The Midnight Zoo

The Midnight Zoo by Sonya Hartnett is a magical tale of three children who find a zoo in the midst of a war torn country.  Andrej, a Roma was forced to run with his brother and his baby sister after Nazi's capture his community.  At the zoo they find that the animals can talk and they share their stories.

This book felt more like real literature than most middle grade books do.  It has lots of big concepts that provide lots of potential for real thought and the prose was beautiful.  I do wish that there had been more of an overreaching plot to move the story along, however the stories of all the animals and the boys were engrossing and very well written.  There is some massive vocabulary in this book (along with beautiful descriptions) making this a good book for advanced readers.  However the book is short enough that it is finished quickly.

Appropriateness:  This book has a few difficult war scenes and asks questions that will require some higher level thinking skills (or help from an adult) to fully comprehend.  I would recommend this book to readers 10-14 with it appealing equally to boys and girls.

Review copy obtained from publisher (not sure how though, it just showed up so if you sent it to me thanks!)

Breaking the Beale Code

Breaking the Beale Code: The Treasure Hunters Club by Sean McCartney (available for 1.99 on Amazon)  follows a group of middle school aged treasure hunters who are trying to solve the mystery of how to cypher the Beale Code.  Amber is new to town and received a letter that has the key to solving the Beale code from her dying Grandfather.  When an evil man trys to steal the letter and get the treasure the hunters must solve the mystery and save their friends.

This book had the problem that many books do that are published independently and by small publishers.  It needed a good editor to get the author to smooth things out and flesh out the plot and the characters.  The plot was very disjointed epically at first and I had trouble keeping track of what was going on as the story flipped from character to character.  Additionally there was no subplot to help me understand or care about the characters.  I had a hard time figuring out who was who.  I did think that there was a lot of potential for it to be a great story.  Once I got into the story I found an interesting and exciting plot and the code work could be something that kids could really get into.  Unfortunately the negatives outweighed the positives in this one. 

Appropriateness:  This book did not have any adult content.  There is some action and some violence but it is not disturbing.  I would recommend this book to kids 10-14 (and it would be enjoyed by boys).  

Now is the Time For Running

 Now Is the Time for Running by Michael Willams, follows Deo a young boy who is forced to leave his home in Zimbabwe after his family is killed in political violence.  Deo is out playing soccer with his friends and his older mentally challenged brother Innocent when soldiers roll into town.  They abuse his brother and then kill everyone in his town while Deo is trying to save his brother.  Deo and Innocent escape and through the help of friends and strangers they escape and cross the border into South Africa.  They face many dangers during their journey and when they get to South Africa they are faced with Xenophobia violence and poverty.

Now is the Time for Running is a very well written book that does a good job at making the African refugee experience relateable to a middle school audience.  The author does not shy away from including the horrors that happen in those situations but also does not overly describe these things in a way that would traumatize a young reader, Deo's experience walk the fine line between being an adventure and being horrible.  Deo's love of soccer is something that kids can relate to and the play by plays of the games are written in a way that makes the reader able to picture the game in progress.  

Appropriateness:  This book contains many adult situations but does so in a way that is appropriate for young readers.  There are a few instances of implied rape (a woman is taken away and hurt on the inside by soldiers for example) that include very little detail.  The horrifying murders and beatings that take place in the book are described simply and without a lot of detail.  The drug addiction faced by the main character is handled in a realistic manner that in no way makes the drug seem positive.  This is a book that boys would really enjoy.  I would recommend this book to ages 12+.

Review copy received from the publisher.  The book will be released on July 5th.

Throne of Fire

 Throne of Fire is the second book in the Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan.  These books follow Carter and Sadie who are Egyptian Magicians.  In this book they must find three scrolls and rescue the God Ra who has been trapped so they can save the world from Aphohis who plans on swallowing the sun and destroying the world.  The two face many trials and battles throughout the book and they met many different Egyptian Gods who helped them along the way.

I have mixed feelings on this book and the series.  I've loved the Percy Jackson books and my daughter has listened to all of those books (plus The Lost Hero) multiple times.  When I gave my daughter the audio book for The Red Pyramid she listened to it a couple days and then switched back to Percy Jackson because she was bored (granted she's seven and much younger than the intended audience). 

 The mythology in these books is far more complex and confusing than the greek mythology of Riordans other series.  The sheer numbers of Egyptian gods and similarities in their names (Anubis is a cute helpful god Aphosis however wants to swallow the sun, Bast is the cat goddess while Bes is the god of dwarves who scares people with his speedo) make it difficult to sort everything out.

There were times when I loved this book and there were times when I thought it was never going to end.  The dual point of views seemed to make the book seem even longer and the book was very long period.  I think if the story had been more streamlined I would have enjoyed it more.  If you enjoyed the first book then you will like this one, it's much like the first and you'll like it.  However if you were frustrated by the first book and were hoping that this book got better I'd skip this one.  It has all the problems of the first book plus a few additional ones.  There are far too many characters and too many deviations from the main plot.

Appropriateness: There is some romance in this book.  Both siblings find love interests and Sadie has a love triangle to deal with. This series requires a more mature reader than Riordan's other series.  The plot and mythology is far more difficult to understand than the Percy Jackson series.  The lexile for the first in the series is 650 putting it about a fourth grade level but the plot is far more advanced than the vocabulary level (and this shows the downfall of grade levels that are calculated by computer).  This is not a book that I would hand to an elementary school aged child (unless they were advanced) because of the complexity and disagree with the recommendation on most sites as it being written for 9-11 year olds (remember my daughter who is reading and listening on that level was bored by this series).  This book is one that middle schoolers would enjoy and even find a little challenging.  I would recommend this book to 11-14 year olds (and it's great for boys).

The Compound

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen stars Eli who has spent several years living with his family in a luxurious bomb shelter after the wold has been attacked by a nuclear bomb.  Things initially went well but over time their supplies have been sabotaged and his father's demands of things they need to do to survive get stranger and more disturbing.

This book is terrific, it starts out calmly and slowly becomes more and more twisted.  The setting and story are original and Eli's character is one that boys will be able to relate to.  I tore through this book unable to put it down.

Appropriateness:  This is a book that is perfect for the younger end of the young adult audience and is a book that boys will enjoy.  There are a few references to sex but otherwise there is no adult content.  It is twisted and disturbing and could easily give a younger kid nightmares.  The book has a lexile of 570 putting it at about third grade level making it perfect for reluctant readers.  I would recommend this book for 5th-8th graders.

Momento Nora

Memento Nora by Angie Smibert follows Nora who lives in a society where people take a pill to forget the stresses in their lives.  After Nora witnesses a car bombing she takes her first trip to a TFC (therapeutic forgetting center) so that she can forget all about the incident.  While there she spots a boy who makes a big deal of not taking the pill so she decides to spit hers out.  Nora and Micah then make and distribute a comic book which causes a huge amount of controversy.



I had mixed feelings about this book.  The plot was much like many other dystopians I've read lately (girl is happy with her life till she meets boy, boy points out what is wrong with society, girl and boy rebel with little to no thought of how it will effect their families) but it was a nice read with a believable dystopian world.  The main problem I had was the books mixed character narratives, the characters voices were not distinct enough that I could keep track of whose narrative I was reading.  I also didn't love that I paid hardback prices for a book that was under 200 pages with short paper (although that could be a big plus for reluctant readers).  It was more of a novella than a novel and novellas should be in paperback, and with a large part of the plot being about a comic book I would have loved for them to add some pictures.

Appropriateness:  This book didn't have any adult content.  The main characters lie to their parents and break the law.  There are some car bombings and some domestic violence (Nora's Parents).  The romance is essentially just a strong friendship.  I'd put the interest level at 12-15 and I think it would appeal to boys as much as it would appeal to girls.

Beastly

Beastly by Alex Flinn is a modern retelling of The Beauty and the Beast story.  The story starts out with Kyle a rich, beautiful, super popular boy inviting an ugly unpopular girl to the dance as a joke.  After he returns home he is confronted by her and finds that she is a witch.  She turns him into a horrible beast and tells him that in order to release the spell he must fall in love and the girl must kiss him.  Kyle moves into a house alone with just his housekeeper and his blind tutor and changes his name to Adrian.  When a drug addicted man breaks into his house and offers to give Adrian his daughter Linda he insists that the man bring him his daughter to live with him.

Beastly is a delightful modern retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story.  It focuses on inner beauty and character development.  I appreciated that the author did not make the relationship between Linda and Adrian abusive at all.  This wasn't a story about a girl taming a beast (such as the Disney version) but a story of a boy learning to value character, intelligence and  personality over looks and money and a girl being able to love him for the changes he has made on the inside.

Appropriateness:  This is a book that middle schoolers will love.   There is one incidence of drinking in the beginning (used to illustrate what a horrible person Kyle is) but besides that there is no objectionable material in the book.  The romance is sweet and the message is terrific.  The lexile is 580 putting it at a low fourth grade level which makes it an excellent book for reluctant readers.

The movie adaptation of the book is to be released in early March.

Hold Me Closer Necromancer

Hold Me Closer Necromancer follows Sam as he finds out that he has the power to speak to and raise the dead and his battle with another Necromancer that wants him taken care of.  The story starts with Sam and his friends working at a fast food restaurant (and behaving like typical teenagers) when they run into Douglass a necromancer who is not happy to find that he has competition.  Sam then goes on a mission to find out what his powers are and ends up locked in Douglass' basement with a cute werewolf.

The story is fast paced and fun with characters that you would want to be friends with.  The author does a great job infusing humor into the paranormal element and it's a welcome change from the super romantic paranormals that have flooded the YA market.

Appropriateness:  This is a book that will speak to teenage boys (and girls) and has many gross out gags that will speak to that audience.  There is a great romance but it is not the focus of the book and one sex scene that is very tame.  I would put the interest level at 14+

Bad Kitty

 Bad Kitty Gets a Bath by Nick Bruel tells the story of Bad Kitty getting a bath.  This is a modified graphic novel which has chapters and lots of pictures.  The original Bad Kitty is an alphabet picture book and the author followed that book with several others that are designed for readers that are reading early chapter books. 

I got this book for my daughter when she was a kindergartner (she's an advanced reader). I figured she'd read a chapter at a time and it would take about a week like the other beginning chapter books she was reading.

Well I was wrong.

The day she started the book she came downstairs to tell me that she was finished (without being prompted to read at all). She read four chapters before bed without being asked because she loved the book so much.  That's the sign of a great beginning chapter book.  We've since given Bad Kitty books at birthday parties along with the Bad Kitty Stuffed Animal and it's always a great hit.  The lexile is 650 putting it at a mid third grade level and it works well as a read aloud, advanced younger readers and for upper elementary school readers who want something funny.

PaperToy Monsters

PaperToy Monsters is a book full of punch out paper monsters that can be assembled with nothing but glue.  Each monster has two pages, one glossy page with a picture and instructions and the cardstock page with the monsters that is perforated and ready to punch out.  There are four sections of monsters:  Monster Legends, Earth Ocean and Space Monsters, Mutant Food and Thing Monsters, and Human Monsters.  There is also a nice paragraph describing each monster's story and a set of templates in the back of the book so you can design your own monster.  The PaperToys come in Intermediate, Easy and Advanced difficulty and I was able to complete both an intermediate and an easy monster without much trouble and I'm one of the least crafty people ever.  It was a lot of fun.

My first two monsters:

Appropriateness:
 I would recommend this book for kids ages ten and up (although younger kids will be able to help and play with the monsters).  Any younger and the parent will end up doing most of the work.  How to books are great for kids to work on reading carefully and following directions.

Zombiekins

Zombiekins by Kevin Bolger follows Stanley who finds a zombie stuffed animal.  When Stanley takes Zombiekins to school and it bites the school bully and a bunch of kindergartners are bitten Stanley and his friends have to figure out how to save the school.

My daughter loved this book so much that she drew pictures of Zombiekins for weeks.  She was excited to tell me what happened next and thought it was hysterical.  The pictures are funny and well drawn and make the book perfect for kids who are reluctant readers or for younger advanced readers. It's much more funny than scary and is great for young readers who want to read "scary" books like their older brothers or sisters.

Zombiekins is written on a middle-fifth grade reading level (but has plenty of pictures to make it accessible).  I sent it to my cousin who hates to read and he was so excited that he jumped up and down.  This is a great book for reluctant readers and for younger advanced readers.  I can't stress how wonderful this book is or how much your kids will love it.

Across the Universe

Across the Universe by Beth Revis follows Amy a young girl unexpectedly awakened from her cryogenic chamber aboard a space ship and Elder, a boy who is destined to lead the next generation aboard the ship.  Elder is slowly learning the truth about their mission when he stumbles upon a room full of small doors.  He opens one and sees Amy.  He rushes away and hears an alarm and finds Amy waking up.  When Amy wakes up she is disturbed to still be on the ship.  Others on the ship find her hair and skin color strange and she is disturbed by all the changes that have happened while she has been sleeping.  As Amy and Elder start to find out the truth in the secrets of the ships operations and why everyone else acts so strangely they also must solve the mystery of who awoke Amy and who tried to kill others in the cryo-chambers.  

This book fits into lots of categories.  It's a dystopian, science fiction, murder mystery with a hint of romance.  The society that Revis has created is creepy and she provides good explanations as to why the leaders have insisted on using such extreme means of maintaining control and having one of the main characters be a leader who is willing and able to make changes to society is refreshing.  The book is short on action but perfect for readers who enjoy science fiction or dystopia.  I found it to be a quick read and I was very interested in what would happen next as we learned the secrets of what was really going on behind the scenes.

Appropriateness:  This one is difficult.  Starting with the easy part, there are no drugs or alcohol or graphic violence.  However, not unlike other recent books in this genre such as Dark Parties, XVI, Matched and Birthmarked government control over sex and procreation is a major theme in the book.  The workers on the ship are all born at certain times and procreate by having a season in which members of that generation have sex everywhere.  These giant orgies (which are described as bodies thumping and groups of people writhing on the stairs and in fields) make Amy very uncomfortable.  At one point she is seconds from being gang raped by a group of men (to which a girl next to them shouts "don't worry, it only hurts the first time).  While I wasn't bothered by the orgies (much because Amy finds them gross) the near gang rape was disturbing and there was little emotional consequence to the near rape and Amy is able to go around trying to figure out what the problems are on the ship like she'd just gotten in a little tussle.  Because of that section alone I'm not sure that I would give this book to a middle school aged reader.  However, there is nothing erotic in the public sex descriptions and the near rape wasn't horrific to read which does make it readable for mature readers in that age group and a parental discussion of the entire subject would certainly make the whole situation sit easier with young readers.  I would put an interest level of 13+ on this novel and I feel that boys would find it equally enjoyable as girls would.

The Percy Jackson Series

The Percy Jackson series is one of the most popular middle grade series on the market right now.  The series is more popular with the boys (while also popular with girls) and I see a copy every day when I substitute in middle school classrooms.  The first novel was recently made into a movie. 

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. 

Humphrey the Hamster

The Humphrey the Hamster series is one that is loved by both my daughter and my husband.  Humphrey lives in room 26 and he helps out the families that he visits their homes and teaches kindness and friendship.  For example, he unplugs a classmates television so the family can learn to have fun without the television.  Humphrey's experiences make for good discussions of different problems that kids face, how to change these problems and how to help others.

This series works well as a read aloud (perfect in a classroom setting) and would be equally enjoyed by both boys and girls.  The content is not age specific so it would be enjoyed and is appropriate for elementary students of any age.  There are currently six books in the series and they're written on a 3-4th grade reading level.