Alien on a Rampage

 Alien on a Rampage is the sequel to Aliens on Vacation.  This book begins with David returning to his grandmother's bed and breakfast for a second summer.  He's excited for another vacation full of responsibility and adventure.  Things aren't all he thought they would be.  Amy has taken over a lot of responsibility and Grandma's creepy alien repairman Scratchell seems to be hiding something big.  Can David save the hotel and the world?

This sequel was just as good as the first book in the series.  The mystery was more serious than in the first book but still filled with humor.  A great addition to this book was David's alien pet with an insatiable appetite.  I laughed and smiled and couldn't put the book down until I finished it. It reads like a funny Disney channel movie.

Appropriateness:  There is no adult content in this book and is has a great message.  I recommend this book to boys and girls 10-14 with it being completely appropriate for younger readers who aren't overwhelmed with the size of the book.

ARC provided by publisher

The Sisters Grimm

The Fairy Tale Detectives, the first book in the Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley follows Sabrina and her sister Daphne who move in with their grandmother in a very strange town.  They immediately notice that there is something strange in the house and town.  They soon find out that the town they live in is filled with fairytale characters and they must solve a mystery to save their grandmother from a giant that is tearing up the town.

This is a fun series that intermediate and middle grade readers will enjoy.  It's got two spunky female characters who are self reliant and smart.  The mystery combines the familiar tales with an imaginative spin and also introduces the fact that the sanitized versions that our kids were introduced to are different than the originals which were much scarier. 

Appropriateness:  This is a great book for readers who have graduated into full chapter books.  The reading level is about 4.5 (lexile 840) and the book is just over three hundred pages.  The story has some minor violence (of the action variety) but is not very scary.  While the two main characters are female there are several male characters that boys will like and there is not even a hint of romance.  I would recommend this book to boys and girls 9-13 (or younger readers who can handle the size of the book).  It is interesting enough that it will work as a read aloud and first in a multi book series.

Drink Slay Love

Drink Slay Love by Sarah Beth Durnst follows Pearl, a sixteen year old vampire.  While snacking at the ice cream shop (from the boy behind the counter) she sees a sparkly unicorn.  The unicorn pierces her in the heart and she wakes up on her doorstep.  Pearl soon finds that she is able to walk in the sunlight and is sent to the local high school so that she can befriend the locals and find dinner for the upcoming ceremony with the king.

I think this is what happened with this book.  The editor told the author to write a book about vampires because vampires are hot in teen lit.  The author then rolled her eyes and thought fine, if you want a vampire book I'm going to make it absurd.  Then she wrote a terrific and serious book with the most absurd characters and twists (were-unicorns anyone?).  This made for a book that was both compelling and well plotted but also hysterically funny in it's small moments of absurdity.  I couldn't put the book down and loved it.

Appropriateness:  There is no adult content in this book (aside from a little nudity because of clothes that had to be burned).  The main character is seventeen and acts her age.  The romance is sweet and fairly innocent.  I would recommend this book to both older and younger YA readers 12+

Slayers

Slayers by C.J. Hill follows Tori, a girl who has always been obsessed with dragons.  She begins the story as her sister drops her off at Dragon camp sure she won't last a week.  Things in camp are strange.  She's met personally by the director and then taken off to a cabin miles from the rest of the camp.  Tori soon learns that she's a Dragon slayer, complete with special powers that are activated with a special dragon simulator they have at the camp.  Tori and the other slayers must train to fight to prevent Overdrake, the dragon lord from using his dragons to take over.

I almost didn't read this one because honestly the cover and title made me think it was going to be a total fantasy book that I wouldn't enjoy.  I was surprised as this book turned out to be a nice mix of contemporary with the fantasy and plenty of action and even a bit of romance.  I loved the camp setting and the games the campers would play to work on their training and the final battles at the end were epic.  The mythology was original and well crafted making for a believable world.

Appropriateness:  This is a great action packed book that will engage reluctant readers and it's a perfect middle school book, focused on fantasy and action.  There is a bit of romance (and a budding love triangle) but not enough that it would turn off a reader that disliked romance.  I would recommend this book to readers 11-15

Don't Expect Magic

Don't Expect Magic by Kathy McCullough follows Delaney who moves to California to live with her estranged father, a famous life coach after the death of her mother.  Delaney feels blinded by the sunshine and positive attitudes in California and longs to go back to New Jersey when she finds out a secret.  Her father is a fairy godmother, able to make transformations to fulfill wishes and Delaney may be one too.

I loved this book.  It was cute and quirky and filled with great characters and a bit of magic.  Delaney was a great bad girl who rebelling against the world who finds herself changed by her surroundings and her ability to cause positive change in others.  There is just a bit of romance but it was of equal importance to the relationship that develops between Delaney and her father and her friends.  I loved this book, found it impossible to put down and finished it quickly.

Appropriateness:  This is a light and fluffy book with no adult content.  The romance is sweet and just hinted at.  There is a fantastic message of being oneself while not shutting others out.  I would recommend this to readers 11+

A La Carte

A La Carte by Tanita Davis follows Lainey who dreams of being the first Vegetarian African American TV Chef.  Lainey's mother owns a restaurant and Lainey loves being in the kitchen and creates recipes (included in the story) whenever she has a problem.  Lainey however, is far from perfect.  She has no real friends except a childhood friend Sim who takes advantage of her friendship and then runs away.

I had real problems with this book because the main character was so unlikeable.  Lainey had no friends except for Sim who was obviously a seedy character who was using her and then runs away.  Lainey steals from her mother and then lies to her about Sim's disappearance which he apparently had to do because his father was so terrible (although his terribleness seemed not to be that he was abusive but that he had high expectations).  Lainey finally opens up to a friend and finally is able to see how Sim was using her and is able to make another friend.  I did finish the book and it was a quick read (and I've been in a mood lately where I've been quitting books half way through).  I would not however recommend it because of how pathetic and unlikeable the main character was.

Appropriateness:  This is a good book to show how some people will take advantage and pretend to care to get things from you.  There is a bit of romance but no sex.  There is talk of drugs and alcohol at a party that Laney does not attend that gets out of control and has severe consequences for one of the characters.  I would recommend this book to readers 12+

Rip Tide

Rip Tide by Kat Falls is the sequel to Dark Life.  Dark Life follows Ty who lives on the ocean floor. When he meets a topsider (someone who lives on the surface) named Gemma together they must save the underground settlements from being destroyed by outlaws.

Rip Tide puts Ty and Gemma back together as they try to find their parents who were kidnapped after trying to sell their crops.  The pair are soon enveloped into the politics and class distinctions that are a reality for the ocean residents who aren't given enough supplies to live and are willing to take part in life threatening fights to help their towns.  Ty and Gemma face many dangerous situations as they search for Ty's parents.

Rip Tide was full of action and adventure and although it is a sequel to Dark Life it felt like it was written for a different and older audience.  Dark life is very political with the plot being based on the caste like system that keeps different groups of citizens in different lives.  In between the political wrangling is a ton of (often very violent) action scenes.  I had some problems getting through this book and found it fairly clunky and lacking the charm of the first book.

Appropriateness:  While the first book was written for a young middle grade audience (9-11) this book seemed like it was for a more mature audience (which is perfect if your child read the first book when if first came out) because of the political basis for the plot and because the book was very violent.  There are several brutal fight scenes which are a little much for an elementary school audience.  However, all the action will make this a must read for boys who will really enjoy the action scenes.  There is also a hint of romance and a tough female character for female readers.  The lexile of Dark Life was 690 putting the book at a fourth grade level so this book should be around the same.  I would recommend this book to readers 11-15

Review copy obtained by Amazon Vine

Soldiers Game

 

Soldier's Game by James Killgore follows Ross, a young football (soccer) player named Ross as he learns the story of his great grandfather.  His great grandfather was a professional football player who (along with his entire team) joins the military and goes off to fight in the great war.

This is a fantastic book that combines sports and war history.  The reader is taken into the life of the soldier so they can really understand what it was like to be a soldier during world war one without feeling like you're stuck in a history book and the football sequences were fantastic.  There is a nice set of facts at the back so readers can get information about the war.  It is a short and quick read.

Appropriateness:  This is the perfect book for intermediate and middle school boys.  It is short (around 160 pages) and is full of sports and battle scenes that will encourage reluctant readers.  The war sequences are brutal but not graphic.  Ross is around 12 and while his great grandfather Jack is an adult the story is told in a way that will engage younger readers (a soccer star goes to war).  I would encourage teachers and librarians to get a copy to put on your shelf.

Review copy obtained by netgalley

Confessions of a First Daughter

Confessions of a First Daughter by Cassidy Calloway stars Morgan Abbot whose mother is the president.  Morgan is far from the perfect first daughter.  She has problems with her grades and gets caught by the paparazzi at the most embarrassing and inconvenient time.  After causing a minor incident after being caught in a closet with her boyfriend Morgan is assigned a new young (and cute) secret service agent. 

This was a cute and fun book.  Morgan is a great character complete with flaws.  Although the story is far from realistic it is still fun and the book is a fun and fast read.  I loved Morgan's relationship with her mother and her relationship with her best friend.  It is very short, fluffy and fun.  I finished it very quickly.

Appropriateness:  There are a couple of scenes where Morgan's boyfriend wants to go further than she is comfortable with.  She goes to a club while underage but does not drink.  The crush worthy older guy is just two years older than her (so it's not creepy like many are).  It is a very short and quick read that reluctant readers would enjoy.  Morgan is in her late teens but she and her classmates interact more like middle schoolers.  I would recommend this book to girls 11-4.

Wildwood

Wildwood by Colin Meloy follows Prue and Curtis as they enter the Wildwood in search of Prue's baby brother who was kidnapped by a murder (the correct term for a flock) of crows.  The two are quickly enveloped into a fantastical land with talking animals and a great political battle and become important to the freedom of the Wildwood.

This is a great fantasy novel that kids will love.  The world building is excellent and it is full of adventure.  The characters are separate for a large portion of the book and the author does a good job of keeping the story moving while moving back and forth between the characters.  I found the book to be too long for the intended audience (it is over 500 pages) and think that will turn off many readers (it turned me off).  It is also fully in the fantasy genre and does not offer much for crossover readers.

 Appropriateness:  Curtis gets drunk off of blackberry wine in the first few chapters.  It is treated as a fantasy event (and frankly, it makes him look like an idiot) and is not treated as a fun or a good decision, he drinks the wine because he is not offered water.  It is not anything that would bother me as a parent.  There is however a large amount of gruesome violence that young children might find upsetting.  The back of my ARC says this book is for grades 3-7 and I disagree with that assessment.  The book is HUGE and there are some massive vocabulary words which lead me to believe that it is written at a far more difficult reading level than the average third or fourth grader could handle.  The length makes it too long to work as a read aloud.   I would recommend this book to readers in grades 5-8 who are fans of fantasy (both male and female).

ARC provided by publisher (not sure who actually sent me the book, it arrived at my house so if you sent it thanks! 

-- If you really want to be entertained go check out the reviews on Amazon.  There is a delightfully hysterical one star review that made me laugh, it has an absurd amount of not helpful results.

Fins are Forever

Fins Are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs is the sequel to Forgive My Fins.  The series stars Lily a Mermaid living in the human world.  In the last book Lilly got together with her boyfriend Quince and decided that she was going to give up her spot as princess to live in the human world.  Things are made more complicated when her cousin comes to stay with her having been exiled from her underwater kingdom and Lilly has to teach her to appreciate humanity.

I like this series.  It's sweet and cute.  It's fairly predictable but enjoyable nevertheless.  There was no endless drooling over guys that doesn't know the girl exists in this book which made it more enjoyable for me.  This is a pretty typical middle school romance light and fluffy and a very fast read.

Appropriateness:  There is no adult content in this book.  The main character is almost eighteen but behaves more like a middle schooler.  The romance is limited to very brief kisses.  I would recommend this book to girls 11-14 The lexile of the first in the series is 750 putting the book around a fifth grade reading level.

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.

My Unfair Godmother

My Unfair Godmother by Janette Rallison is a companion book to My Fair Godmother.  The story features the same fair godmother Chrissy that as in the companion book who gets her charges into terrible fairytale situations.  The books can be read in any order.  This book stars Tansy who has felt torn apart and neglected over her parents divorce.  When Tansy's little sister gets a job singing in a touring musical Tansy has to go and live with the father whom she has felt abandoned her.  Tansy's rebellious boyfriend gets her into some minor trouble with the police and she is visited by Chrissy a Fair Godmother who offers her three wishes.  Tansy then has to deal with Robin Hood and his men and is thrown into the Rapunzel story.

This is a delightfully fun romantic comedy.  Tansy's growth as a person was fun to read as well as was the romance that slowly builds between her and the police chief's son.  The fairytale stories were carefully interwoven and presented in an entertaining and original way.  Rallison is one of my new favorite authors.  Her stories are consistently entertaining and present the reader with strong girls and smart guys whose relationships develop in realistic and healthy ways.

Appropriateness:  There's no adult content in this book.  Chrissy begins the story as a rebellious teen.  She has a horrible boyfriend who gets her in some minor legal trouble.  She grows up throughout the story and is able to repair the relationships in her life.  The romance is limited to some minor kissing.  I would recommend this book to teens 12+ and there is nothing in the book that is inappropriate for younger readers.

Princess of Glass

Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George follows Princess Poppy from George's Princess of the Midnight Ball as she is sent away to live with her cousins and ends up in the middle of another faerie plot in loose retelling of Cinderella.  Princess Poppy is living away for the first time without her sisters still reeling from the years of dancing every night she refuses to dance at the balls she attends with her aunt and uncle.  Ellen is a horrible maid, she makes a mess of everything.  When Ellen receives a mysterious message from a woman who claims to be her fairy godmother she is willing to overlook the magic in order to be treated like a princess.

Princess of the Midnight Ball is another delightful fairy tale retelling by Jessica Day George.  The characters are delightful and the romance is fresh and entertaining.  The Cinderella story is changed enough with the added faerie element to keep the reader guessing.

Appropriateness:  There is nothing questionable in the book.  I would recommend this book for readers aged 12 and up with it being appropriate for those who are younger.

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.

Just One Wish

 Just One Wish by Janette Rallison follows Annika as she goes on a delightfully fun adventure to get the actor that plays Teen Robin Hood for her brother before his cancer surgery  Annika uses her imagination, her persuasive skills and her archery skills to get herself into (and out of) many sticky situations.

This is a delightful romantic comedy with heart.  Annika is a three dimensional heroine who isn't afraid to go above and beyond to make her brother happy.  The novel is funny and romantic, sweet and sad.  I stayed up late finishing the book because I was so engrossed in the story.

Appropriateness:  Annika lies to her parents and commits some mayhem while working to fufill her brothers dream.  She's a strong and confident girl who doesn't need a man to fight her battles for her.  I'd recommend this book to 10-15 year old lovers of contemporary comedic romance.

Violet Eyes

Violet Eyes by Debbie Vigue from the Once Upon a Time series is a retelling of the fairytale The Princess and the Pea.  Violet comes across a man on her farm who is hurt by a fall from a horse.  Violet finds that the man whose name is Richard is a prince, the two fall in love.  When Richard returns to the castle Violet's parents tell her that she is a princess and she heads to the castle to compete in a contest to be Prince Richards wife.

This was a delightful but simple retelling of a familiar tale.  Young readers will enjoy the companionship between the princesses and Violet's determination to win the challenges instead of taking the easy way out.  While I would have appreciated a little more character development the short length and simple romance makes this book one that young readers will be able to enjoy. 

Appropriateness:  This is a retelling that young readers will adore.  There is a bit of kissing but not enough that it would turn off even the youngest of readers  The story focuses more on the journey than the romance and it focuses on the strength and determination of the different princesses.  I would suggest it for the 10-14 year old crowd with it being appropriate for younger readers who are fans of fairy tales.

Harry Potter is Not a Children's Book

Many parents seem to be in a huge rush for their kids to read Harry Potter.  As soon as their kids get beyond the Junie B Jones and Magic Treehouse books they run out and buy Harry Potter.  Even Amazon and Barnes and Noble list these books for 9-12 year olds.

What I see often that happens when elementary school readers are given Harry Potter is that they start the book, perhaps even making it through the second in the series and stop, deciding that they don't like Harry Potter and generally don't pick the series up again.  Their parents are confounded because every child likes Harry Potter and it is the ultimate chapter book so why not their child?

Harry Potter is HARD, much harder than most childrens and young adult (and adult) books.  Not only are they very difficult to read but the books are very long and there are seven of them which is a lot for a young reader. 

Additionally, Harry Grows up throughout the series and while he is fairly young when his adventures begins, he is an adult when the series ends, dealing with issues that to older readers can relate to more than younger readers.  The series is also very dark, the later books so much so that many adults find them scary.  Because of their length and reading levels I classify these books as Young Adult which are also appropriate for very advanced younger readers who are interested and motivated to read the series.

Here are the lexile rating and page length for all the books in the series.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone:  Lexile: 880  Length: 320

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2): Lexile 940 Length: 352

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3): Lexile 880  Length: 448

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4): Lexile 880 Length: 752

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix: Lexile 950 Length: 870

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6):  Lexile 1030 Length: 672

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7): Lexile 980 Length: 784

That places the books from a sixth grade reading level to an eighth grade reading level (book number six).  Which means that elementary school age kids who are reading on grade level are going to find these book far more difficult than almost anything they have read, even at school.


My Fourth or Fifth Grader Loved Harry Potter and sped through all of the books!
You should be proud of your child and yourself.  You have a very good reader on your hands.  You should also encourage your child to reread these books again when they are in middle school so they can pick up what they probably missed the first time.  Part of the reason that these books are loved so much by librarians and teachers is because they are so difficult and many readers push themselves (YAY) because they are so enthralled in the story..


My seven year old has read books at a higher reading level than that so they're ready right?
Don't do it!!  The sheer length of these books is too much for kids that young.  If they're asking then get them the audio books.  Keep their reading to books that are shorter and wait till they are in third or fourth grade.  If they're audio book fans, that is always an option.

My child really wants to read the books but I'm afraid they're going to be discouraged as I know they are not super strong readers:
Try the audio books, they can listen to the books in the car or before bed (you could read them aloud but that will take months) .  Your child will develop literacy skills and enjoy the stories without being bogged down while trying to get through the text or struggle with the length. They can either read along with the audio books (my daughter loves to do this) or listen to the books without the text.  You can find the audio books in your public library. 


When is the right age to encourage my child to read Harry Potter?
These are young adult books that are perfect for a middle school aged child and are perfect for summer reading.  They are also generally on middle school recommended reading lists for schools that allow kids to pick their own books to read during silent reading periods at school.  The series is great for fourth or fifth graders who are advanced readers to start.

There are a few series, such as Percy Jackson, or The Underland Chronicles that are similar but not as quite as difficult or lengthy that are good predictors as to their readiness to read Harry Potter.  If your child has gotten through one of these series without difficulty then they should be able to handle Harry Potter.


The Harry Potter series is fantastic and one that I highly recommend.  However, parents need to be educated on the difficulty of the series, understanding that they are not the only books written for children and that your kids will be more likely to enjoy the series if they read it later rather than earlier.

There are so many wonderful children's books out there for kids to read.  Including ones that are filled with action and magic.  When you child first starts to enjoy reading for pleasure search for books that include topics they will enjoy and are written at a reading level that will not frustrate them.  Leave the 600 page difficult books till they are old enough to enjoy them without working too hard.

Waiting on Wednesday -- Throne of Fire

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking The Spine where bloggers talk about books they're excited to read.

The second book in Rick Riordan's Kane Chronicles series Throne of Fire will be released on May 3rd.  This series follows Carter and Sadie and Egyptian mythology.

Here's the description from GoodReads: 

In this exciting second installment of the three-book series, Carter and Sadie, offspring of the brilliant Egyptologist Dr. Julius Kane, embark on a worldwide search for the Book of Ra, but the House of Life and the gods of chaos are determined to stop them.

This series is  fantastic.  It is more difficult plot wise than the Percy Jackson series so it is great for readers who loved that series.  The lexile for the red pyramid is 650 putting it at a fourth grade reading level.

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.