Card Catalog- Talking Mice!

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Mice Books

Avi. Poppy (1995) Series
Bearn, Emily. TumTum and Nutmeg (2009) Series
Breitrose, Prudence. Mousemobile (2013) Series
Christian, Peggy. The Bookstore Mouse (1995)
Cleary, Beverly. The Mouse and the Motorcycle (1965)
Cole, Henry. A Nest for Celeste (2010)
Deedy, Carmen Agra. The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale (2011)
DiCamillo. The Tale of Despereaux  (2003)
*Dillard, Sarah. Mouse Scouts (2016)  Series
Dixon, Amy. Marathon Mouse (2012) Picture Book
Edwards, Julie Andrews. The Great American Mousical (2006)
*Fiedler, Lisa. Mouseheart (2014) Series
Frederick, Heather Vogel. Spy Mice (2005) Series
*Green, Poppy. The Adventures of Sophie Mouse (2015)
Hoban, Russell. A Mouse and His Child (1967)
Hoeye, Michael. Time Stops for No Mouse (1999) Series
*Holm, Jenni and Matt. Babymouse: Queen of the World (2005) Series
*Jacques, Brian. Redwall (1986) Series
Jarvis, Robin. The Dark Portal (2000) Series
King-Smith. Dick. Three Terrible Trins (1994)
Martin’s Mice (1988)
A Mouse Called Wolf (1997)
The School Mouse (1994)
Lawson, Robert. Ben and Me (1923)
*Lieb. Ratscalibur (2015)
*Lowry, Lois. Bless this Mouse (2011)
O’Brien. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (1971) Series
*Peck, Richard. Secrets at Sea (2011)
The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail (2013)
*Petersen, David. Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 (2007) Series
*Pilkey, Dav. Ricky Ricotta (2005) Series
Reynolds, Paul and Peter. Sydney and Simon (2014) Series
*Selden, George. The Cricket in Times Square (1960) Series
*Sharp, Margery. The Rescuers (1959) Series
Smith, Sherri L. The Toymaker's Apprentice (2015)
Steig, William. Abel's Island (1975)*Stilton, Geronimo. Various series (2000)
*Titus, Eve. Basil of Baker Street (1958) Series
*Voigt, Cynthia. Young Fredle (2000)
White, E.B. Stuart Little (1961)
Watts, Frances. Secrets of the Ginger Mice (2012) Series

*Mentioned in podcast.

Dark Days- Dead City #3

Ponti, James. Dark Days (Dead City #3)
Published October 6th 2015 by Aladdin

Molly has just jumped into a pond at the city zoo and is relating her tale from the holding cell at the police station. Her plan was to get taken there in order to rescue her mother. Marek Blackwell is back, reconstituted from parts of other followers, and he has vowed revenge on the Omegas. Molly isn't willing to stop, however, and learns that he has secret evil plans for his location under NYC, and they have something to do with stealing gold in order to fund his criminal empire. Molly is also very worried about Natalie, and fears that she has become a zombie, given several changes in her personality and lifestyle. Can the Omegas put an end to Marek once and for all, and will Molly's family ever get back to some semblance of normal?
Strengths: Even though Molly has some very serious zombie fighting to so (some of the zombie police are following her!), her parents are still very supportive, and she still attends her science oriented school. There are tiffs with her sister, misunderstandings with friends, AND zombies. And it's only a trilogy. Brilliant all around. 
Weaknesses: While I appreciate the character development, my zombie readers prefer straight up blood and gore. Still, when the zombie craze is over, I think that this series will still circulate. 
What I really think: Nice job. I'm curious to see what Ponti will write next. Maybe a funny book with a boy as the main character? That would be fantastic!

Return of the Forgotten (Mouseheart #3)

Fielder, Lisa. Return of the Forgotten (Mouseheart #3)
October 20th 2015 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

With Felina, the evil cat gone, Hopper is able to help out his friends Firren and Zucker with their brood of young royal heirs. Well, democratic royal-ish heirs, even though the youngest, Hope, really wants to be an entitled princess and wear diamond tiaras. When off on a jaunt, Hope comes upon Devon, a guard who has an evil agenda. She is also kidnapped by Pup, who is not as evil as he has seemed in past books; more misunderstood than anything. There's lots of adventure, running around under New York, and lots of family and community secrets that get brought to life, tying everything up nicely in this final book in the trilogy. 
Strengths: I'm starting to see a bit of a resurgence in fantasy reading in my library, especially the variety that involves swords. This is a good choice for readers who are transitioning from Erin Hunter to John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice books. 
Weaknesses: The mice talk. And they wear jerkins. Why? Why do they wear jerkins underneath modern New York City? WHy this elaborate pseudo-medieval power structure? Makes no sense at all. Why not 1920s gangland rats and mice? Tommy guns instead of swords? Fedoras instead of capes?
What I really think: As much as I love cute cartoon mice in easy readers, I dislike talking, war like mice in things like Brian Jacques. Just a personal preference; this series circulates well. 

The Skeleton Tree

Lawrence, Iain. The Skeleton Tree.
January 5th 2016 by Tundra Books
Copy provided by the publisher

Chris is excited to go sailing with his Uncle Jack in Alaska, especially since his uncle, while rather unreliable, is a link to his deceased father. The two get ready to set off, but there is another boy there, Frank, who seems to dislike Chris. Uncle Jack doesn't offer any explanations for the other boys' presence, and, unfortunately, doesn't get a chance to. Very early on, a huge storm hits, and Jack is sucked down with the boat after getting both boys to safety. They was ashore, make their way inland a bit, and find a cabin. While Frank is still hostile, the two use the skills they have to survive, and hope that soon someone will come for them. Secrets are revealed, and the boys realize they are closer than they imagined, despite their differences. 

Strengths: The pace of this book is quick; things get off to a roaring start. The survival tactics are all solid and realistic, and there is a requisite bear attack. (Seriously, I think my survival book readers give up on a book if there isn't at least ONE bear attack.) The tension between the boys makes for an interesting twist. The inclusion of items washing up on the shore after the Japanese tsunami is a nice touch.

Weaknesses: The family drama makes the tension between the boys make sense, but didn't add much to the story otherwise. Having the cabin eliminated having to create shelter, which is something I find interesting, but which probably isn't realistic when it comes to actual survival!

Mystery Thursday

Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. Going Where It's Dark
January 12th 2016 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Copy provided by the publisher

Buck is looking at difficult summer at his rural home near the Blue Ridge Mountains. His best friend has moved away, he's being teased by boys in his class who mock his stutter, and he has to do a lot of work in the family garden and also for a man his uncle has been helping. All Buck wants to do is to investigate the caves near his home, but his parents won't let him go without someone else. Luckily, working for Jacob Wall has its advantages; Wall once worked with veterans who had speech issues, and is willing to help Buck for free. In the meantime, Buck also helps his grandfather investigate plywood thefts at the family lumberyard with the help of his older brother and uncle. When the boys from his class who have been making fun of him drop Buck down a pit quite some way from his home, he knows he can use his spelunking skills to get home, but the adventure is more harrowing than he expected it to be. 

Going Where It's Dark has a great sense of place, as well as a number of well-developed characters. Buck's family is very supportive, even though his parents are struggling with work issues, and it's nice to see the inclusion of his truck driving uncle who is around from time to time, as well as his twin sister, who has secrets of her own. 

The two biggest issues in the book are Buck's speech problems, and his interest in caving. Both are treated with care, and the research and background knowledge Naylor has of both of these is evident. I just wish that the excitement of the caving adventure had come much earlier in the book. 

Some tighter editing would have made this a stronger story; there are a lot of things going on in the book that are less than interesting. The plywood stealing could have been cut out, and while the boys ridiculing Buck for his stutter were necessary to get him into the cave, it's hard to believe that this sort of behavior would have been tolerated by any adult in the picture. Buck's mother taking him to the faith healer also could have been cut. Naylor is such a good author that it seems rude to criticize her work. This was a good book that could have been even better. 




Grisham, John. The Fugitive- Theodore Boone #5May 12th 2015 by Dutton Books for Young Readers

When Theo is with his 8th grade class on a field trip to Washington, D.C., he thinks he sees Pete Duffy, who has fled Strattenburg after being charged with murder. Theo contacts his Uncle Ike for help, and thinks for sure that the FBI will bring him in, but Duffy can't be found. Ike and Theo are asked to go back to D.C. to try to catch him, and they do. He is taken back to Strattenburg and a trial is set, but the problem now is getting Bobby Escobar to testify. Bobby is afraid that he will be deported, and goes missing on the eve of the trial. Theo, of course, is crucial to the entire case, and the judge frequently consults him, and asks Theo's parents to let him out of school to come to court. Once Bobby is found and convinced to testify, things don't go well for Pete. He is sent to prison, but he has associates on the outside who know all about Theo's involvement. 
Strengths: Theo is a tween saving the world AND his parents are still alive. Hooray! Lots of good details about the law, adventure, evil doers-- lots of good stuff. 
Weaknesses: Really? The judge consults him. And he just happens to be the only one who sees Duffy in D.C. Hard for me to believe, but average 12 year old won't mind. 
What I really think: Decent enough crime series, and there aren't enough of those for middle grade readers. Still, a sixth book should bring this to a close. We can find out Ike's secrets, and take care of Duffy's allies. 


Snicket, Lemony. Why is this night different from all other nights?
September 29th 2015 by Little, Brown and Company

In this fourth and FINAL book in the All the Qrong Questions series, Lemony finds himself desperate to get on The Thistle of the Valley train, because he sees his guardian, Theodora, get a costume and then board the train herself. No one will let him on, so he jumps on and is saved by Moxie. Everyone seems to be on the train, which has a holding cell for prisoners. When the library Dashiell Qwerty is murdered and Theodora is found with his body, she is accused of the murder by the inept police. Lemony investigates, and this leads him to Elliot Feint, who is still looking for her father. Hangfire is still trying to get the statue of the Bombinating Beast, and many mysteries are unraveled as the train speeds toward the Clusterous Forest. In the end, the forces of evil seem to have been quashed, and Stain'd-by-the-Sea should have a path back to success plotted for it. 
Strengths: A great, quirky film noir type novel with a plethora of large vocabulary words explained with the phrase "which here means".
Weaknesses: Why do authors think students even know what film noir IS, mcuh less want books written in that irritating style? I am so glad that this is only four books; it has not been a big circulator, and even The Series of Unfortunate Events is becoming neglected. 
What I really think: Not a Snicket fan, although I did finally do an internet search, and VFD apparently stands for the evil organization, the Volunteer Fire Department. Ugh. 

#WNDB Wednesday- Chloe in India

Darnton, Kate. Chloe in India
January 12th 2016 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
E ARC from Netgalley.com

Chloe and her sister Anna were not thrilled when their family moved to India to help their mother's career as a news reporter, but at least Anna is fitting into Premium Academy better than Chloe. Chloe desperately wants to be friends with the popular Anvi, but can't keep herself from doing silly things that alienate her from her classmates, like trying to dye her blonde hair black with magic marker. When two underprivileged girls, Lakshmi and Meher join the class, Chloe tries to befriend them since no one else does, but this makes staying friends with Anvi very difficult. When there is a dance competition for an awards day, Lakshmi and Chloe practice and are given the honor of performing, but this makes Anvi angry, and she uses her high powered father to threaten Lakshmi's home in the slums. Lakshmi backs out of the dancing, but Chloe encourages her to stay in, and brings in her journalist mother to help save the family home. 

Strengths: The author has drawn on her experiences with her own children in Indian schools, and framing typical middle school girl drama in an entirely new setting is very interesting. The details about a school for Americans and well-to-do Indians are very well drawn. 

Weaknesses: While I am always on the lookout for books set in other countries, I would prefer that they be from the point of view of native citizens rather than US ones. There were times when Chloe's opinions about things seemed at odds with the opinions of the citizens, and I wasn't comfortable seeing the country through a foreign lens. 

Verdict: This was interesting and well done, but not the story I wanted to be able to give to my students, so I won't be buying it. 

Zero Day/The Frozen Menace (Dragonbreath #11)

Gansei, Jan. Zero Day
January 12th 2016 by Disney-Hyperion 
E ARC from Netgalley.com

Addie's father is governor when she is kidnapped. She was playing with her friend, Darrow, who misses her dreadfully. Eight years later, when she is 16, she reappears. The Secret Service are very careful to make sure that she is actually Addie; President Webster and his wife have enough problems, with Addie's older sister Elinor in rehab after a bad drug overdose, and her younger sister, "replacement" Mackenzie unable to relate to people well. Addie checks out, and is reinstated with the family, but the secret service are watching her carefully. Darrow is glad to have her back; his mother is part of the Webster's security detail, and he goes to the Friends' school that Elinor attended. Addie is still skittish, but settles in well at school, even though having the secret service watching her so closely makes her feel a bit as she did during her years of captivity with a couple that lived "off the grid" and feared the government. There have been a rash of terrorist "attacks" around Washington; bombs have gone off at receptions, on the subway, and there has even been one reported strapped underneath a police car-- but all are fakes. Each time, a group claims responsibility, and tells everyone that they have been warned. Is it coincidence that Addie has reappeared at this time? Does she have anything to do with the attacks? Darrow and his friend Harper try to get to the bottom of the occurrences, and Addie makes some startling discoveries of her own. The ending of this screams "There will be a sequel!"

Strengths: There are so many things going on here! Addie's reentry into her former life after years in captivity is interesting enough, but her possible involvement in the terrorist group adds a very interesting psychological layer to this. Her family issues are realistically portrayed, and reading about life in the White House is something my readers tend to enjoy. There's lots of details about espionage, lots of action-- perfect for readers who liked Monaghan's A Girl Named Digit, Barnes' The Fixer, Benway's Also Known As and Carter's Heist Society Books. 

Weaknesses: Didn't need the phrase "Clusterf***" on page 306 (314 on my e reader). Everything else was fine for older middle school readers. 

What I really think: I may wait to purchase this until after I read the second book in the series. While this book is okay for middle school, the second book could go in a much more YA direction. 


Vernon, Ursula. The Frozen Menace (Dragonbreath #11)
January 12th 2016 by Dial Books
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Danny is feeling sick-- not in pain, but very, very cold. He finally goes to visit his grandfather in mythical Japan, and is instructed to eat Phoenix eggshells to restart his fire. Luckily, Wendell and Christiana are with him, and the three take off to the mythical north to find the phoenix. Despite the treacherous bridges and enormous iceworms, they locate a phoenix nest, and are just in time to watch a baby phoenix hatch. Because of the ice worms, the little guy almost doesn't make it, but the friends work together to get the baby warm and dry. Unfortunately, the baby imprints on Wendell and wants to follow him everywhere, which does not make the mother phoenix happy. The fact that the group has named the baby Herbert doesn't either, but they find a way to get the baby to attach to the mother and head back to the real world, with Danny's ability to breathe fire greatly improved. 

Strengths: This series is so much fun. There are pictures, yes, but also a decent amount of text, and Danny's adventures are always innovative and interesting. I love the bus that takes the group to "mythical Japan", as well as refrigerators being portals, and the phoenix baby imprinting on poor Wendell. Lots of action and adventure as well. 

Weaknesses: Horrible bindings do not wear well at all, so book one is in tatters. I know, I know-- the publishers want to make money!

What I really think: Whole grain toaster pastries with added vitamins and fiber. These are so amusing and well done that I don't mind handing them to students. 

MMGM- Radioactive!: How Irène Curie and Lise Meitner Revolutionized Science and Changed the World

It's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday at Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe and What Are You Reading? day at Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers. It's also Nonfiction Monday.

Conkling, Winifred. Radioactive!: How Irène Curie and Lise Meitner Revolutionized Science and Changed the World
January 5th 2016 by Algonquin Young Readers 
E ARC from Netgalley; paper copy from Baker and Taylor

Check out today's podcast for fiction books with science connections!

Marie Curie had a fascinating story that many younger readers have heard, but her daughter Irene's story is almost more fascinating because of the time during which she lived. Largely left to her own devices by her very driven scientist parents, Irene pursued similar academic interests, but also helped out with X-Rays at field hospitals during WWI, and at a very young age! Armed with both experience and knowledge, she worked in her parents' lab and went to college, where she excelled academically. She also met and married a fellow scientist, Frederic Joliot, and the two worked together and discovered artificial radiation. While the science was a bit hard for me to follow, the depiction of a woman struggling to be recognized in an academic science field in the early 1900s was fascinating. 

We also learn about the slightly older Meitner, who also struggling not only to obtain an education, but to find jobs in her field. She worked with another scientist, Hahn, and actually took precautions against radiation poisoning in the labs where she worked, unlike the Curies! She was involved in experiments involving fission, but her work was interrupted by WWII. Feeling that her academic repute, as well as her Austrian passport, would protect her from Hitler's targeting of people of Jewish descent (which she was, although she felt Protestant), she did not leave Germany when there was an exodus of Jewish scientists. She was so stubborn about staying that she eventually had to be nearly kidnapped by friends in the scientific community and removed to Sweden! She continued to work, but was thwarted by lack of recognition and the generally difficult circumstances of moving to a new country at the age of 60. 

While Curie and Meitner were often at odds scientifically, their experiences with trying to work in a field that was mainly the domain of men was very similar, and is an enlightening thing for teens to read about today. The book is filled with fascinating moments, and is an excellent choice for libraries where a lot of research is done. While I read nonfiction for fun, I don't have many middle school students who will sit down to 200+ pages of nonfiction. I wish I did, but I don't. 

Card Catalog- Science

Click Here for Podcast

*Aldrin, Buzz. Welcome to Mars: Making a Home on the Red Planet (NF)(2015)

*Anderson, Laurie Halse. Fever, 1793 (Yellow Fever) (2000)

Anderson, T. Neill. City of the Dead (Galveston Hurricane)(2013)

*Banks, Kate. Boy’s Best Friend (Scientific Method) (2015)

*Barry, Dave. Science Fair (2008)

*Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. Terrible Typhoid Mary (NF)(2015)

Blundell, Judy. A City Tossed and Broken (Earthquake) (2013)

*Brown , Jennifer. How Lunchbox Jones saved me from robots, traitors, and Missy the Cruel  

(Robotics)(2015)

Life on Mars (Astronomy)(2014)

*Carter, Dean Vincent. Hand of the Devil (Mutant killer mosquitoes)(2005)

Cervantes, Angela. Allie, First and Last (Science Fair) (2016)

*Chibbaro, Julie. Deadly (Typhoid) (2011)

Cooney, Caroline. Code Orange (Smallpox)(2005)

Dowell, Francis O’Roark. Phineas McGuire-- Erupts (2006, series)

*Earhart, Kristin. Rain Forest Relay (Ecology)(2015)

*Frazier, Sundee. Brendan Buckley’s Scientific Experiment (Rocks and Minerals)(2007)

Garrett, Dee. Wildfire Run (Earthquake, forest fire)(2010)

Gibbs, Stuart. Belly Up (Zoology) (2010)

Space Case (Living in space)(2014)

*Hiassen, Carl. Hoot (Ecology) (2002)

*Hopkinson, Deborah . The Great Trouble (Cholera)(2013)

*Jarrow, Gail. Fatal Fever: Tracking Down Typhoid Mary (NF) (2015)

Joiner, Sarah K. After the Ashes (Darwin, volcano eruption) (2016)

Jurmain, Susan. The Secret of the Yellow Death (NF)(2009)

Keating, Jess. How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied (Zoology)(2014)

Kelly, Jacqueline. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate (Biology)(2009)

*Kelly, Mark E. Astrotwins: Project Blastoff (Rocketry)(2015)

Astrotwins: Project Rescue (2016)

*Key, Watt. Terror at Bottle Creek (Hurricane)(2016)

Kinard, Kami. The Boy Project (Investigative methods, math)(2012)

*Korman, Gordon. Ungifted (Robotics)(2012)

*Lewman, David. The Case of the Mystery Meat Loaf (Investigations)(2012) 6 books

Margolis, Leslie. Everybody Bugs Out (Science Fair) (2011)

MacGregor, Allen. Miss Pickerell Goes to Mars (1951)

Mass, Wendy. Every Soul a Star (Astronomy)(2008)

McDougal, Sophia. Mars Evacuees (Living in Space, terraforming)(2015)

Northrop, Michael. Trapped! (Blizzard)(2011)

*Pearson, Ridley. Steel Trapp (Science Competition)(2008)

*Rorby, Ginny. How to Speak Dolphin (Marine life, behavioral psychology)(2015)

Hurt Go Happy (Primate studies)(2006)

*Ruckman, Ivy. Night of the Twisters (Tornado)(1984)

Salisbury, Graham. The Night of the Howling Dogs (Earthquake)(2007)

Schreiber, Joel. Lenny Cyrus, School Virus (Biology) (2012)

*Wardlaw, Lee. 101 Ways to Bug Your Teacher (Invention Convention) (2004)

Westerfeld, Scott. Peeps (Viruses)(2005)

*Williams, Jay. Danny Dunn and the Anti-Gravity Paint (1957)

*Mentioned in podcast

Lizzie and the Lost Baby

Blackford, Cheryl. Lizzie and the Lost Baby
January 12th 2016 by HMH Books for Young Readers
E ARC from Netgalley.com

Lizzie and her younger brother Peter are sent away from the city at the start of WWII because their father is going into the military and their mother is worried for them. They are sent to a Yorkshire Valley, where they are billeted with the uncommunicative Elsie, who has had her husband and baby daughter die. Elsie's sister lives next door, and takes care of the children to a certain degree, but there is not a lot of love or attention being paid to them. When Lizzie is out wandering, she finds an abandoned baby and brings it home. The baby is actually Rose, and she was left in the field when her brother Elijah was told to leave her by a mean family "friend" who wanted help with poaching animals. Elijah is beside himself when Rose is gone, and soon realizes that Lizzie has her. The local constabulary, however, has decided that since Rose is a gypsy baby, and her presence is comforting to Elsie, that the gypsies don't "deserve" to have her back. Together, Elijah and Lizzie work to get Rose back to her rightful home. 

Strengths: This is an interesting twist on WWII, even though it doesn't talk too much about the war. There seemed to have been a lot of books about evacuated children written in the 1970s, so it's interesting to see a new one that explores issues of class at the time. I enjoyed this one and would have loved it as a child.

Weaknesses: Rather slow paced, and historical fiction is not a huge draw with my students unless it is action-packed. 

What I really think: I won't buy this for my library, especially since the cover won't appeal to my students. Sigh. 

Cartoon Saturday- The Terrible Two Get Worse

Barnett, Mac and John, Jory.  The Terrible Two Get Worse
January 12th 2016 by Amulet Books
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Miles and Niles are back, committing more acts of hatchback violence to Principal Barkin's poor car, smearing Limburger cheese on its undercarriage. In light of all of the pranks that have been happening, the school board votes to fire Barry Barkin and bring back his father. Former Principal Barkin is NOT having any pranks, and Miles and Niles are locked down in their ability to cause harmless mayhem at their school. Even the pranks they try (setting off the fire alarm, complete with sprinklers) is turned around so the pranks look like a good thing. Josh Barkin is promoted to School Helper, is allowed to commandeer the fundraising money, and is generally annoying. Finally, Miles and Niles have no choice but to contact Barry and work with him to oust his father. 

Strengths: Filled with goofy pictures, fans of the first book in this series will be glad to see the adventures of the pranksters continue.

Weaknesses: There is an incident where the boys put a very hot pepper in Former Principal Barkin's mug that I didn't find funny at all. The principal is not shown drinking the liquid, or suffering any ill effects, but as someone who occasionally has a cup of tea at my desk because I talk all day long and my throat gets dry, I found the idea alarming. In The Terrible Two, the pranks are fairly harmless, but this one crossed a line into destructive behavior. 

What I really think: Reduced my order from two copies to only one because this was so mean spirited. The other one seemed to depict more harmless pranks; this one was not nice at all!

Guy Friday- Terror

Key, Watt. Terror at Bottle Creek
January 5th 2016 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
E ARC from Netgalley.com

Cort and his father work giving tours along the river in Alabama, and they live in a house boat. Cort's mother has moved out, and his father is finding it difficult to come to terms with that fact. When a big storm is approaching, Cort heads over to a neighbor's house to hang out with his friend Liza and her young sister Francie. Times are tough for the girls' family as well, since their father has died and their mother is trying to make ends meet by running boat docks. Cort's father takes off to help his ex-wife, and Liza's mother is out as well, and that's when the hurricane hits. Cort has boarded up the windows and the house is fiarly secure, but Francie runs off with Cort's dog and ends up on the house boat, which gets dragged away in the current. Liza and Cort take off after her, and all three are plummeted into the storm. Eventually, they end up on a ridge... but so do wild boars, bears, and snakes. They tie themselves up in a tree and drink water off of leaves, but when Liza gets bitten by a snake and no help seems to be forthcoming, Cort makes the harrowing trip back to try to find help. Can he find someone before it is too late both for him and the girls?

Key is a brilliant writer-- his Fourmile remains a favorite of my 8th grade boys, and even though I normally don't like books set in the south, this was brilliant. This is a very scary survival story set in an environment where not many survival stories are set (exceot Hiassen's Skink and Spradlin's Menance from the Deep, but those are both very different types of stories). 

My favorite part of it might be the following quote, however, because it points out why students like scary books so much-- they are a good way to deflect attention to the real life problems that they face, in the way that Cort is afraid of ending up like his father: "What do women really want? They want a nice house and money and friends. They want men who wear suits and drive new cars. What they don't want is houseboats and smelly men who hunt and fish for a living. Who have dogs named Catfish. I don't want to be this. I won't be this. "

Wow. Quite the bomb to throw into a story about being trapped in a tree with poisonous snakes hanging all around. Definitely purchasing!


Stratton, Allan. The Dogs.
September 2nd 2015 by Sourcebooks Fire 

Cameron and his mother have been on the move ever since his mother left his abusive father. She is very worried that he is following them, and any time she feels uncomfortable, they move. Their latest stopping place is a rental house on the outskirts of town. The neighbor, Mr. Sinclair, seems really creepy, and the realtor, Ken, seems to like the company of Cameron's mother too much. School isn't easy, either, with bully Cody giving him a hard time and his only friend, Benji, smelling a bit too much like the pig farm. The biggest problem, though, is that the farmhouse seems haunted, and Cameron hears and sees the ghost of Jacky in the house. This spurs him to investigate the former owners of the house, some of whom, including Jacky, disappeared under mysterious circumstances. The titular "dogs" refer to the dogs bought by Jacky's father that ended up killing him. After running into problem after problem at school, and no one believing him that Jacky's family might have come to grief, Cameron calls his father, which turns out to be a very bad idea. There are a lot of twists and turns in this that I don't want to ruin, but rest assured, it's a fairly creepy murder mystery/ghost story!

Strengths: There's a lot of interesting parallelism in this, good twists, supportive adults to try to help Cameron even though they don't get it quite right at first, and a great, spooky cover. I would think that I knew what would happen next, but then the story would veer in another direction. Very nice. 

Weaknesses: I have a bad feeling that the "hard cover" through Baker and Taylor is actually paper-over-boards. There is just no keeping that format in any kind of decent shape in a school library. 

What I really think: Don't know how I missed this one, but I'll definitely be purchasing it for the fall! 

Winter's Bullet

Osborne, William. Winter's Bullet
January 5th 2016 by Chicken House 
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Tygo, the son of a locksmith, lives in Amsterdam during WWII. His parents are both dead, and his sister has been sent off to the Nazi death camps, and he is working for the Nazi's to break into buildings to retrieve art even though he would rather not. To make matters even worse, the Resistance has targeted him as a sympathizer, telling him that everyone has a choice. Unfortunately, Tygo's choice is to not get shot! When the Gestapo officer for whom he is forced to work orders him to find a diamond, the Red Queen, somewhere in Amsterdam, Tygo makes some startling discoveries, including a girl who is hiding and might be able to help him find the gem. This novel is loosely based on the fact that Hitler had teams working on an atomic bomb, and a variety of historical personages, from Eva Duarte to Hitler himself, show up in the book. 

This author, who also wrote Hitler's Secret, has a great feel for this time period. There are very few books that show people who "sympathized" with the Nazis because they preferred that course of action to death. I think that many people took that route; I had a friend who was in the Wehrmacht even though his home in Polish Silesia was taken over by the Nazis. He felt that he didn't have any other choice, and it's nice to see a literary character faced with the same conundrum. 

Certainly, the Nazis are not portrayed as good in any way, and I liked how Osborne took little known historical facts and wove them into his story. There's plenty of action (including flying around in planes!) to suit readers who like to read about the fighting in WWII, as well as Tygo's suffering. 



Haight, Jessica and Robinson, Stephanie. The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow
December 1st 2015 by Delacorte (first published January 1st 2011)

Fairday and her family move from Manhattan to Ashpot, Connecticut, a small town where they move into the spooky looking Begonia house. Her parents hope to start and bed and breakfast, and there's lots of renovating that needs to be done, since the previous occupants left most of their things in the attic. Fairday, who had a Detective Mystery Society with her good friend Lizzy in Manhattan, hears weird bagpipe music coming from the attic, and starts to investigate. She uncovers several different clues about the former owner and his daughter, Ruby. She talks to a local former reporter as part of a school project, and learns that Ruby disappeared on her wedding day, and that her father died under mysterious circumstances twenty years later. When Lizzie comes to visit, the two start investigating in earnest, and come across a strange mirror that has the ability to suck them into an alternative world. 
Strengths: Living and supportive parents, and a scary but not horrifying mystery. Solid friend story, and some good paranormal details. This would be good for elementary readers. 
Weaknesses: Not quite as scary as my students want, and was too similar to several other stories.
What I really think: The art in this is odd. I think I will skip this and just give students West's The Shadows series, to which this is eerily similar.