Bunheads

Bunheads by Sophie Flack follows Hannah a dancer in the Corps of the Manhattan Ballet.  Sophie's life is the ballet, she goes to rehearsal and class and performances every night and hopes to become a soloist.  When she meets a guy outside of the ballet she finds herself struggling to find the time to see him and starts questioning her priorities.  Is the life of a professional dancer really what she wants?

I loved this book.  It was a book about a dancer that was obviously written by someone with insider experience.  I really felt like I was getting a peek into the life of a dancer in a serious ballet company.  The descriptions of the dance and costumes were fantastic.  The characters and the plot are entertaining enough but it's not exactly the most original plot.  I was very happy to find that this wasn't a book about a girl who decides to give up everything for a boy, Hannah makes her own decision because of what is right for her.

Appropriateness:  Hannah is nineteen and has been living on her own since she was a young teen and acts like a nineteen year old.  There is a large amount of underage drinking and a bit of non descriptive sex.  There is a large amount of weight talk in the book, much of which is unhealthy, as the company requires the dancers to have a super slim silhouette.  While I suspect this book will be marketed as a romance the romance is only a small part of the story and readers should read this book as a look into the world of dance and not as a romance novel.  I would recommend the book to teens and adults 14+ and I'd encourage parents of younger readers to address the alcohol and diet/eating disorder issues that are present in the story.

A Year Without Autumn

A Year Without Autumn by Liz Kessler follows Autumn and Jenny who are headed to the timeshare that their families have vacationed at for years.  While on the way to Autumn's house Jenni takes an elevator and finds another woman in Jenni's apartment.  She soon learns that the elevator has taken her one year into the future, a future where Jenni and Autumn's life has fallen apart because of a horrible accident.  Jenni must deal with everything and figure out how she keeps ending up in the future.

This is a terrific and original book about how one thing can change everything and how loss and tragedy can effect a whole community.  A book of family and friendship.  I loved both Jenni and Autumn and the interaction between their families.  The magic aspect was added perfectly and even slightly believable, making it just a little more than a contemporary novel.  I finished the book very quickly and couldn't put it down.

Appropriateness:  There is no adult content in this book.  There is no romance (except a bit of matchmaking with older characters) and the middle school age characters act like normal middle school aged students.  I would recommend this book to readers 10-14

This Girl is Different

This Girl is Different by JJ Johnson follows Evie a girl who starts regular school after being homeschooled for the first seventeen years of her life.  Evie sticks out in her new school as she challenges her teachers and administration.  After seeing the gym teacher put down a cheerleader because of her weight Evie starts a website to call her out and things spiral out of control.

This was a fairly forgettable book that was entertaining enough.  It reminded me of one of those movies that you watch on the ABC family channel that's entertaining and laughable at the same time.  It's certainly not a must read but it was entertaining, short and I finished it quickly because I wanted to know what would happen next.

Appropriateness: There are a few discussions about sex and some heavy petting but no sex (she even talks with her mom about sex who gives her some good advice).  There is not substance abuse.  I would recommend this book to teens 13+



ARC Provided by Netgalley

Swimming to Chicago

Swimming to Chicago follows a tangle of characters.  Gay teens Alex and Robby, their friend Jillian and Alex and Robby's parents.  Alex is dealing with his mothers suicide and his newly realized sexuality and Robby who is new to town helps him cope.  Jillian is unused to being separated from Alex and flaunts her sexuality and becomes entangled in a relationship with an older married man.

This was an interesting contemporary novel.  It is not at all what I expected or what I usually read but I found myself unable to put it down.  The book is written from multiple viewpoints (which I generally hate) which worked quite well.  The reader is able to see the thoughts of all the characters involved including the parents (without much repetition) and how they interact.  My only complaint about the story is that the detail in the sexual content didn't seem to fit with the type of story I was reading and I think it will turn off many readers.

Appropriateness:  This novel is written for older teens.  It has sexual content (homosexual and adult/teen) that is more graphic than most (although not erotica by any means and it is easily skipped).  There is some drinking.  None of the negative behaviorism are glamorized and the characters face repercussions for the things they have done.  The characters are seventeen and approaching adulthood.  The book covers topics for discussion including bullying, suicide, statutory rape, adultery and sexuality.  I would recommend this book for teens aged 16+

Killer Pizza

Killer Pizza by Greg Taylor follows Toby a boy who is thrilled to start his new job at Killer Pizza.  He starts work with his co-workers Strobe and Anabelle and everything is going well when his boss Harvey tells them that the pizza shop is a front for an organization that hunts and kills monsters to keep the human population safe.  Toby and his friends start their training while also dealing with an infestation of Gruttatas, a disgusting monster that bites and transforms humans.

This is a great horror novel with heart.  Toby is a very likeable hero and the other two in his monster fighting team are likeable.  The monsters are a combination of vampire and werewolf and nicely terrifying.  The fight scenes are the best part of the book and action packed with crossbows and sharp nails and teeth.  I read this book quickly and think that teen boys will really enjoy it.

Appropriateness:  Aside from a little lying to his parents (and really would you tell your parents you were working for a top secret monster killing organization) there isn't any adult content or bad behavior in the book.  Toby is a nice kid who has good values, respects his parents and works hard.  There is no romance at all to turn off those who don't like romance.  I would recommend this book to teens 11+ and this will be one of my top recommends for teen boys.  The lexile is 770 putting it at a fifth grade reading level.

There is a sequel Killer Pizza: The Slice which will be out in a couple weeks.

Fateful

Fateful by Claudia Gray is a romance about a ladies maid that encounters werewolves on the Titanic.  Yup, werewolves on the Titanic.  Tess is a ladies maid for a family that treats her badly.  While traveling with her employer she meets and falls for a wealthy man who is revealed to be a werewolf who of course has a major problem to solve involving a group of evil werewolves who want to force him to join their clan.   There is also lots of great intrigue involved with the family that Tess works with.

 This book was a beautiful historical romance that was meshed with a weird paranormal element that didn't work for me.  The paranormal bits made me roll my eyes and the ending made me literally laugh out loud it was so absurd (I'm going to pretend it ended a chapter earlier.  However, the historical part and the characters and the setting were written beautifully and I really enjoyed reading the book and finished it very quickly.  If instead of werewolves Tess was running from gangsters it would have been a perfect book, luckily the clunky paranormal elements didn't take away from the wonderful historical elements.  I loved reading about the dresses and the politics between the ladies and the help and the first and third classes.  There are some major Titanic movie parallels (high class vs low class, forbidden love) at least at the beginning until it settles into its own.

Appropriateness:  There is a bit of sex in the book (which is described as tumbling on the bed and a comment on him taking care of her so she didn't get pregnant) and quite a bit of talk of unplanned pregnancies ruining lives.  One of the characters is violently drunk throughout the book (and is viewed as a mess).  Appropriateness:  I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical romance 13+

Ashfall

Ashfall by Mike Mullen stars Alex a teenage boy who is home alone when a giant volcano erupts hundreds of miles away at Yellowstone.  This volcano results a giant ashfall that rains down for days.  After spending several days hidden away waiting for the eruption to stop Alex decides to travel to his Uncle's house to find his parents.  Alex faces plenty of hardship on his journey in a world which has been transformed due to feet of ash which have disrupted everything from communication to water and food supplies.

This was a fantastic dystopian novel which was very engrossing.  Alex and Darla felt very real and the author did a good job with the background of the characters explaining the extraordinary things that happen.  For example, Alex is strong and is able to fight not because he just happens to be but because he has a very strong background in martial arts and while he makes some questionable decisions I never felt like the character deserved to die because of his idiotic decisions (unlike some books I've read recently cough cough EVE).  I also felt that the environment and circumstances for the most part felt realistic as to what could happen in such a major disaster.  The male voice felt true and realistic and this is going to be a book that will speak to young male readers who will be able to relate to Alex. 

Appropriateness:  This book has some adult content which could disturb young readers.  Nothing felt inappropriate but it could make some feel uncomfortable.  There is some fairly graphic violence, the rape and murder of an important character and many scenes where Alex is in so much distress, starving and in great pain.  There is sex and sexual content (which is not detailed) which is fantastically responsible as the two do not have sex for the majority of the book because they have no condoms and realize how irresponsible it would be to have sex without using birth control.  This is a book with a male voice and I would highly recommend it to teenage boys who will enjoy it (it also has some romance and girls will also like it).  I recommend this book to teens 13+

Review copy obtained from Netgalley
   

The Juliet Spell

The Juliet Spell by Douglas Rees is a romantic comedy staring Miranda who just wants to play Juliet in her school's production of Romeo and Juliet.  She performs a spell to help her get the part and ends up bringing Shakespeare's brother to her living room.  He is able to blend in and get a part in the show which they have to work to prepare.

This is one of those books which isn't bad but isn't great either.  The plot is fairly predictable, the romance tepid and the mythology didn't quire work for me.  It was however a fairly enjoyable little romance and I really liked the presentation of the play and the multitude of Shakespeare references.  It wasn't a book that I had trouble getting through but there was nothing outstanding or special about the story.

Appropriateness:  There isn't any adult content in this book.  There is a very nice mother daughter relationship in the book (although a very unrealistic ending to a parental separation).  There is quite a bit of Shakespeare in the book, both with quotes and references.  The Shakespeare enough to alienate younger middle school or reluctant readers but readers will not feel lost if they have yet to study any Shakespeare yet.  I recommend the book to girls 13+

Books For Kids Who Love Harry Potter

One of the most common ways people find my blog is if they're looking for a list of books for kids who love Harry Potter so I thought I'd highlight a few.














The Percy Jackson Series



The Percy Jackson series is a fantastic series that readers of all ages will love.  My daughter loved the audio books so much that she listened to them over and over and over.  It involves the same sense of friendship and magic and adventure that Harry Potter has.  The plots are not exceptionally complex and they frequently mirror Greek mythology which gives a nice extension for learning.

The series follows Percy Jackson, a boy who finds out that his father is one of the Greek Gods his fellow demigod Annabeth and his Satyr friend Grover.  In each book he goes on an adventure and fights various mythological monsters.  Many of the stories mirror the stories in more famous works (such as the Odyssey) that kids will read in school and will spur interest in the original tales and research on the monsters themselves.

This series works as a great read aloud (although you may want to keep google handy so you can show your child pictures of the monsters) and is great for advanced readers.  Unlike the Harry Potter books which become more difficult with each book in the series (often causing younger readers to give up on the series) these books are all at the same reading level.  Scholastic lists the books at a fifth grade reading level.  The books are appropriate as a read aloud for second grade and up.  There is fantasy fighting and monsters.  There is a hint of romance but nothing that would put off a young child.  

The Underland Chronicles is a great series for readers who are looking for something dark


The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins is a series that follows the adventures of Gregor.  When Gregor and his sister Boots fall through a grate in his apartment building they find an underland world filled with giant talking bats, cockroaches, spiders, evil rats and an entire human civilization.  After his arrival Gregor is told that a profit foretold his arrival and he is destined to be the warrior that will save the human race.  The five books chronicle the adventures of Gregor, his sister Boots, a giant cockroach named Temp, the underland princess Luxa, Gregor's bat Aries and Ripred a "rager" rat who is working with the humans as they fight the rats.

This series is fantastic.  Each book features an element of warfare, rescuing a prisoner of war, assassination, genocide, chemical warfare and military intelligence.  The elements of PTSD and the repercussions of such violence are also included.  These heavy topics are woven masterfully into a beautiful fantasy world with a brave hero and great friends in a way that makes them very accessible for kids.

Appropriateness:  This is a fantastic series for the 10-14 year old audience and it is a series that will speak strongly to boys (although there are also great female characters that girls will love).  The book is fairly violent (lots of sword fights) and there are some sections in the later books that sensitive kids may find upsetting (I cried in a section of the fourth book), this is a civilization at war and there are casualties on both sides.  The lexile for the books is around 630 putting the books at a fifth grade level.   

The Inkheart Trilogy.
From Goodreads

"Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father, who repairs and binds books for a living, can "read" fictional characters to life when one of those characters abducts them and tries to force him into service.

Characters from books literally leap off the page in this engrossing fantasy. Meggie has had her father to herself since her mother went away when she was young. Mo taught her to read when she was five, and the two share a mutual love of books. He can "read" characters out of books. When she was three, he read aloud from a book called Inkheart and released characters into the real world. At the same time, Meggie's mother disappeared into the story. This "story within a story" will delight not just fantasy fans, but all readers who like an exciting plot with larger-than-life characters"

I haven't read this series but it is one that I consistently see middle school boys reading.  The lexile is 780 putting them about a fifth grade level.

Frost

Frost by Wendy Delsol is the sequel to Stork.  Stork follows Katla who finds out that she is a member of the stork society which helps deliver souls to the right mother. Katlya has to decide who a lost soul should go to and she has to figure out the mystery of her missing past.  I loved the first book.

Frost starts with Katla and Jack spending Christmas together.  After Jack makes a horrible storm things start to get weird.  A seemingly perfect weather researcher comes to town and mesmerizes everyone.  When she takes Jack away Katlya must rescue him and save the world.

I was looking forward to this book so much.  I love love loved the first in the series.  This book however was a total disappointment and I had to force myself to finish it.  It was filled with all these mini-plots that were not that interesting and instead of the big plot point being about Katla's Boyfriend Jack being mysteriously enamored with an adult.  The ending was weird and disappointing.  I was looking forward to a story of Katlya the stork and instead I got a girl who sits by while her boyfriend ignores her and then has to rescue him with a weird Icelandic twist.

Appropriateness:  This novel doesn't have any adult content.  There is an implied adult/teen relationship but it's part of a spell so. . .   I would recommend this book to teens 12+

Review copy obtained from netgalley

My Double Life

My Double Life by Janette Rallison stars Alexia Garcia who has always known that she looks strangely like pop star Kari Kingsly.  When she is approached by Keri's publicist to act as a stand in she takes the job much to the disapproval of her Mother.  Her mother however does tell her the truth of her conception and that Alexia is Keri's half sister.  Keri is soon thrown into an unfamiliar world and develops a crush on a pop star that turns everything into a mess.

This is a fantastic and fun fairytale story.  Alexia is a nice girl with a big heart who wants to do what is right.  The story was fantastical but yet had enough details to make it slightly believable.  I really enjoyed the story and tore through it in a matter of hours.

Appropriateness: Alexia is a good girl who has good values and is a nice role model.  Her sister Keri has celebrity problems including a gambling addiction which are talked about.  The romance is sweet and innocent and only includes kissing.  I would recommend this book to girls 11-15.

Never Have I Ever

Never Have I Ever, the second book in The Lying Game series by Sara Shepard is narrated by the ghost of Sutton whose long lost twin sister Emma is living her life and trying to find out who killed Sutton.  Making it more complicated is that Sutton and her friends are part of the "Lying Game" club where they play horrific tricks and pranks on people.  In book one we found out that EVERYONE could still be the killer. . . . (it's that type of series).

In this book Emma again tries to find out who killed her while impersonating Sutton.  The mystery this time focuses on the "Twitter Twins" and a prank that Sutton pulled on them.   Emma needs to figure out if they are the killers.

I didn't find this book as entertaining as the last.  The plot was not as focused and did not flow as well and there was no real resolution that I was pushing towards.  Additionally, the gimmick of having Sutton narrate for Emma and the constant reminders of everything that Emma was using belonging to Sutton (Emma went to Sutton's Room and sat at Sutton's chair to use Sutton's Computer and then played with Sutton's locket) made for very clunky reading.  Again at the end the reader knows NOTHING about who killed Sutton and everyone in the book is still a suspect (although some have been ruled out more than others). 

Appropriateness: This is one of those books that will give conservative parents lots of worry. There is plenty of sex talk (although no actual sex), lots of drinking (complete with drinking games), criminal activity, mean girl bullying and even a bit of drug use. There is not as much fashion or name dropping as in the first book. However, the characters in the book in no way appear normal (they're super rich) and Emma quite frequently looks down on their bad behavior. I wouldn't give the book to a high reading elementary schooler but if your middle grade reader wants to read the book it would be good to use it as an opening to have discussions of how to deal with peer pressure situations that they may find themselves in when they're older.

Blood Wounds

Blood Wounds by Susan Beth Pfeffer tells the story of Willa whose world is torn apart when she finds out that the father she barely remembers kills his entire family and is thought to be headed towards her home.  Willa is forced to confront the demons in her past and figure out how everything relates to her present.

This is an interesting book that follows a girl coming to terms with the demons of her past.  It is very heavy and also deals with her addiction to cutting and the unfairness that can exist in step families.  I found the book fascinating and finished it quickly and readers who are looking for a tough emotional read will enjoy it.  It is not however a book filled with mystery or action and the initial trauma happens in the first section of the book.

Appropriateness:  The main character is a cutter and the subject is dealt with tactfully and has a positive resolution.  There are also several scenes of abuse that are difficult to read.  I would recommend this book to readers 14+ however it is not inappropriate for younger readers who can handle the emotional content.

Review copy provided by Amazon Vine

The Power of Six

The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore is the second book in the Lorien Legacies series.  The first series introduced us to John Smith who is Number Four, an alien who is being hunted by another set of aliens, the Mongodorians.  The good aliens can only be killed in order and John is next in line.  At the end of the first book we are introduced to Number Six who joins John and his friend Sam as they run from the Mongodorians.

This book continues the story of John, Sam and Six on the run.  They run into many obstacles and learn more about their history and try to figure out how to reunite the rest of their kind.   It also follows Marina who has grown up in a convent in Spain as she learns of her legacies and prepares to leave and find the others.

The dual stories in this book were a major flaw that made it very frustrating to read and it would have been a much easier read if it was cut into two books.  The two stories while related in topic did not interact at all even at the end.  I would get into reading a very exciting part and then it would switch to something dull in the other story which completely ruined the pacing of the book and almost made it unreadable.

Appropriateness:  There is no adult content aside from some comic book style fantasy violence.  I would recommend this book to readers 12+

Tankborn

Tankborn by Karen Sandler is a dystopian novel set in a highly segregated dystopian society.  In this society your status is based on how you were born from the GEN's, genetically engineered, who are slaves to the low born who make up the lower classes and the highest Trueborn classes.  Best friends Kayla and Mishalla are split up when it is time for their assignments.  They both become involved in a mystery involving missing children and become involved with the higher classes in a way they never would have imagined.

While the concept for this book was strong the book is highly bogged down by the fictional vocabulary.  Every single thing in this society has a special fictional name from the food to the vehicles to the names for the social classes, the medication . . . . . Having to constantly decipher these "foreign" terms almost makes the book unreadable.  If you're able to get past these terms you'll find a dystopian romance with a large amount of forbidden romance and a nice mystery.  I think this is going to be a book that people will either love or they're not going to be able to finish because of the writing style.

Appropriateness:  There is a bit of an illusion to prescription drug abuse by some of the elders in the book and the romance gets a bit steamy (but there is no sex).  I would recommend this book to fans of dystopia 13+

Review copy obtained from Amazon Prime

How to Draw 101 Animals

How to Draw 101 Animals by Dan Green is a wonderful drawing book that provides step by step directions on how to draw 101 animals. 

The directions are clear and simple enough for young children to follow and be successful creating different animals.   There is no text, just a set of panels for each animal based on the number of steps.

My daughter loves this book (and the others listed below) and they've provided her with hours of entertainment. They are simple enough for a Kindergartner or First grader (although my husband also thinks they are fun, he has no artistic skills and can follow these directions to make recognizable animals).