Girls Take Charge

As Simple As It Seems by Sarah Weeks

During the summer after 5^th grade, Verbie is in a slump and can’t even bring herself to get dressed and instead hangs out in a white nightie all day. Her best friend has gone to camp with a new friend and she finds out that she is adopted.  A new family moves next door and hears about a drowning that took place at their lake house. When Verbie goes down to snoop, the neighbor boy believes she is the ghost of the girl who had drowned because she is wearing a white dress.   Verbie plays her hand and pretends she is in fact a ghost. This turns into a new relationship that Verbie needs to find her way back to herself. 

I loved this story. I laughed aloud during the scene when Verbie pretends that she is a ghost. This story reminds me of Because of Winn-Dixie mixed with Bridge to Terabithia. Even though the cover is girly looking, I think boys could also make connections.

Calli Be Gold by Michele Weber Hurwitz

Calli’s family is super busy and is driven to succeed and squeeze everything out of the day.  Calli doesn’t seem to have the talents or the energy to keep pace with her family and feels left out. When her fifth grade class pairs up with a second grade class in a mentorship program, Calli is drawn to a strange little boy. She finds this relationship very satisfying and gets a glimpse at finding out what she is very good at doing. Showing her family the importance of slowing down may be her job as discovers that she has her own abilities that are also “golden”.

I liked this story. It will appeal to girls but has an important message to share about making people important in your life. The Golds are so busy and yet I think I know people just like them!

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman

This story was fabulous.  Think Harry Potter and combine it with the TV show Once Upon a Time and set it in a Library in New York City which lends out objects instead of books.  One of the floors in the library lends out the magical elements from fairy tales. The high school pages who work at the library discover that some of these magical objects are being borrowed and replaced with fakes. They begin a dangerous adventure as they try and recover the stolen items.  There are a couple of romances in this book and some kissing scenes so it leans more towards the middle school collection.

A Couple of Book Reviews

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

This is a science fiction futuristic medical thriller with a lot of teenage angst. Jenna Fox is seventeen years old and awakes after a year-long coma knowing very little of her past and the terrible accident that happened to her.  She begins to gradually remember and has lots of questions that her parents seem reluctant to answer. She is driven to find out the truth.  This book is a great high school selection and may also interest middle school students who also like to think deeply about ethics and values.

 Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs

Imagine being twelve years old and living at the biggest zoo in the United States. Teddy is the first one to discover that the zoo hippo mascot has died and in fact was murdered! This murder mystery is very funny and full of grossness that will appeal to many kids. The other character that helps Teddy investigate the mystery is the glamorous Summer, who is the owner’s daughter.  This mystery reminded me of the Carl Hiaason ecological mysteries like Hoot and Scat. I think it is a winner.