard to keep down. 
Weaknesses: Since there are three different authors, I need to recatalog these and file them all under F LAS so that I can find them. It seems fairer to all of the authors to catalog them this way. The ending was very sentimental and sweet, but I'm not sure that's something my horror readers will appreciate. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked evil ghost sagas like Senf's The Clackity and Poblocki's The Gathering. 

The reason given for the stores of molasses in Boston that contributed to the flood in 1919 was that it was used for munitions during WWI. I don't think that is the case. The molasses was owned by Purity Distilling, so the thought that it was being stock piled to manufacture illegal rum during Prohibition (which had started earlier in Massachusetts) seems more likely. I'm not an expert in this field, so I will make this a quibble rather than a fervent argument. 

Setting the Stage (Cast vs. Crew #1) and Chris Makes a Friend

Champion, Lindsay. Setting the Stage (Cast vs. Crew #1)
October 21, 2025 by Pixel+Ink
ARC provided by Young Adult Books Central

Ella Amani has been dreaming for years about becoming the stage manager for her middle school drama production, so when she is finally picked by Ms. Pickler, she is thrilled. Her best friend, Levi, also would rather be in the crew than on the stage, but he has bigger things on his mind than Curie the Musical. Ella is a bit stressed herself, since her Iranian parents have set up their own business and expect her to watch out for her three younger sisters. In addition to the awesome responsibility of listening to auditions, and having keys and the prompt book, Ella has to turn her hand to managing a diverse crew, not all of whom want to be there, as well as snotty actors. Sixth grader Sebastian joins the crew because his older sister Rose is one of the stars, and he has a bit of a crush on Levi. Willow's corporate lawyer parents are making her do an activity after she got in trouble for vaping. Kevin was homeschooled on a boat. The crew does a good job with their various tasks, even though stars like Jordan keep playing practical jokes and aren't at all grateful for all that the crew does. As her parents put more and m ore responsibility on her when she has the least amount of time to deal with it, Ella does not appreciate being taken for granted! She often vents to Levi, but he has limited patience; he's been in kinship care with Sam and Pearl, second cousins on his mother's, since she and his father have struggled with issues that complicate raising him. He's gotten a call from his mother, who wants to meet up, and while Levi would like to live with her again, in his heart of hearts, he knows he is better off with Sam. As with any play, there are always complications, like Ella having to take her sister to a dentist's appointment during Hell Week. Will Curie the Musical go off without a hitch? We'll have to wait until book two to find out. 

This book is told from multiple perspectives, so we get to see the inner workings of the worlds of several characters, and observe similar scenes in different ways. Ella's life seems stressful to her, but Levi thinks she has it particularly good, since he's worried about whether or not he will be able to finish the school year at the same school. Ella is trying to do a good job, but being sabotaged by her parents, who are rather oblivious as to what being the stage manager means. Side characters, like Rosa, Sebastian, and Willow also get to share their views of the production. 

The ending is definitely a cliff hanger, and sets the stage for the next part of the trilogy. There is a real play of Curie the Musical, but I'm not sure that the songs and scenes in this book are based on the real one. 

 

Readers who know all of the lyrics to Hamilton! and Wicked will devour this backstage look at the theater world. Put this on the playbill alongside Otheguy's Sofía Acosta Makes a Scene, Brown's Dream, Annie, Dream, Miller's Shannon in the Spotlight, Stroker and Davidowitz's The Chance to Fly, and Asher's Upstaged, and make sure to keep the ghost light burning! 

I did find it hard to believe there are schools anywhere where the stars of the play are "middle school royalty", but since the author has a lot of theater experience, maybe this is based on her life, or maybe on wishful thinking. We do have one play a year, but they are usually very different from the ones portrayed in books. Theater books are not very popular with my students. 

Gino, Alex. Chris Makes a Friend

November 4, 2025 by Scholastic Press

ARC provided by Scholastic

Chris is going into 6th grade and is pretty sure she identifies as a cisgender girl, and lives in New York City with her mother and younger sister, Becca. As the school year ends, her mother, who suffers from chronic back and neck pain, and her girlfriend Frank, have big news: the mother is undergoing surgery to help her condition, and Chris and Becca will be spending the summer with their father's parents, Nana and Papa, in rural Massachusetts. Chris is angry that she won't be able to spend time with her best friend, Vicky, with whom she has planned the Great Summer 72 Book Challenge. Since there are 72 days in vacation, they plan to read that many books together when they are not playing video games. Vicky says not to worry, since she is going to a theater camp, and they can still read independently. It doesn't help that Chris will have to spend a lot of time with her sister, who is annoying in the extreme, and will only be allowed to have screen time in the mornings, before Nana takes away her tablet. There are upsides; Papa makes delicious waffles in the morning, and when Chris is forced outside in the afternoons, she does find a nice spot by a creek to read. Eventually, she even finds a friend, Mia Yaring, who is also staying with her grandmother, and who also enjoyes the Magical Mystical Vidalia fantasy series that Chris does. Chris' mother recuperates more slowly than expected from the surgery, and the visit is extended when she has to go back for another procedure, although Frank says that everything is going fairly well. At the end of the story, we do learn some secrets about Mia, but Chris has learned that her sister isn't all bad, and that her upcoming middle school experience won't be so terrible, especially since Vicky has remained her friend. 

Strengths: There are very few depictions of parents with chronic health conditions that impact the lives of their children, although there are probably more parents in this situation than there are deceased middle grade parents, so the mother's chronic pain was an informative inclusion. Summers with grandparents are always interesting, even if Chris is annoyed that Nana takes away her tablet and refers to her and Becca as "girls". There is lots of modern thought and language surrounding gender, which is not surprising given Gino's body of work. Mia ask Chris "So you're a girl?" to which Chris replies "As far as I know", and there are other inclusive moments. It is good to see that Chris and Becca get along better at the end of the book. I'd love to see more books that involve subplots that deal with sibling relationships. 
Weaknesses: This seemed a bit young because of the major twist in the plot (that I don't want to reveal). While this is probably an accurate depiction of summer for modern day tweens, it made me sad. Most of the time, the girls seem to be on screens. Nana lets them play the entire morning, and there are often family movie nights. While Becca practices soccer, neither of the girls seem to have any initiative to do much. This makes for a rather slow moving story. There are not grand adventures. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like gentle summer time tales like Kendall's The True Definition of Neva Beane or Guillory's Gus and Glory. There is a list of the 72 books that Chris reads over the summer at the end; only two are imaginary! 

A historical note: The grandparents get the newspaper delivered, and Chris enjoys reading the Parade Magazine, so this means the book is set before 2022. 

Many Hauntings of the Manning Family

Lawrence, Lorien. Many Hauntings of the Manning Family
March 18, 2025 by Amulet Books

E ARC provided by Edelweis

Gabby and Trent Manning have inherited the family ability to see ghosts and release them that their grandparents had. While things didn't end well for the grandparents, the twins' mother is devoted to the idea that they will continue the family legacy, and is obsessed with posting videos of them dispatching ghosts on YouTube, worrying about the number of views they get. Gabby is sick of it; the black clothing, the dramatic flair, and the fact that everyone at school knows that she is involved in something rather odd. She'd rather devote herself to soccer, which is hard, since dealing with ghosts is very physically draining. Trent doesn't care as much, and seems to want to make his mother happy. When the anniversary of an ill-fated seance at the local Majestic theater approaches, the mother makes a deal with the owner, Dale Prescott, that the twins' will figure out a decades old mystery and send the ghosts on their way if she can film in the theater. The Majestic has been abandoned since 1965, when there was an unsolved triple murder. In 1995, the grandparents visited it, but were unable to send the spirits on their way. Upon entering the building, Gabby and Trent can tell that there is real evil afoot, but they hope that by dealing with it, their mother will put less pressure on them to ghost hunt. This is especially important to Gabby, since she is missing a crucial soccer game to humor her mother. There are rats, spiders, creepy marionettes, and a demon who possesses Gabby in the same way that her grandfather was possessed back in 1995. Her grandmother managed to save him, but wasn't able to do anything else. Will the twins' finally be able to solve the mystery and find a way to release the ghosts and return the demon?
Strengths: Middle grade readers are often obsesses with being YouTube or TikTok stars, but don't know how much work it is to create content. Gabby's weariness at having to constantly perform for her mother is a very realistic look at how a young person might feel if they had powers that a parent wanted to exploit. The family connection was interesting, and I could just about believe that a building had been abandoned since 1965. Both Gabby and Trent were well versed in the essentials of dealing with ghosts and demons, thanks to a book written by their grandparents, and were fairly cautious and more prepared than their mother. There were plenty of creepy things that will keep horror readers turning the pages.
Weaknesses: There is just a passing reference to the twins' father, and I was a bit curious as to what happened to him. Since the mother really annoyed me, maybe the answer's obvious. There was also some mention of friends at school, and it wouldn't be a surprise if this became a series. The cover is okay, but might age badly.
What I really think: Theaters seem to be especially haunted places! Add this to a playbill that includes Freeman's Noah McNichol and the Backstage Ghost, Gonzalez's Fearless, Key's Twelfth, Parris' Stage Fright, Shepherd's The Twilight Curse, and Schusterman's Olive and the Backstage Ghost.

Make a Little Wave and Star Horse

Cerra, Kerry O'Malley. Make a Little Wave

1 October 2024 by Carolrhoda Books

E ARC provided by Netgalley

Savannah, or Sav, has recently moved from Orlando with her family to the smaller coastal town of Sandy Dune, Florida. She will miss her best friend Maizy, although the two plan to keep in touch. Sav, who was born with a hearing loss and had cochlear implants a few years ago when hearing aids stopped being effective, has some fear of the water. She doesn't care for the darkness, since she can't depend on hearing when she is in the water. She is also rather afraid of sharks and other marine creatures. She's met Tanner, who is going to be in her grade at school, on the beach, and when his family opens a new restaurant, he invites her. Sav also has a bit of social anxiety, and when she is nervous, has a tendency to forget words (e.g. calling "fishing" "ocean shopping"). She is uncomfortable in a skirt, nervous around all of the fancy people in the restaurant, and doesn't like sea food, so when she is served a bowl of soup with a chewy bit of meat in it, she is appalled to find out it is shark's fin. Predictably, she vomits all over the table. Luckily, Tanner's grandfather comes to her aid, gets her cleaned up, and helps her to summon her mother. He says that he is grateful that she saved HIM from having to eat the soup. Of course, videos of this hit social media; Tanner had previously posted a picture of him and Sav on the dock that he meant to be flattering. Sav is not only mortified, but horrified when she researches how the shark's fin soup is made. She tells Tanner about how the sharks are caught, definned, and left to die, and he said that he didn't know about it, but that his parents make a lot of money charging for the soup, which is considered a delicacy. Once school starts, Sav joins the marine environmental club, and makes friends with a girl who insists on being called Rav (her real name is Benedicta) and Belén. The two want to join Sav's fight against the people who are not necessarily violating local laws concerning the sharks, but are certainly not being ethical about gathering them, since they bring them from international waters. Sav also suspects that Tanner's father is heavily involved in their trade. To try to make her point, she and her friends protest outside the restaurant, but are told to move along. After that, Sav has Maizy send her live cockroaches in the mail, which her older sister Arbor notices. Sav, of course, says that it's something for a school project. Rav and Belén are supposed to help Sav release them in the restaurant, but are uncomfortable doing this. Even when they do, people don't make too much of a fuss. Still angry, Sav researches how to disable the boat that Tanner's family uses for expeditions, and is caught by Tanner and the local police filling the gas tank with water. This causes MUCH more damage than she expected, and she is forced to work off the thousand dollars in repairs helping Tanner clean the boat. Tanner is very understanding, but his parents (and Sav's) are not happy about Sav's actions. Seeing that her efforts that focused on Tanner's family weren't successful, she works with her teacher and the environmental club to stage a sit in at the office of a local government official who seems to be abetting the shark fin trade. Will Sav be able to educate her community and stop the horrible practice? 
Strengths: Sav was a realistically enthusiastic and sometimes misguided middle school character. She wanted desperately to save the sharks, but is okay with sending the roaches to their death in the restaurant. I liked that Tanner and others called her on this. The fact that she was hearing impaired was just part of her character and not a focus of the story; this author's Hear Me is more concerned with the hearing loss, so it's great to see a character going about her life with this difference in ability. I learned a lot about cochlear implants, so that was interesting! The family's move was well depicted, with the older sister enjoying making new friends, but Sav worrying more, even though she does find Rav and Belén. The relationship with Tanner is very sweet; you can't go wrong putting a light romance into a middle grade book. Climate and ecological activism is very important, and Sav manages to surround herself with people who are able to "make a little wave". 
Weaknesses: As an adult, I was very concerned that Sav's activism led her to some truly destructive behavior, and that she never seemed to understand the damage that she caused. Young readers are unlikely to replicate her release of roaches or sabotage of a gas tank, and this will sit differently with different readers, but I didn't care for it very much, because I am personally risk averse! 
What I really think: This will be a big hit with readers who are interested in marine biology and enjoyed Kelly's Song for a Whale, Berne's A Dolphin Named Star, Hapka's Heart of a Dolphin, Griffin's Manatee Summer, Dimopoulos's Turn the Tide, Baskin's Consider the Octopus, or Park's new Gracie Under the Waves. 

Nir, Sarah Maslin. Star Horse (Once Upon a Horse #3)
September 17, 2024 by Harry N. Abrams
E ARC provided by the author

Lori Allegria's mother Tess is a lawyer who works with the opera at New York's Lincoln Center, and has helped arrange a field trip for Lori's class to see behind the scenes of the production of Aida and to learn a bit about ancient Egypt. Lori and Tessa live on the family farm in Springs, trying hard to keep it afloat by taking on some equine boarders. Lori is amazed to find that productions of Aida usually involve a real horse, but the director is unable to find one. Lori volunteers her Norwegian fjord horse, Billy, and is soon in the theater with him. Billy turns out to be a natural. The play is seen by Marlowe Narang, a child celebrity and son of Fred Naranh, a famous agent, who decides that his next movie MUST include Billy! On his way back to California on the plane, Marlowe writes an entire screenplay entitled Once Upon a Horse, and gives it to his father, who thinks it's amazing. The movie rights are bought by a major production company, and Tessa is offered a lot of money for Billy to be in the movie... enough to save the farm. It's hard to send Billy out west to a ghost town in the Mojave Desert for filming, where he would be cared for by Julian Okwonga, but Lori understands. Fred, who is in a wheelchair and benefitted from equine therapy as a child, makes Billy feel at ease on the busy movie set. Lori tries to put on a brave face for her mother, but she misses her friend, and when she sees on the news that Billy has broken away from the camp after coming into contact with a mountain and is lost, she is distraught. She grabs her backpack, leaves a note for her mother, and takes off on a Greyhound Bus. Billy, meanwhile, ends up in a herd of wild donkeys. Getting off the bus at a food stand, she meets Aiyana, who is part of a group trying to help find Billy online. Aiyana, who is Navajo, was sent to live with her aunt while her parents are both deployed, and has a horse named Sǫ́-Sǫ́, and the two decide to ride the horse together to save Billy. Tessa, in a panic over Lori's disappearance, travels to the film set to meet with Fred. Marlowe also takes off to search for the horse, and runs into Aiyana and Lori in the wilderness, but has no luck in finding Billy. Settling in for the night, they bring out Granny Smith apples to eat... and their crunching is heard by Billy! The next morning, the three children make it back to the film site, and there's a change of casting; Sǫ́-Sǫ́ will take over the starring role, and Billy will go back home to Lori. Aiyanna is surprised, but glad that she will be involved with her horse on the set. 

Strengths: Lori's love for Billy is very clear, but her mother's wish to save the farm is understandable. Middle Grade readers are fond of celebrity, so they will enjoy Marlowe's experiences as a star actor and screenwriter. There is some southwestern flavor with the character of Aiyana and her horse Sǫ́-Sǫ́, and a satisfying adventure out in the wilderness. I had never heard of Norwegian fjord horses before, but my readers who love all things equestrian will be enthralled and want to research everything about them. This is a nicely short book, and I can see elementary readers taking their Breyer horse models and acting out the scenes! 
Weaknesses: This was quite different from the author's previous two books, which were more solidly based on real events; this was based on a real horse, but definitely more fictionalized, which just caught me by surprise. Since these books don't need to be read as a series, young readers who don't have this expectation will have no problem with it. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want a horse adventure book like Farley's The Wild One, Lawrence's Winter Pony, Gratz's Two Degrees, or Gemeinhart's Some Kind of Courage, or who have enjoyed this author's other books, The Flying Horse and The Jockey and Her Horse. 

Stage Fright and Spy School Entrance Exam

Parris, Wendy. Stage Fright
September 17, 2024 by Delacorte Press
E ARC provided by Netgalley

Avery has moved from the Midwest to Philadelphia, and is glad to be going "home" for summer vacation. She's glad that she will be able to see her old friends and neighbors like Paige, Tyler, and Jaylen. Things get off to a bit of a rocky start when Paige doesn't meet her at the airport, especially when Paige has been off at the mall with Bethany Barnes, who bullied Avery when they were younger. Wanting to revisit the group's old stomping grounds, Avery suggests meeting at Tyler's treehouse, and is surprised that it has fallen into some disrepair. Her friends haven't been hanging out together, so they all try to think of an activity they can do together. Avery suggests their "Ridge Road Detective Club" game, but the others scoff that they are all too old for such nonsense, until Avery suggests breaking into the local Old Winter Playhouse, since it is the tenth anniversary of the death of the director's nine year old daughter. Sneaky out in the middle of the night is always interesting, and when the four get into the theater, there are some scary things that occur. There is a ghost light on the stage, and when they venture too far away, they see and hear eerie things. There is a skull that seems to follow them around, and after touching it, Tyler thinks that they are being surrounded by rats. Jaylen falls off the stage and breaks his ankle; of course, none of the children can get cell phone service. They hunker down to wait until morning, but Jaylen thinks that the walls are closing in on them. In between the spooky ghost manifestations, Avery gets caught up on some things her friends have been going. Paige and Jaylen kissed, even though the kids made a pact to always stay friends, and Paige is worried about her parents' pending divorce. Of course, the altered states of Tyler and Jaylen are even more concerning, as is being followed by menacing ghosts! When things get especially bad, there is a fire started, and the theater is badly damaged. The ghost is put to rest (I don't want to spoil some of the details!), the kids aren't blamed for the fire, and Avery is able to return to Philadelphia with the knowledge that even if she had stayed in her old neighborhood, her friendships still might have changed. 
Strengths: Friends changing in middle school and growing apart is definitely more scary (and more common) than vicious ghosts, and pairing the two popular topics is an inspired idea. While as a responsible adult, I can't condone children lying to caregivers and sneaking out in the middle of the night, there is a certain appeal to such activity when one is a tween. There's a good back story to the haunting of the theater, and a good variety of ghost menacing. This is a good length, and moves quickly, as any good killer ghost story should. 

Weaknesses: Like this author's Field of Screams, this is more gently scary than terrifying. Also, would people in Philadelphia make fun of a Midwestern accent? Aside from a friend from New Hampshire who once said I had a "nasal" accent (I mean, I did grow up close to Cleveland), I always labored under the delusion that the Midwest didn't have an accent. 
What I really think: This is a great choice for readers who have an interest in eerie books with theater connections and enjoyed Gonzalez's Fearless, Key's Twelfth, Schusterman's Olive and the Backstage Ghost or Freeman's Noah McNichol and the Backstage Ghost.

Gibbs, Stuart. Spy School Entrance Exam: A Spy School Book of Devious Word Searches, Clever Crosswords, Sly Sudoku, and Other Top Secret Puzzles! (Paperback)
September 24, 2024 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Clearly, this is not a book for a school library, given the amount of puzzles in it, but it would make an excellent gift for an avid SPY SCHOOL fan. In addition to the different puzzles, there is some introductory notes from the principal (heavily redacted, of course!), information about different characters, as they introduce a variety of puzzles, and a lot of illustrations in the style of the SPY SCHOOL graphic novels. I'm not a fan of puzzles, but they do have different levels of them, and they look fairly interesting. The one exception is the crossword puzzles. Creating proper crosswords is a difficult thing to do, and these are rather simplistic. There is also information about some codes. Answers and explanations are at the back.

I liked the explanation that the system had been hacked, so the school was going back to old school pencil and paper testing. If I had a paper ARC of this, I would have to have a contest for the winner, because I have a lot of readers who adore the series and would love to get their hands on this! This is 240 pages long, so not a short book, and worth the $11 price tag. 

Lie Until It's True and Darkness and Demon Song

Weaver, Jessie. Lie Until It's True

May 7, 2024 by Melissa de la Cruz Studio

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this sequel to Live Your Best Lie (which I haven't read), Amanda Pruitt and her family are glad that her sister, Cora, has been found not guilty of the murder of a social media influencer, even though Amanda was the one who turned her in and who has a TikTok account under the name of UntilProven that has reported insider information about her sister's case without their parents' knowledge. Amanda is going to spend some time with her Aunt Amy at the Summit Hotel, where she hasn't been for three years. Why? A famous artist, Royden Das, was killed there, and her friend Vince's mother is in jail for the murder. His granddaughter, Lillia Das, is living nearby. Vince is trying to keep his family's art gallery afloat, and is glad to see Amanda, because he has a huge crush on her. Mallory, whose parents own the summit, is romantically involved with Cole, whose mom managed the facility. Cole thinks that Das' murder was committed by a ghost, and he has invited the Haunting or Homicide program to the hotel to investigate. To sweeten the deal, he has offered up Amanda and her online personality as part of the investigation. There's a lot of intrigue involving Das' romantic interest 50 years ago, who through herself off the hotel before they eloped and is said to haunt the hotel. The hotel is struggling financially, and Cole thinks that the program will help. Amanda doesn't want her identity known. When Cole is found murdered, and Amanda has blood on her clothing after suffering a seizure and not remembering how she got from one place to another, there is a lot of interest in this new case. How are the three violent deaths connected to each other, the hotel, and to Amanda? 

Strengths: My students ask frequently for murder mysteries, and since this involves not only an elderly artist's death but also a (not so nice) teen, this will have a lot of appeal. The cover is fantastic. The inclusion of social media will add to the appeal, and I really appreciated that there was no language or descriptions that would push this into the high school category. Amanda's seizure disorder is intriguing, and her fear that she is the one behind the two murders adds some interest. 
Weaknesses: This was somewhat hard to follow because of the shifts in viewpoint; sometimes there are flashbacks, some of the chapters are social media posts and comments, and there are also texts. This is a Young Adult Novel in length. 
What I really think: The hotel setting of this reminded me a bit of Stine's You May Now Kill the Bride. This would be a great choice for a high school library, and would be okay for a middle school one where Patterson's Confessions of a Murder Suspect is popular, but I'm afraid that my students would struggle with the flashbacks. I'm debating purchase. I really loved Barnes' The Inheritance Games, but it's been hard to get students to read it, mainly because of the length of each book, and the fact that it is also a long series. 

Fournet, M.R. Darkness and Demon Song (Marius Gray #2) 

June 18, 2024 by Feiwel & Friends

ARC provided by Young Adult Books Central

In this sequel to Brick Dust and Bones, In this sequel to Brick Dust and Bones, Marius has managed to bring his mother, Kelly, back from the dead. He continues to go to Madame Millet's school, where he has met the enigmatic Lynna, and also hunts monsters, selling them to Papa Harold. His flesh-eating mermaid friend, Rhiannon, still helps support him. When Marius stops by a local restaurant, the Old Coffee Pot, with his mother and Lynna, he manages to free some ghost hunters who are being possessed by spirits, but his mother becomes violently ill. Something is not quite right, and he tries to find out. He seeks the help of a retired demon hunter, Creecher, who sends him on a mission to find out how good he is, and then tells him that his mother is possessed by a demon. He consults Papa Harold, who says that if Marius can capture the Honey Island Swamp monster, he'll help with information so Marius can exorcise his mother. The monster is actually protecting owls on Honey Island, so Marius doesn't capture him. Now, he needs other help to rid his mother of the demon. With the help of Madame Millet, Mama Roux, and Creecher, will he be able to locate part of his mother's soul in Hell and reunite her with it? While this book could conclude Marius' story, there is a bit of demon song wafting through the air at the end that could lead to yet another tale.

Marius' relationship with Rhiannon has something of the feel of Tom's relationship with Alice in The Revenge of the Witch, which is not black and white, and therefore very interesting. How can you be friends with someone you are supposed to think is a monster? The New Orleans setting, with the super creepy paranormal creatures (children with solid black eyes infesting a movie theater!), is great, and the plot moves along very quickly. I KNEW that bringing Marius' mother back from the dead would have some negative ramifications, but I liked How Marius was determined to solve the problem, had a support network he could ask for help, and did everything in his power to put things right.

I wasn't quite sure where Marius and his mother were living. I think they were still in the graveyard, living in a mausoleum, which seemed odd. Of course, she wasn't really in any condition to hold a job and rent an apartment, so that makes some sense. The details in the first book of their living arrangements was interesting, so I would have liked to know more. I was also hoping that Marius' life would return to normal so that he was even more invested to work to keep his mother.

I enjoyed this one, and it's not often we see a middle grade horror SERIES. I'd love to see Fournet write some stand alones with the same setting, but with different monster hunters. Readers who enjoyed Baptiste's Jumbies series or Royce's  Conjure Island will be glad to be able to travel back to New Orleans.

Theater Mysteries!

Henry, April. Two Truths and a Lie 

May 24th 2022 by Christy Ottaviano Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss

Nell is excited to travel to the big city for a theater competition. The group's advisor, Ms. McElroy, has even managed to get a school van. In addition to Nell, there's Maeve, Jermaine, and Raven, and when bad weather forces the group off the roads, they end up at a creepy motel in the middle of nowhere. Stuart, the owner, gets them rooms and tells them a bit about the motel and its ammenities, including a game room and closed Tiki bar.  Another group of high school kids, a robotic team, shows up with their college aged advisor, Oscar. Mrs. McElroy gets her team settled and tells them to behave since she is going to bed, so of course all of the kids meet in the game room and start to play the game Two Truths and a Lie while scarfing down dodgy vending machine food. When one of the slips of paper, and an extra one at that, has alarming information saying that one of the people likes to watch people die and has killed more people than can be counted, the teens take the obvious preventive measure and consult a Ouija board. It, of course, replies in Latin, and things start to go badly wrong. An odd handyman who talks in the third person tells them the checkered past of the motel, where a double murder took place 25 years previously, and things take a grim turn. One girl appears to be murdered, and the kids try to figure out what is going on. Secrets are revealed, tensions rise, and no one seems safe. As the winter storm rages on and the killer is afraid of being caught, will anyone survive? (Tried not to spoil the twists and turns!)

Strengths: This gets double bonus points for one particular scene where there is lots of blood and gore... that turns out to be theatrical blood made of food coloring and corn syrup. This is perfect, because my readers want gore, and I don't particularly want to give them too much human on human violence. Henry is great at writing older characters in a way that is still appropriate for middle grade readers to read; this reminded me very much of the Joan Lowry Nixon titles from the 1990s that have recently seen a huge surge in popularity in my library. To bring the story into the 2020s, though, there's a bit of LGBTQIA+ representation (Nell talks about her two moms, Maeve is interested in one of the girls on the robotics team), and a small subplot about the exploitation of asylum seekers. The motel is super creepy, and I loved the details of the Tiki bar and the dusty carpet... ugh! While there is a tiny bit of alcohol (which Nell doesn't think is a great idea) and some romantic tension, the focus is mainly on escaping the maniacal killer. Remember, young readers have hopefull NOT seen all of the teen slasher horror films, so this will all be new to them. Adding in the decades old murder was a good call, and its connection to the current situation worked out nicely. I have one 6th grade boy who is going to be so thrilled to get this one-- he would check every day to see if The Girl in the White Van had been returned! This is a great title to read along with Alexander's Vacancy and Nixon's The Dark and Deadly Pool. 

Weaknesses: There are always a number of people who don't understand Henry's work and audience and give it two stars on Goodreads. Don't listen to these people. Middle school readers LOVE these books and absolutely devour them. Henry does her research into the criminal details and adds just the right amount of scary elements. Is this book a little bit cheesy? Yes. Is that what my readers want? Absolutely.
What I really think:  The only question is whether or not I should buy two copies. Since someone moved away with a brand new copy of Eyes of the Forest, the answer to this question is probably "You should buy THREE."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Key, Janet. Twelfth.

May 17th 2022 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

E ARC provided by Edelweiss

Maren is glad to go to summer camp to get away from problems at home surrounding her older sister, Hadley, but she still can't escape her sister's shadow, since she also had attended the Charlotte Goodman Theater Camp. Maren has a knack for solving little mysteries, like where Jo, the camp director, left her phone, and she settles in to her cabin. Roommate Theo, who identifies as nonbinary and uses the pronouns they/them, is interested in filming, and manages to irritate the other campers, especially after saying the name of the play the camp is putting on, MacBeth. There's already been an issue with the oldest counselor having gone missing, and there is a fear that this is the last year that the camp will be open, since there is development occurring around it. There's also the issue of the camp's history-- Charlotte Goodman was the daughter of a dancer and a set designer in Hollywood, and went into films herself, but unfortunately perished in a horrible fire in the 1950s. The camp was set up by her sister in her honor. There was another woman who died in the fire, and she had a very expensive engagement ring with her. The diamond has been rumored to be at the camp somewhere, and Maren starts to think that the counselor's disappearance had something to do with the clues she has found around camp, as well as rumored sightings of Charlotte's ghost. When developer Renee Wallace is seen lurking around the camp, Maren becomes more suspicious, and redoubles her efforts to find the diamond. In flashbacks, we see Charlotte's involvement in early Hollywood, and find out some secrets about her past. Will she and Theo be able to find the diamond, save the camp, and deal with the family issues that Maren will once again face when she returns home?
Strengths: There is a lot of good LGBTQIA+ representation in this book, and very good conversation on gender diversity with Dr. Jennifer Feldman at the back. A large plot twist revolves around the fact that Charlotte developed a romantic relationship with a female star, but I don't want to ruin the mystery! Theo's treatment is realistic, as they are not always treated well by some people but generally accepted. We didn't get a lot of information about Hadley's depression, but did see how it affected Maren. There is interesting information about the Red Scare in Hollywood; readers might want to pick up Brimner's Blacklisted!: Hollywood, the Cold War, and the First Amendment for more information. The fact that the camp might be endangered is realistic, and the alumni's support of it is touching. Since Charlotte was born in 1930, I think this was set in 2015 so that the timeline was a bit more realistic. 
Weaknesses: I know that there are some schools that get really into Shakespeare, but mine is not one of them. We have a small theater program now, but books about theater don't circulate very well. 
What I really think: This is a good mystery for readers who like Snyder's 2011 William's Midsummer Dreams, Freeman's (2021) Noah McNichol and the Backstage Ghost, Condie's 2016 Summerlost or Asher's Upstaged. 
 

Upstaged

Asher, Diana Harmon. Upstaged
March 16th 2021 by Amulet Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Shira is a really good singer, but she is nervous about performing in front of others. When her best friend Cassie wants to try out for the middle school production of The Music Man, Shira goes along to support her. Cassie ends up with a part in the chorus, but Shira has a larger role-- as part of the barber shop quartet. After some people make snide comments to her about being chosen for a boy's role, she debates not doing the play, but her younger sister, Cassie, and teacher Mr. Hoover convince her that she would do a good job. Popular mean girl Monica gets the role of Marian the librarian, and enthusiastic, friendly theater geek Paul plays Harold Hill. Monica frequently goes to auditions in the city, and Mr. Hoover thinks there should be an understudy for her part, although the "celebrity director", Ms. Channing, (who is also Monica's acting coach) doesn't think this is necessary. Shira enjoys working on the play, and finds Paul fun to be around. She even gets to spend some time with her crush, Drew, who is decently nice to her. Monica is not very nice to the other cast members, and when her expensive eyeliner is used to write a message on her locker, her costume is ordered in the incorrect size, and her script is mangled in a paper cutter, Monica focuses suspicion falls on Paul, whom she doesn't think is quite up to snuff to play opposite her. Paul is "benched" by the principal for a while. The play goes on, and Shira starts to feel a little more comfortable with performing. On the night of the production, something goes badly wrong. Will Shira be able to overcome her fears to save the day?

Strengths: While Shira is anxious and nervous about performing, she still manages to get up and perform with the support of her family and friends. There is a definite trend for showcasing anxiety, but the books are more interesting when the plot focuses more on the characters accomplishing things despite this. The interactions between the cast members are fun, and Paul in particular is a well-drawn character. There are just enough details about putting on a play, and I love that it is based on the author's own experience of being in the Barbershop quartet when she was in school! My school put on The Music Man last year, so it's definitely a play that is still being done!
Weaknesses: It seems unlikely that Monica and her mother would hold such power over the principal, or that Monica would get away with being so mean. I've been seeing a lot more of this sort of unrealistic situation in books. They do add a lot more excitement to books, and probably bother young readers a lot less than they bother me. 

What I really think: This is another good book about a school play being performed and a good addition to books like Federle's Better Nate Than Ever, Mustaches for Maddie, Freeman's Noah McNicol and the Backstage Ghost, Zadoff's My Life, The Theater, and Other Tragedies, or Young's The Prettiest. (In which The Music Man is also the play being performed!)

Mazie

Crowder, Melanie. Mazie

February 23rd 2021 by Philomel Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

It's 1959, and Mazie Butterfield lives on a farm in Nebraska. She has been singing for years, and gets solos when the car hops perform every hour at the drive in where she works, and is sure that she can make it on Broadway. Her boyfriend, Jesse, doesn't want to squash her dreams, but can't leave the family farm, even though he does very well in school. Her parents just expect that she will graduate from high school, get married, and settle down. Her grandmother is the one person who believes in her, and when she passes away unexpectedly, she leaves train tickets to New York and enough money to last Mazie six weeks in New York. After senior exams, Mazie decides to go to the big city and try to make it before she gets sucked into life in Nebraska. She finds a boarding house for aspiring actresses, packs a bag, and takes off. The city is daunting, but one of her roommates shows her the ropes and gets her started with auditioning. Even though she has taken voice and dancing lessons and worked hard at her craft, Mazie finds that many people snicker at her name, her freckles, and the fact that she is sturdily built rather than sylph like. Luckily, this works to her advantage at an audition. She's not right for that part, but the director sends her to a friend who is doing an industrial musical about tractors. Mazie gets hired as an understudy for all of the parts, which is a thankless task, but one which she attempts wholeheartedly. She deals with handsy men, meets gay actors, and embraces her differences even as her industry tells her to lose twenty pounds. Will she be able to be successful in an acting career? And what will the future hold for her and Jesse?

Strengths: Occasionally, an author who does perfect fine novels will just blow me out of the water with something completely different. Three Pennies was beautifully written, but Mazie... wow. Everything I want in a historical novel. Great period details, acknowledgement of social norms and mores, and a fast paced story that will appeal to a variety of readers. I loved the realistic details, like all fo the work that Mazie has done to prepare for her career, and the fact that she is hired for industrial performances. I had never heard of those, and Crowder has some great notes about them. Really enjoyed this. 
Weaknesses:Introducing Mazie to gay characters made perfect sense, but when she meets up with someone from her hometown while visiting friends from her tour, it seemed like an awfully big coincidence. 
What I really think: Definitely purchasing. It will be fantastic for our Decades unit, for anyone who thinks the stage is a good career move, and for readers who want a book about an older character setting out on her own. This reminded me a bit of Weil's I'm Glad I Did. 

Gonzalez, Mandy. Fearless

April 6th 2021 by Aladdin

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Here's another one about a girl from California getting a shot at singing on Broadway. She's in a production with three other children, they have a tutor, and things keep happening to sabotage the play. Is the Ethel Merman theater cursed? Or are evil developers plotting to get their hands on the building. Theater books don't circulate well at all in my library, but if they do in yours, definitely take a look. There are lots of good details about Broadway superstitions, history, and traditions provided by the author, who is herself a Broadway star. This looks to be the start of a series. 

From the Publisher: 

Better Nate than Ever meets Love Sugar Magic in this spooky middle grade novel from Hamilton and Broadway star Mandy Gonzalez about a group of young thespians who must face the ghost haunting their theater.

The Ethel Merman Theater is cursed. No one is sure how or why, but the evidence speaks for itself. Show after show has flopped and the theater is about to close. Enter twelve-year-old Monica Garcia, who has been cast to star in a Broadway musical revival of The Goonies, the theater’s last chance to produce a hit before it shutters its doors for good.

The kids in the cast each have their own reasons for wanting to make the show a success, and all eyes in the theater world are on them. Will this show finally break the curse of the Ethel? The kids aren’t quite sure if the curse is even real, but when their first performance doesn’t quite go as planned, it certainly feels that way.

Then they realize the ghost light—the light that is always kept on at every theater in order to appease the ghosts—wasn’t lit! When the kids rush to flick the switch back on, they find themselves locked in the theater—but that’s the least of their problems when the ghost of the Ethel makes her debut appearance!

Can the cast overcome their fears and reverse the ghost’s curse before opening night so they can save the show—and their dreams?

Noah McNichol and the Backstage Ghost

Freeman, Martha. Noah McNichol and the Backstage Ghost

January 26th 2021 by Simon Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Noah and his college professors live in a small, mostly white college town on the east coast, having moved from New York City when Noah was a baby. This is a shame, because Noah is very interested in the theater. His only exposure is the 6th grade annual production of a Shakespeare play, and he is very excited to try out. Unfortunately, the long time director, Miss Magnus, has broken her leg, and "had so many sick days saved up that she didn't have to come back until fall, so she didn't. Instead, she sat at home with her legged propped up and read poetry to her elderly Chihuahua." (*Snerk*) Mrs. Winklebottom, who has bankrolled the play for years, finds the only person who will oversee the play, Coach Newton, who is very busy with his sideline as a wedding planner. He gives the children free rein to run try outs, and while the kids are rather organized, they are glad when an older man, Mike, offers to direct and help out. Noah does mention that all volunteers need to have background checks, but soon the mysterious man is helping out. It quickly becomes apparent to Noah and his best friend Clive (whose father is Black), that Mike is a ghost. When asked directly, Mike even manifests some power, but since the play's the thing, everyone is soon back running lines and working on the set. Fuli, who was born in Nepal and whose family runs a local restaurant, is glad that Mike casts students into roles at which they are good and does not let their ethnicity restrict them. Mike has switched out Mrs. Winklebottom's bowdlerized scripts with the real version, and the students are excited about the play. When Noah's dad has to step in to help, Noah finds out more about his dad's background, and is able to solve the mystery of why they have a ghost interested in their school production. 

Strengths: I really enjoyed this, and find Freeman to be an interesting author. (Zap was fantastic.) The writing in this was especially clever, and the line about Miss Magnus and her Chihuahua was one of many that had me guffawing. It's hard to get books about plays being staged checked out in my library, but there was enough going on that this kept me interested. Noah and his friends are pleasant and hard working, but there is enough drama to move the story along. I appreciated that Freeman acknowledged that the two was predominately white, and that she identified the characters who weren't without fuss or comparing their skin to colors of food. There are several realistic interactions with Clive and Fuli talking about their experiences briefly. The mystery with Mike was mild but amusing, and Noah's interactions with the ghost seemed very true to life. This had the feel of a slightly older title, in a good way. I would definitely buy this for an elementary school library. 
Weaknesses: I could have done without some of the cutesy names (pretty sure Coach Newton's first name was Fig), since they also put this on the young end of middle grade.
What I really think: This reminded me a lot of Markell's The Ghost in Apartment 2R, which I also enjoyed. Smoothly well-written, this story included a lot of details about Shakespeare for those who are interested, as well as a family mystery and plenty of highjinks. Sadly, my students have a profound preference for murderous ghosts, so I may not purchase this, even though I really want to!

Babysitting Nightmares

As hard I try, I occasionally miss books that are published. I was about way into this Kat Shepherd book when a character popped up and I thought "Wait... this is not the first book!" So, here is a good mystery SERIES to take a look at! I'll mention the other books below; I will probably order them, then read them before I put them on the shelves, although my public library does have copies.

Shepherd, Kat. The Twilight Curse (Babysitting Nightmares #3)
August 20th 2019 by Imprint
E ARC provided by Netgalley.com

When Clio's aunt Kawanna brings the girls into the Twilight Theater in Piper, Oregon, to see it before a production of Macbeth starts to rehearse, Maggie is the most excited. She would love to be in the play, but it doesn't have any young cast members. She's excited to babysit the daughter of Emily, the star, at the theater. Juniper is a well behaved child, and Maggie gets to see some of the play as well as investigate the theater. Built in 1929, the theater has had nothing but bad luck, and never has been able to stay open for long. Kawanna tells the girls they shouldn't say the name of the play in the theater, and the girls wonder if the run of bad luck for the current production has anything to do with them. When Clio, Rebecca and Tanya help Maggie delve into more of the history of the theater when weird things start to happen, they find out that the star, Vivien Vane, was not able to perform opening night because the understudy, Norma Desmond, did some underhanded things. Vivien appears to be haunting the theater with the help of the Night Queen. Can the girls keep the theater safe from evil influences, and bring the spirit of Vane some peace?
Strengths: The theater was an awesome setting, and there are lots of similar venues that are having difficulty, so this was a fun way to introduce younger readers to some interesting cultural history. I loved that Norma Desmond was the name of the actress who was at odds with Vane; that, of course, is not a real person but the name of a character in Sunset Boulevard portrayed by Gloria Swanson! I'm sure the dealings with the Nightmare Realm and the Night Queen would have made a lot more sense had I read the first two books, but this held up very well as a stand alone. Nicely creepy, with murderous ghost as well as babysitting and a play production.
Weaknesses: While I understand why the culturally diverse cast is used, it's sort of a cliche. Clio is African American, Rebecca is Asian (this book didn't specify which country), and Tanya is Latinx. Maggie has red hair; the White character sometimes has blonde hair. Oddly, this ensemble is never used for boys. It's not a bad thing, but it is a little odd.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing the whole set for my readers who like mystery and ghost stories.

Shepherd, Kat. Babysitting Nightmares: The Shadow Hand
Published June 5th 2018 by Imprint

From Goodreads.com
"The Baby-Sitter’s Club meets Goosebumps as a diverse group of friends encounter supernatural problems on their babysitting gigs. The typical babysitting job just got a whole lot scarier!

Rebecca Chin is understandably freaked out when something begins haunting her babysitting charge, Kyle. Ever since a powerful thunderstorm, strange handprints have appeared on the walls, shashadows prowl his room, and the baby is not quite himself.

After investigating, Rebecca and her three best friends discover that a sinister, paranormal villain known as the Night Queen has taken Kyle and replaced him with one of her minions. To stop her, they embark on a chilling journey into the woods to outwit the Night Queen and her creepy creatures—or risk being trapped in her realm forever!"

Shepherd, Kat. Babysitting Nightmares: The Phantom Hour
Published January 29th 2019 by Imprint

From Goodreads.com

"Clio has already had one brush with the paranormal, and she's dead set on making it her last.

But her new babysitting job is in a haunted house! At first, Clio's excited to work at the historical Victorian mansion in town--until doors

Clio enlists the help of her three best friends, Tanya, Maggie, and Rebecca, to uncover long-buried secrets from the past. Can Clio face her fear and solve the mystery of the haunted mansion?"

Curriculum Night, so here is another Petite Sophisticate jacket in Blendon Blue, with a Chaps black knit dress. Glass bead necklace completes the look.

Oh, my. Petite Sophisticate went out of business in 2005. No wonder I haven't been finding as many of their things at the thrift store! Good thing I believe in style and not fashion!

I keep all of my shoes at school, since I wear out a lot of tennis shoes on my walk. I prefer Clarks loafers, and change when I get to school, humming Mr. Rogers' "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood" to myself while doing so.

Super Max AND Olive and the Backstage Ghost

Vaught, Susan. Super Max and the Mystery of Thornwood's Revenge.
August 29th 2017 by Simon Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Max lives with her grandfather, Toppy, who is the chief of police. She loves figuring out how things work and how to make them work better, He allows her to tinker with her wheelchair, since he considers it as much a part of her body as her legs. However, if she tinkers with other things around the house and sets things on fire, she is punished by having to watch and review sappy movies! From her window, Max can see the creepy Thornwood mansion, which has been derelict for as long as anyone can remember. Her best friend Lavender's mother gave tours of the building for a while, but the building has become increasingly fragile. There's also the curse that Thornwood left, so his family has never been successful enough to repair the place, and no one else wants to live in it. When someone posts a fake Facebook page about Toppy and gets him in a lot of trouble with the town and the mayor, it looks like the curse is back in action. The devastation doesn't stop at Toppy's reputation-- soon things are being set on fire, bank accounts are being hacked, and Toppy may lose his job if he can't stop the perpetrator. Can Lavender and Max, with the help of the owner of the local electrical supply store and his foster son, figure out the culprit? Is it Junior Thornwood? Max's mother, who lives in California? The answer surprises and shocks Max.
Strengths: This was a fun mystery-- a mix of haunted house and hackers that was intriguing. Max's disability is certainly part of the story but not the whole story, which I loved. Toppy is fantastic-- I'm just sad I don't have anyone to punish with writing reviews of sappy movies. That's brilliant. The writing was really good as well. Bonus points for not being as super sad as Footer Davis.
Weaknesses: There was a lot going on in this story, but it was too long for most of my readers (352 pages). It started to drag quite a bit in the middle, which is a shame. Tighter editing would have made this a top notch choice for middle school readers, who really, truly like books to wrap up in 200 pages. I'm a little conflicted about this-- certainly, they should have the patience for a longer book, but there is something about being able to tell the entire story in 200 pages that is not a bad thing for economy of words. Also, errors in Latin phrase that I hope can be fixed.
What I really think: Will purchase. I've only had one student in a wheelchair, but that is certainly a bit of diversity lacking in middle grade literature. Vaught's son is in a wheelchair, so she hits the right notes.

Schusterman, Michelle. Olive and the Backstage Ghost
August 15th 2017 by Random House Books for Young Readers
Copy provided by the publisher

Olive is okay with going to auditions and attending a theater camp, but has a history of being stricken with stage fright in the presence of her mother. Her mother was a child star and did quite well until she lost her ability to sing, and she is bound and determined to have Olive achieve her level of success. Ever since her father's passing a year ago, the two have struggled financially even though they have kept their posh city apartment, and Olive has noticed that more and more of their possessions have been sold. After blowing a summer camp audition, Olive runs away and happens upon a beautiful old theater. She goes onto the stage and sings the piece that she wanted to sing before her mother pushed her to do something else. The owner of the theater, Maude, comes out and tells Olive that she has won the main role in the newest production, Eidola. As Olive spends more and more time in the theater, she meets others , like Juliana, who are in the production, and Felix, who warns her to stay away from the theater. She also meets a number of ghosts, but since they seem benign, she's not too worried. Eventually, Olive and her mother have a falling out, and Olive goes to live in the theater, although her mother does make the news about her disappearance. Things are not as they seem, and the theater offers the occasional creepy glimpse that something is not right. Will Olive, Juliana, and Felix be able to figure out Maude's plans before the production, and all of the cast, is doomed?
Strengths: Olive's relationship with her mother is interesting. Middle grade parents who want to live vicariously through their children are not often covered, but it is an intriguing struggle. Maudeville is atmospherically creepy, and this put me in mind a bit of Funke's The Thief Lord for some reason. The characters of Felix, Finley, and Juliana are particularly well done.
Weaknesses: Olive's relationship with her mother never really improves, and there is a very brief and unexamined statement that Olive's father did not fall to his death but rather jumped. Both of these threads could be upsetting to middle grade readers, and I wish they had been explained and resolved.
What I really think: Readers who enjoy creepy stories and theater settings will read this avidly, but I preferred this author's Kat Sinclair series, since there was more action.

Time Slip Tuesday-- Circle of Secrets

Time Slip Tuesday is a recurring feature at Charlotte's Library, where there are always great middle grade fantasy reviews and an awesome weekly round up on Sundays.

Little, Kimberley Griffiths. Circle of Secrets.
1 October 2011, Scholastic
Shelby is angry at everyone. Her father, because he's going away and can't leave her with her grandmother, who is in the hospital. Her mother, who walked away from the family a year ago. The new students in her school who slyly taunt her. Shelby's mother is a healer and her house is in the swamp, so her new classmates have plenty of ammunition to tease her. When Shelby meets Gwen, she is relieved to have someone to talk to, but she's concerned because Gwen's parents are missing and she is staying on her own. While dealing with Gwen's problems, Shelby becomes somewhat more understanding of her mother's difficulties in living away from the swamp with Shelby's overbearing paternal grandmother, and starts to embrace the odd life the two make in the swamp. Gwen's secrets, however, take on a new urgency when they put Shelby in danger.
Strengths: This was a good ghost mystery, reminiscent of Barrett's Cold in Summer. There is a very strong sense of place, and Shelby's difficulties are realistic and not easily solved.
Weaknesses: Anything with a quirky/Southern component is never my favorite, especially when there is a bit of dialect ("jest" for "just"). No idea why.

Coert Vorhees' Lucky Fools was too much like Zadoff's My Life, the Theater, and Other Tragedies. Theater is not something my students are interested in, and the book has been a hard sell. Also, when the main character is trying to convince his father that it's a good idea for him to major in theater...no. If his father loved him, he would just say no.

Hemphill's Sisters of Glass (2012) would be great if I had students interested in a novel in verse about Venetian glass blowing in the fifteenth century; oddly, I don't. Doller's Something Like Normal (2012) would be a great addition to a high school library, since it deals with a young man coming back from serving in Afghanistan; unfortunately, it has a lot of gratuitous foul language and sexual allusions.

Mary Downing Hahn's Mister Death's Blue-eyed Girls (2012) was a very good Young Adult book, but significantly different from the author's  middle grade ghost stories. This was clearly a very personal novel for the author, but the historical setting and the murder plot, combined with the length, make me less motivated to get it for a middle school library. The Fabulous Teen Librarian at my public library who does school visits felt the same way.

Going to the public library was a great way to kick start the Summer Throwdown. The problem with going to the library is that I get distracted, most often by the adult nonfiction. I also pick up things, like the ones listed above, that really aren't quite right. They LOOK good, though! I read 4.25 books (one was a picture book about Julia Child). This is a time when I wish I did NOT have my blog scheduled ahead, because there is a weird lag between reading the book and posting the review.