Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong

Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong by Prudence Shen and Faith Erin Hicks is the story of high school and what happens when the school leaves it up to the student council to decide who gets the limited funding - the cheerleaders or the robotics club.

Charlie is minding his own business when his neighbor and classmate informs him that the school doesn't have enough money for both new cheerleader uniforms and the national robotics competition. Since Charlie used to date the head cheerleader, Nate thinks he needs to hear the unjust story of it all.

When Nate decides to run for school council president so he can vote where to use the money, the cheerleaders decide to elect Charlie. As the captain of the basketball team, he is popular and they think he will vote their way - because he is scared of them.

Creative ways to get money for both projects lead to compromise and working together - for groups that do not mix at most schools. Shen and Hicks have written a fun read that graphic novel readers will enjoy.

Shen, Prudence and Faith Erin Hicks. (2013). Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong. New York: First Second Books.

Gracefully Grayson

Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky is the story of a  girl who is trapped in the body of a boy. I believe it is the first middle grade novel to deal with a transgender protagonist.

Grayson Sender lives with his aunt, uncle and two cousins in Chicago. He is in sixth grade and does well in school - at least as far as grades go. He does not have any friends. He has isolated himself from others because he has a secret.

Each morning after Grayson gets dressed he imagines himself wearing other clothes. His pants become a shirt or a dress. It used to be that the image lasted longer, but now it fades by mid-morning and he is wearing boy clothes again.

Grayson is sure that if his classmates knew how he feels they would make fun of him. But his true self is trying to break through. When a notice goes up to audition for the school play, Grayson signs up - and tries for the lead of Persephone.

Polonsky has written a beautiful book exploring what makes a person one gender or the other.  Grayson is a wonderful character readers will love. Read this book today.

Polonsky, Ami. (2014). Gracefully Grayson. New York: Hyperion.

I,Q: The Alamo (IQ #4)

I,Q: The Alamo by Roland Smith and Michael P. Spradlin is the forth book in the IQ series which follows new siblings Q and Angela as they travel the US on their parent's tour bus - and track a ghost cell that wants to terrorize the United States.

Q (short for Quest) and his brand new step-sister Angela are being pulled out of school to go with their parents on a tour of the US. There parents have both worked in the music industry for years, but teaming up together put then at the top of the charts. The year is supposed to be spent learning about the history of the US from their tour bus. But almost immediately, they were followed. And now they are in the midst of stopping a terror group.

After leaving Kitty Hawk, Q and Angela make their way toward San Antonio, Texas for the next big concert their parents are giving. Their parents will meet them on the way after a benefit for hurricane victims. Q and Angela travel with Boone, head roadie and super-spy, and his team of (semi)retired spies.

For some reason, the targets they keep finding out about seem to coincide with the concert tour. Q and Angela will continue to help the team on their way to Chicago in the next book.

Smith, Roland and Michael Spradlin. (2013). The Alamo. Ann Arbor, MI: Sleeping Bear Press.

The Floating Island (Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme #1)

The Floating Island by Elizabeth Haydon is the first book in the Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme - which tell of the adventures of Charles Magnus Polypheme, known as Ven.

Ven is the youngest son of a Nain shipbuilder. The Nain are a human-like race that usually lives underground, and they are known for their fear of water. But unlike his siblings, Ven has waited for years to be old enough to go out on one of the ships his family builds. But when it is finally his turn to sail the bay and sign off on the inspection, things do not go as planned.

Ven's ship is attacked by Fire Pirates, who never leave anyone alive. Through some quick thinking and high explosives, Ven finds himself floating in the wreckage. What follows includes sea monsters, mermaids, a floating magical island, and once on land, a haunted inn.

The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme are adventure at their best. Haydon has reassembled the journals and filled in the blanks to create a wonderful series that will appeal to all ages.

Haydon, Elizabeth. (2006). The Floating Island. New York: Tom Doherty Associates Books.

Count Me In

Count Me In by Sara Leach is the story of a weekend hike gone wrong.

Tabitha has no desire to go hiking with her cousins and aunt. Her parents thought it would be a good idea because she has been having trouble at school and she could use a break. Tabitha doesn't think her cousins, Cedar and Ashley, are much nicer that the kids at school. Plus, their hike to their family's favorite cabin is to spread the ashes of her recently deceased uncle.

Tabitha is not a hiker. She spends her free time studying math. She spent the summer at math camp learning about the Fibonacci sequence. Now she is getting blisters and carrying a giant backpack up the side of a mountain.

A simple hike to say goodbye turns dangerous when rains cut off their escape from the mountain. Between injuries, a lost dog and a hungry bear the weekend will challenge Tabitha in ways that will make school bullying look easy.

Leach has written a quick adventure thriller that will pull readers in from the very first page.

Leach, Sara. (2011). Count Me In. Custer, WA: Orca Books.

Hattie Ever After (Hattie Brooks #2)

Hattie Ever After by Kriby Larson is the long awaited follow up to her Hattie Big Sky novel about a young woman who attempted to be a homesteader in Montana in the early 1900s.

Now that Hattie Inez Brooks has failed to meet the criteria for keeping the homestead claim left to her by an uncle she never knew, she must decide where life will take her next. She grew up being passed from one relative to another and does not wish to go back Iowa. She has had some letter published in a paper back home and longs to be a real reporter like Nelly Bly.

When a vaudevillian troupe comes through town on their way to San Fransisco, Hattie joins them as a wardrobe girl - repairing costumes to pay her way West. San Fransisco in 1919 is a magical time and place in the history of the United States and Hattie will attempt to get a job a newspaper.

Larson is a through researcher and has captured life in 1919 California, after the big earthquake, when one of the great debates was whether women, who were shoved into the workforce during WWI, should work outside the home. Her stories are fascinating and Hattie is one of the most loveable historical characters ever created, sort of a young American version of a Maisie Dobbs - someone who was not satisfied to remain relegated to her proscribed societal role based solely on her gender.

Larson, Kirby. (2013). Hattie Ever After. New York: Delacourte Press.

I, Q: Kitty Hawk (IQ #3)

Kitty Hawk by Roland Smith is his third book in the IQ series about siblings - Q and Angela - who are on the road with their parents for a year. They are supposed to be learning about US history as they travel through the states, but they are also learning about terrorism.

Q and Angela have only been siblings for a short time. Angela's dad married Q's mom and they have a hit single on the charts which lead them to decide to take the kids on the road while they tour. But there is more to their travels than they first thought. Angela's mother was a Secret Service agent killed in the line of duty - or so Angela thought.

Q and Angela, along with their driver/roadie who is an undercover spy, have been pulled into a web of terrorism and espionage. Angela's mother is undercover trying to infiltrate a ghost cell that is terrorizing the US. Between the skills Angela learned from her mother and Q's magician tricks, they are a great help in uncovering a plot against the President's daughter.

And when the President's daughter is kidnapped by Angela's mother - Q and Angela are part of the team that tracks the SUV holding them in order to get information and then get them out. But things never go according to plan...

Smith has created a great James Bond / Spy Kids like series that is fast paced (the first three books take place within the same week) and will attract readers from grade 3 through adult. Read the first one today!

Smith, Roland. (2012). I,Q: Kitty Hawk. Ann Arbor, MI: Sleeping Bear Press.

Hope Was Here

Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer is a story of family, politics, corruption, friendship and finding one's self.

Hope Yancy lives with her aunt Addie in Brooklyn, but they are about to leave the city she loves for a small town in Wisconsin. The diner where Addie was a cook went under when the owner ran away with all of the money. Now they are on to a new adventure.

Like most sixteen year-olds, Hope does not want to move. She felt comfortable in Brooklyn with her friends. They have moved before and she is almost sure it will work out, but it is not an easy move. When they arrive in Mulhoney, WI at the Welcome Stairs diner - named after the Quaker idea of welcoming people from where ever they come - she is not hopeful. But when she meets the owner, G.T. Stoop, she begins to change her mind.

G.T. is a fixture in Mulhoney. He serves great food, always listens, and helps out when anyone in town needs a hand. He is also fighting Leukemia. So everyone in town is surprised when he announces that he will be running for mayor - using what is left in his life to fight the corruption in town.

With a platform of honesty, G.T. is joined by Hope and many of the other teens in town who begin to realize why it is important to participate in the community of which you are a part. Hope Was Here is a story of coming of age that will appeal to anyone who has ever felt hopeless in the face of government. Bauer has the ability to fit many topics into a book while not overwhelming readers - her stories will stay in your memory for a long time.

Bauer, Joan. (2000). Hope Was Here. New York: G.P.Putnam's Sons.

Rules of the Road

Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer is a road trip novel with a message.

Jenna Boller works at Gladstone Shoe store in Chicago. She is sixteen and though she does not always feel like she fits in at school, she is a great shoe salesperson. She knows the products and can read people to make sure she finds them the right shoes.

When Madeline Gladstone, President of the company, asks her to drive her to work. When she does so successfully, Mrs. Gladstone hires Jenna to drive her from Chicago to Dallas, stopping at her stores along the way.

Mrs. Gladstone is headed to Texas to retire and hand the company to her son. But her son has different ideas about business that did she and her husband. They set out to provide a quality product at a fair price. Her son is focused on making money in spite of what quality shortcuts are necessary along the way.

Filled with wisdom, human and philosophy, Bauer's novel looks at our changing world. She highlights what may be wrong with our current society and points out that we can choose to retain quality if we wish. Great book.

Bauer, Joan. (1998). Rules of the Road. New York: Speak.

Path of Beasts (Museum Keepers #3)

Path of Beasts by Lian Tanner is the third book in her Museum Keepers series. This dystopian series is set around the city of Jewel that contains a museum that changes with the mood of the city and how safe or threatened it feels.

Goldie, Toadspit and Bonnie are back from the city of Spoke. When they arrive back in Jewel and begin to sneak their way to the museum the see a sight that makes them think that all that was gained for the citizens of Jewel has been lost. There are mercenaries on the streets maintaining a curfew. And the Guardians who were disbanded with the end of the Fugleman's reign seem to have returned.

Now the people of the museum will begin a strategy of pranks and trickery to try to weaken the Fugleman's position. But if he finds out the museum is behind the campaign he will use his new cannon on the building - something that the creatures who live in the exhibits would not sit idly by and let happen.

Tanner has created a great series that will be loved by readers from age 10 and up. The Museum Keepers should be on any list of recommended fiction!

Tanner, Lian. (2012). Path of Beasts. New York: Delacourte Press.

37 Things I Love

37 Things I Love by Kekla Magoon is a story of loss and friendship.

Ellis is fifteen. She lives with her mother and goes to high school. Her father has been in a coma for two years and, as a result, she and her mother are in a sort of holding pattern - sad and depressed and cannot talk to each other or fully take in what it going on around them.

Ellis's best friend is Abby. They have been friends for years. But lately Ellis is noticing that Abby does not really listen to her. The friendship feels one-sided and Ellis needs someone to talk to. Her mother is talking about pulling the plug on her father's life support.

After walking away from their usual lunch table to get away from Abby, Ellis notices Cara sitting outside. Ellis is not sure what happened - she and Abby and Cara used to all be best friends. When she sits down next to Cara, she feels listened to for the first time in a long time.

37 Things I Love feels like a light read but is filled with deep emotion, the good and bad of friendship, loss and first love. As the story unfolds, readers will be drawn to certain characters and read faster to see what happens to them.

Magoon, Kekla. (2012). 37 Things I Love. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

City of Lies (Museum Keepers #2)

City of Lies by Lian Tanner is the second book in Museum Keepers series.

Ten months after the end of the first book, the city of Jewel has begun to settle into it's new lifestyle. Goldie Roth, no longer needing to live in the Museum of Dent, is back with her parents.

A note sent to her home informs her that the Museum has invited her to be the new Keeper. As only one other Keeper has been chosen in the last century, it is a great honor.

The night that Goldie goes to the museum to give her answer, she stops and picks up Toadspit on the way. His sister Bonnie follows them. When they spot her she convinces them to let her come if she can shoot her bow accurately - to prove she can take care of herself. But when she goes to retrieve her arrow, she is taken.

Goldie and Toadspit follow and end up on a ship. When Toadspit is discovered, Goldie is left in the city of Spoke trying to free them. But Spoke is about to begin the Festival of Lies - two days when people are not permitted to tell the truth.

Tanner's second book retains some of the magic of the first, but falls short of her amazing debut. Still, the characters are great, including a strong heroine. Considering her first book was so awesome, this book is still better than much of the YA fantasy available! Read it and join other readers in waiting impatiently for the third Keepers book.

Tanner, Lian. (2011). City of Lies. New York: Delacourte Press.

The Pirate Captain's Daughter

The Pirate Captain's Daughter by Eve Bunting is the tale of a girl joining her father on the open seas.

Catherine knows her father is a pirate even though he tells her that he is a Navy Captain. He is away for months at a time while she lives with her sick mother.

When her mother dies, her father comes home to comfort her. He suggests she move in with an elderly aunt, but she insists on joining him on his ship.

Of course, it is bad luck to have a woman aboard according to pirate lore, so Catherine cuts her hair, changes her clothes and is introduced to the crew as Charlie.

Bunting's tale of piracy has none of the swashbuckling fun of some pirate adventures, but show a more brutal side of lawless men bent on murder and pillage. Though listed as a young adult book, it feels more appropriate for tween readers.

Bunting, Eve. (2010). The Pirate Captain's Daughter. Ann Arbor, MI: Sleeping Bear Press.

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch is the story of a Jewish girl who wants to fight dragons.

In Hereville everyone is Jewish - orthodox Jewish - where roles for men and women are prescribed by tradition. So even though her time is spent being taught to knit by her step-mother, eleven year-old Mirka's real desire is to fight dragons.

Deutsch has created a graphic novel that explains about Judaism through this beautiful tale of courage and finding ones place in the world. The illustrations are beautiful and the Yiddish words are defined at the bottom of each page. A great read for Jews, fans of graphic novels, fans of strong female protagonists, and anyone who has even wanted to fight dragons.

Deutsch, Barry. (2010). Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword. New York: Amulet Books.

First Daughter: White House Rules (Sameera Righton #2)

First Daughter: White House Rules by Mitali Perkins is her second book featuring Sameera Righton. In the first book, Sameera's father ran for President of the United States.

Now Sameera and her parents are moving into the White House. Sameera is adjusting to life as a famous person while continuing her blog about being the daughter of the new president.

Perkins, Mitali. (2008). First Daughter: White House Rules. New York: Dutton Children's Books.

The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen

The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen by Mitali Perkins is the story of two cultures - in one young woman.

Sunita, known as Sunni by her friends, was born and raised in California. Her family is Indian, both of her parents were born in India, but she thinks of herself as an American.

When her mother takes a year off from teaching and starts wearing sarees because Sunita's grandparents are coming to stay with them, Sunita becomes confused and embarrassed. She wishes she was either Indian in India or American in California.

As Sunita struggles to balance the halves of her life, she comes to find beauty in both Indian and American culture.

Perkins has written a tween novel that most readers will be able to relate to - being a young teen and being embarrassed by family traditions that are different from those of your friends. Sunita Sen is a peak at the beauty in every culture and finding your balance between the disparate parts of self.


Perkins, Mitali. (1993). The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

I, Q: The White House (IQ #2)

I,Q: The White House by Roland Smith is the second book in his IQ series - featuring new siblings Quest (Q) and Angela.

On tour with their parents, the famous musicians, Angela and Q are supposed to be having a safe road trip learning about the history of the US. They are turning in school assignments as they go.

In the first book they were recruited by a team of spies who are trying to keep them safe while attempting to take down the most well trained ghost cell ever to infiltrate the US.

When their parents are invited to play the White House, Q and Angela think they will be safe from the terrorists. But the cell has even placed people inside of the White House staff. Now Angela and Q and their friends will have to keep the President and his children safe as well.

Smith has created a great group of characters in this fast-paced suspense series filled with facts about American history. Each book will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Smith, Roland. (2010). I,Q: The White House. Ann Arbor, MI: Sleeping Bear Press.

First Light

First Light by Rebecca Stead is a great book that entertains while sneaking in important information about climate change / global warming.

Peter's father is a glaciologist and has gotten a grant to go to Greenland and study how global warming is affecting the ice cap. Peter and his mother, along with a graduate student, will be going as well.

Thea lives in Greenland, though she does not know it by that name. She lives within the glacier Peter's father is going to study. Her people carved tunnels and homes out of the ice generations ago when they were being hunted by others.

While Peter explore the top the glacier, Thea wonders if there is a way out of her world - not to escape but to expand the current city. They will come together by chance and learn about the other's life in this beautifully written, well crafted plot.

Stead has a way with words that will appeal to readers of all ages. Her book is packed with science that enhances the story and teaches readers more about our world. Her characters are thoughtful and true to their age group. She makes readers remember being twelve and knowing that anything in the world is possible.

Stead, Rebecca. (2007). First Light. New York: Wendy Lamb Books.

Museum of Thieves (Museum Keepers #1)

Museum of Thieves is the first book in Lian Tanner's The Keepers series.

In the city of Jewel a tight reign is kept on the citizens of the city. Children are literally chained to their parents or a Blessed Guardian until they reach the age of Separation. Until that time they are never alone and they do not make any decisions for themselves.

Now Goldie Roth is about to reach her Separation. The age has been lowered because the threats the city used to face have lessened - there is no more plague, famine, or pestilence; no children have drowned or had any fatal accidents in a long time; even the instance of child stealers is virtually nonexistent.

But as Goldie is about to be cut free of the ceremonial ribbon that has replaced her usual chain, a scare causes the leaders to rethink her early Separation. All of the children who were about to be freed must wait until it is deemed safe again. Goldie cannot wait.

As Goldie has never been the model child, she sees her opportunity to pick the pocket of the man guarding her. She can cut herself free and run away! Her escape sets off a chain of events long in the planning - events that may threaten the city like no others have for hundreds of years.

In the mean time, Goldie hides in the city's museum - a building she has never noticed before. But this is not regular museum - it is alive and can only be accessed by a thief. For only a thief can understand the shifting rooms. The museum shifts according to its sense of security - the more it feels threatened the more it changes. When the Blessed Guardians invade the building to find Goldie the museum becomes quite agitated.

Tanner's first book in the series is brilliant. She is an author with rare wisdom and perspective who brings feelings we all face to the forefront. Some of her passages tell universal truths in simple and hard-hitting language but are woven into a fascinating story and only enhance the reader's interest.

Museum of Thieves will be published on September 28th of this year (being a librarian has its perks!). Reserve a copy as soon as your local public library has it!

Tanner, Lian (2010). Museum of Thieves. New York: Delacourte Press.

Rapunzel's Revenge

Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale, illustrated by Nathan Hale, is a reworking of the Rapunzel fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm.

Instead of being rescued by a prince like in the original story. In Hale's version, Rapunzel is raised by Mother Gothel. She lives in an enchanted garden that is tended by Gothel's growth magic.

One day she realizes what is on the other side of the wall that encloses the garden. What she finds shocks her. People have been forced into slavery to support Mother Gothel.

When Rapunzel tells Gothel that she wants to leave she is locked in a tower tree where she will stay until she learns to like her life. The tree is infected with the growth magic that makes Rapunzel's hair grow to absurd lengths.

Rapunzel uses her hair to escape the tree and find her way to the slave mines to find her real mother. She must fight her way across the old west to reach her destination and will need the help of a new friend to make it.

Hale, Shannon and Dean. (2008). Rapunzel's Revenge. New York: Bloomsbury.