The Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Hero

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan is set in the same world as the Percy Jackson series.  This series is narrated by three characters.  Piper, a daughter of Athena whose movie star father has been kidnapped, Leo, a son of Hephaestus who can fix anything mechanical and who can withstand fire and Jason the son of Zeus who can not remember any of his past but who identifies with Romans.  These three heroes must solve the prophecy to rescue Hera who is being held against her will.

This was a fantastic introduction to a new series.  It was just enough familiar to make readers happy combined with enough new concepts and characters to make the series distinct and separate from the Percy Jackson series.  I loved the book and was able to tear through it very quickly.

Appropriateness: This book is much thicker and more descriptive than the last series and it has a bit of a romance thrown which makes it a tad more mature than the last series.  The Lexile is 660 putting it around a fourth grade level.  Because of it's length and literary references I would recommend this book to a middle school audience (although younger advanced readers who can handle the length will enjoy the book) this is a series that boys will love.

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.

Prairie Winter

Prairie winter follows the life of a sixth grader in the fifties who faces many challenges during a long winter in South Dakota.  Rachel and her sisters face many challenges during the winter including a massive snowstorm that causes them to move into town by themselves so they can attend school.

This book works well as a read aloud. It has fairly short chapters and mini-plots that finish in small arcs of two or three chapters at a time which is good for a book that is going to be read to a child or a class over a long period of time. The descriptions of events in the books are well written and colorful and the voice is strong, serving as a good example for young writers.

Appropriateness:  There is a discussion of a controversy involving strip poker which could be "controversial" for younger listeners/readers. It ends up being nothing more than gossip, but there is a vague description of how the game is played.  the lexile is 720 putting it at a fourth grade level.

North of Beautiful

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley is a great novel of self discovery and the acceptance of ones flaws. Terra is a teen girl with a flawed face. A port wine stain and an emotionally abusive father has ruled Terra's life. She covers her face with makeup and cowers in shame when her father makes horrible remarks about her face. Terra's mother eats and cowers to deal with the abuses of her husband. One day while driving home from another laser surgery Terra gets in a car accident and meets a boy Jacob who helps her learn to embrace how she looks and Jacob's mother helps Terra's mother gain self confidence.



This is a delightful and mature young adult read.  It tackles weighty subjects in a real way without feeling like a lifetime TV movie.  The main characters journey (and the journey that her mother also faces) provides a wonderful lesson of women learning to accept themselves and learning to demand more from the men in their lives.


Appropriateness:  This is a remarkable book that both Mothers and Daughters would enjoy and would be a perfect pick for a Mother Daughter Book Club. The book has a few sexual references but no sex scenes and no substance abuse making it appropriate for middle age readers that are looking for a more sophisticated read (although the intended audience would be the 15-19 crowd).  The lexile is 850 putting it at a fifth grade level.

Fairy books by Daisy Meadows

Daisy Meadows has several series that are perfect for girls who are just starting chapter books (either as read alouds or independently) .  There are jewel fairies and dance faeries and animal fairies (and many many more that I am missing).  Each series contains several books with easily predictable plots.  They follow Kristy and Rachel as they search for the fairies to save fairyland from whatever evil plot Jack Frost has cooked up.

I would buy these books by the box set so you have all of them set and if you're reading them aloud I would suggest that you only agree to read one series as you'll get bored after one set (because they all have the same plot).  My husband recorded himself reading them (each book takes about 45 minutes) a couple years ago and my daughter still likes to listen and read along occasionally.

These books are perfect for girls ages 4-8.  They have adventures and bad guys, are a little bit scary and most importantly the girls are polite and good role models and the girls use good grammar (unlike someone we know named Junie B Jones).  The lexile for each book is around 520 (guided reading level M) which puts them at a late second/early third grade level.  They're perfect for younger advanced readers and work well as read a louds for those being newly introduced to chapter books.

The Dragon Keeper Series

The Dragon Keepers Series by Kate Klimo consists of four books.  Dragon Keepers #1: The Dragon in the Sock Drawer, Dragon Keepers #2: The Dragon in the Driveway , Dragon Keepers #3: The Dragon in the Library and the fourth book Dragon Keepers #4: The Dragon in the Volcano which will be released in late May.  These books follow ten year old cousins Jessie and Daisy who find that that the geode that they picked up while on a hike hatches revealing a talking baby dragon which they name Emmy.  Jessie and Daisy have to take care of Emmy and protect her from the evil St George who uses dragon blood to stay alive.

This series is very well written.  It has beautiful descriptive passages with difficult vocabulary words that are set in a context that young readers can infer their meanings without trouble.  Each chapter begins with a delightful picture to help kids picture the scene.  Emmy is very funny and does things that made my daughter laugh out loud.  The male and female leads make this a book which is equally enjoyable for both boys and girls.

Appropriateness:  I would recommend this book to an elementary school aged audience.  The lexile is 680 putting it at a high third grade level (a step up from the beginning chapter books).  The book has about 150 pages with chapters of varying lengths.  It is a story that very young readers can enjoy making it a great read aloud or book for advanced younger readers.  Older elementary school readers will find it interesting and funny enough to keep them engaged and the story is one that even reluctant readers will enjoy.

Rival

Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer follows two girls who have an intense hatred for each other but also share a love of music.  Kathryn went from nobody to somebody when she became friends with Brooke over a shared love of music.  Things went sour and Brooke humiliated Kathryn in front of the whole school at homecoming causing Kathryn to become an outcast who is taunted by Brooke's friends.  When Katherine and Brooke compete in a singing competition they must find a way to get over the past so they can survive the biggest moment in both of their lives.

This was a very good novel about friendship and the power of popularity.  The book is told in both the present and the past allowing readers to see the rise and fall of Brooke and Kathryn's friendship.  The background of two girls preparing to compete in a major opera singing competition is original (although not entirely accurate for their ages) and gives a note of originality to the story.

Appropriateness:  There are quite a few party scenes with excessive drunkenness which is shown to be destructive.  There is also quite a bit of bullying.  There's no sex or drugs.  The main characters are seventeen and preparing for college making this a book that older teens would enjoy.

The Underland Chronicles

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.   

Sophie The Awesome

Sophie the awesome follows Sophie as she decides that she needs a new name and she picks Sophie The Awesome.  She tries all sorts of things so that she can become Sophie The Awesome with little success.

This book is the first in a series that my daughter loves.  She is excited to read each book and jumped with excitement when the last book in the series arrived in the mail.

These books are written at a beginning third grade level and are perfect for youngsters who are just starting chapter books.  

The Darlings Are Forever

The Darlings are Forever by Melissa Kantor follows three best friends as they have to separate for the first time as they attend different high schools and face different problems.  Jane is a talented actress attending a performing arts high school dealing with the pressures of being the only freshman in the big school play.  Victoria is the daughter of a senate hopeful who is looking to find an identity and a voice in her life.  Natalya is a genius who has won a scholarship to a very exclusive private school where she has to deal with being true to herself or molding herself to fit in with others.  The girls face tests to their friendship but ultimately realize that their friendship is forever. 

 This book is very well written quick read that pre-teens girls will enjoy.  The author follows a different girl in each chapter and ends with a minor cliff hanger that leaves the reader wanting more.  Each girls plot was interesting and they merged into a full story very well.

Appropriateness:   This is a delightful book that is perfect for the female middle school audience.  The girls are written realistically and their problems are not wild and crazy and unrealistic.  There is a very sweet romance that is a nice addition to the story but this book is ultimately about friendship and about making the right choices.  The girls are nice and good role models.  While they do not always make the best decisions they don't make any horrible decisions and they are honest and true to themselves.  Except for an incident where one of the girls puts a condom on a banana (as a learning exercise) there is no behavior that would trouble parents of even the youngest readers.  I would rank the interest level at 11+