Roller Coaster by Marla Frazee (0-15-204554-6)
Almost as much fun as riding a coaster, this book is filled with swerves, laughter and loops. The pictures are ones that you will want to study at length, since they are rich with tiny details showing characters’ reactions to the ride. Keep an eye on the elderly couple and contrast them with the brawny men.
Best for small groups or laps where you can talk about the illustrations.

Mind Games by Jeanne Marie Grunwell (0-618-17672-1)
This book is a read that sneaks up and hooks you before you realize what is happening. In the format of a seventh grade group science project on ESP, this book gives a glimpse into the personality of the kids involved in the project as well as their experiment. Right at the beginning of the book, you learn that the group won the lottery through their research, but was it science or ESP that gave them the winning number?
Boys and girls will like this book with its engaging characters from a range of backgrounds. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy and also kids interested in science. Since it is also a book very based in school-life, kids who enjoy school settings in their books will enjoy this as well.

Prairie Whispers by Frances Arrington (0-399-23975-8)
I had been looking forward to this book, watching it get closer and closer as I worked through my bookpile. I liked the premise of a girl on the prairie rescuing a baby from a dying woman the same night that her mother gave birth to a stillborn child. She didn’t intend to lie, but everyone assumed that the other woman’s baby was actually her mother’s. Then the girl had to deal with the consequences when the dead woman’s husband returns.
I found the book slow moving, though I can admit that this was being used to build tension and to evoke the rhythm of life on the prairie. I wasn’t satisfied by the ending either, which I won’t give away here.
Please let me know if you think differently. Perhaps I can be persuaded to your point of view and will start recommending this book to teens, rather than just letting them find it on their own.

DIARY OF A WORM by Doreen Cronin (006000150X)
The combination of Cronin’s wry text and Harry Bliss’ illustrations is comic magic. The characters are lovable and refreshingly not always sweet. Kids reading this will see themselves reflected in the worm, spider and the entire worm family. Lots of laughs and fun.

Dead Girls Don’t Write Letters by Gail Giles (0-7613-1727-9)
I loved Giles’ first book Shattered Glass, so I was looking forward to reading this new one. It was definitely worth the wait!
Sunny’s older sister Jazz was killed in a fire and the family falls apart. Sunny steps in to take care of her parents, finally feeling that she has a real role in her family, since she is no longer in her sister’s shadow. But then she gets a letter from her dead sister. A girl arrives at the house claiming to be Jazz, she looks like Jazz, acts like Jazz and seems to be Jazz in every way. But is she Jazz?
This book is a quick read. The story is immediately gripping and will catch readers up and carry them along. I had great fun trying to unravel the mystery and was left reeling by the twisting ending. I would recommend this to most readers, even reluctant ones, especially girls. The story perfectly captures sibling rivalry and family grief. Definitely one not to miss!

Storm Catchers by Tim Bowler (0-689-84573-1)
This book is a breathcatching rollercoaster ride that starts with the kidnapping of Ella. Fin, Ella’s brother, starts to unravel the mystery behind the kidnapping in order to save his sister. But by the time he solves it all, his entire family may be torn apart.
I really enjoyed this book. The setting is vital to the story and Bowler captures it so completely that the reader is left with a vision of the lighthouse, the caves, the Furies, and the beach.
This book will work for most teens. The gripping story line will carry anyone who picks up the book through to the end. Plus it has a central male character that will draw boys to the book.

THE GOBLIN WOOD by Hilari Bell (0-06-051371-3) is a book that will work for many types of readers. Set in a magical land, it is the story of Makenna whose mother was killed for being a witch due to the influence of priests in her village. Makenna flees to the forest where she bands together with a group of goblins who are being killed off too. It is also the story of the brave and honorable Sir Tobin who is sent to capture Makenna. The story is much more than a knight tale. It examines what humanity is, where allegiances should lie, and defines honor. The only complaint I have is with the cover art. The book will need some pushing to get it to move due to the dark cover that does little to sell the magical tale inside.
I would recommend the book to kids who enjoy fantasy, boys who like knight stories, and people asking for books with strong female protangonists. Makenna is one of the strongest heroines around.