Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Writing Thank-You Notes by Peggy Gifford.

Moxy returns in splendid style in this second book.  This time she is stuck writing twelve thank-you notes after Christmas.  She has to have them done by today, or her mother has threatened her with not going to see her father in California.  And Moxy knows that if she goes to California, she will be discovered and become famous.   As the time ticks by despite Moxy’s best intentions, her ideas for finishing the thank-you’s get more and more wild.  Expect hilarity and slapstick galore.

Moxy is a fabulously real heroine, who wrestles with the insurmountable problems of childhood.  Her wild antics are reminiscent of  Homer Price and the doughnut machine.  While it is very funny, the book does not veer too far in that direction, staying based in real life and having real moments of sadness and realization.  A pitch-perfect balance is struck by Gifford in this book.  The photographs that illustrate the book add to the grounding in reality as well as the funny moments.  Their perfect timing is part of the charm of this series.

Highly recommended for 8-10 year olds, these books have covers that will keep them moving off of library shelves.  They are great fun to read aloud, and this would make a perfect class read aloud around holiday time.  I can’t wait to see what Moxy is up to next!

Elissa’s Odyssey by Erica Verrillo.

This is the second book in the Phoenix Rising trilogy, following Elissa’s Quest.  It continues the journey of Elissa after she and her friend Maya escape the evil Khan.  Elissa and Maya are set to travel via river after surviving the heat and dryness of the desert.  However, when Elissa heads to market for a gift to surprise her friend, she is drugged and robbed, missing the boat.  Luckily, a young sailor finds her and offers her a job as a ship’s cook aboard the cobbled-together Swamp Maiden.  So her adventures begin once again, this time surrounded by swamp, jungle and lots of insects.

In this second book, Elissa also discovers new powers.  She had always been able to speak with animals, but now it seems as though plants will listen to her as well.  Readers will continue to wonder as they did in the first book about who Elissa really is. Though they will be closer to the answer by the end of the book, the third book will be the one to tie up all of the loose ends.

Elissa is a strong girl heroine, who never sacrifices her girlhood to be a heroic figure.  Instead, she finds her own way to solve problems and survive.  She is always true to herself in every instance, which makes a refreshing change for a female character.  The writing is easy to enjoy, making reading a pleasure.  The pace on the Swamp Maiden may be unhurried, but the storytelling stays brisk and interesting. 

This magical series will be embraced by fans of Tamora Pierce, who may be looking for another trilogy to read.  Appropriate for ages 10-13.

Zen and the Art of Faking It by Jordan Sonnenblick.

San Lee has moved around a lot in his life, each move he has created a persona to help him blend in and fit in.  But San just can’t do that this time, not with the amazing Woody, a girl who sings Guthrie songs in the cafeteria looking at him.  So San becomes someone who doesn’t fit in, he becomes a Zen master.  Through research, a short introduction in a previous school, and sheer willpower, San fools everyone around him.  But as all things come full circle, especially for a Zen master, you know it can’t be that easy.

Sonnenblick has once again captured the confusing world of a middle schooler.  The broad humor of the book is a joy to read and will have readers laughing out loud.  But it is not simply a humorous book, this book like Sonnenblick’s previous one uses a light touch to examine deeper issues such as lying and identity.  Gracefully achieved, this book works on many levels.  A large part of its success is the character of San who is at the same time both complicated and simple as is his solution to school. 

This charmer of a novel would make a great classroom read, discussion book, or just a wonderful summer novel to enjoy.  Recommended for middle school and late elementary school readers.

Savvy by Ingrid Law

In Mibs’ family, turning thirteen is the most special of birthdays.  And Mibs is days away from turning thirteen.  In her family, almost everyone gets their savvy on their thirteenth birthday, a special power that they then need to figure out how to harness and use.  One of her brothers, Fish, has the power to control wind, and on his thirteenth birthday he created a hurricane.  That’s why they now live far far from any water in Kansas.  As Mibs’ birthday approaches, her father is in a terrible accident that leaves him unconscious.  Mibs goes from hoping for a powerful savvy that rivals her brother’s to just hoping that her savvy can help her father recover.  On her birthday, she decides she has to help her father and hides aboard a bible-selling bus.  All is fine until the bus turns the wrong way, heading directly away from the hospital her father is in.

With her delicate touch on the fantasy elements, Law has created a world where anything seems possible, a world that invites readers of all genres to enter and stay awhile.  Her setting is vivid, the characters engaging (both those with powers and without), and her writing dances along with a freshness that is wonderful to experience.  My only complaint is that it had to end.

Readers will also be sad to leave the world of Savvy behind, but will be consoled with hints at the end of following books to come.  Highly recommended as a read-aloud book for classrooms, this book will generate wonderful discussions.  I’d also happily give it to almost any reader ages 9-12.  They will thank you and wait with you for the next one.

Samuel Blink and the Forbidden Forest by Matt Haig.

Samuel has lost his parents right before his eyes in a freak accident and he and his sister Martha have now been sent to live with their Aunt Eda in Norway.  Eda lives in a remote area near a large forest.  She has several rules, but the most important one is that the children must never enter the forest.  Years ago, her beloved husband had entered the forest and never returned.   Plus, there are odd goings-on in the forest.  Strange creatures like trolls have been seen near it and huldres, grey-colored beings riding horses are sometimes spotted too.  When Martha is drawn to the forest and enters, Samuel feels he has no choice but to enter the forest too to save her.  In doing so, both children are caught in the evil created by the Changemaker, who has taken the forest’s friendly beings and converted them into evil by controlling their shadows. 

A fast-paced romp of a read, this book gallops along at a great pace, barely stopping for rabbit casserole before running on again.  The characters are lovingly written, and the writer’s asides within the book are charming and great fun.  Haig even takes great joy in creating rather horrific deaths and harrowing situations, a skill that older child readers will greatly enjoy themselves.

Recommended as a perfect summer read for children ages 10-14.

The Life and Crimes of Bernetta Wallflower by Lisa Graff.

Bernetta finds herself accused of being behind a blackmail scheme at her school.  She realizes that Ashley, who she used to think was her best friend, set her up.  Now she faces a summer grounded at home because her parents don’t believe she is innocent either.  When her private school rescinds her scholarship, Bernetta is desperate to earn enough money to pay the $9000 herself.  But she can only do it by turning to deceit and cons herself, exactly what she has been accused of.

The premise of the this book and its fast pace will have tweens wanting to read it.  What makes it noteworthy is the deft characterizations of Bernetta, her family and Gabe, her accomplice.  All are complex and interesting, making tough decisions in their lives.  Though the book deals with stealing and cons, the author keeps a light tone, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions, just as Bernetta must come to her own ethical decisions. 

Recommended for tweens, this would also make a great classroom read with strong male and female characters and plenty of issues for discussion. 

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt.

I had heard wonderful things about this book, but still approached it with a bit of hesitation.  I’m not much of an animal-book reader.  Let me assure you, there is no need for hesitation.  This book is magic.

It is the story of a pregnant calico cat looking for a safe place.  It is the story of an abused hound dog who howls the blues and needs a friend.  It is the story of a man devoured by a need to prove himself.  It is the thousand-year-old story of Grandmother Moccasin, a magical snake.  It is the story of love.  The story of need.  The story of trees, of swamp, of time.

Appelt has created here a book that is thick with passion, deep with thought and resonant with love.  She has taken risks here of writing too emotionally, too deeply, but manages to enter poetry and move with it.  She creates a story that has a feeling of timelessness, a feeling of folklore, and it is her language that makes that so successful.  Her writing is poetry in the form of prose, and it is thoroughly lovely.

This is not an animal story for the faint of heart.  Here you will see into the reality of evil.  The reality of abuse.  The horror of indifference.  The twisting of love into desire and selfishness.  It is a book that will bring you to tears, shock you into stopping breathing and stun you with its bravery and truth.

I must share at least one passage with you.  This is from page 50:

His heart pounded in a drumbeat of hunger, of pain, of want, of furious want.  He couldn’t swallow for want of air.  Couldn’t see for want of light.  Couldn’t stop for want of want.  Here was want crystallized in the shape of a damaged boy.  He kept running.

Whew.  The entire book is like that.  In fact, it’s hard to have selected one small passage.  I could have kept typing and typing and typing her prose.  It is all worthy of being pulled out and celebrated.

This is my number one book of the year for kids ages 11-14.  My vote for the Newbery!  Go already, find a copy, and enter a truly amazing novel that you will not want to leave.

Will has just heard the news that protons have been proven to decay.  Now he
looks around and sees only the impermanence of everything around him.  He
struggles to understand the changing relationship between himself and his two
best friends, Mi-Su and BT.  He is unable to leave his need for control behind
even to interact with his own little sister.  With his life spiraling out of
control and the world falling apart around him, can Will let go enough to
embrace his uncertainty?  Or will his entire world collapse before he can find a
way to do that?

Spinelli has created another amazing male character in this latest novel. 
Will is a worrier extraordinaire.  He is amazingly self-centered, but still
friendly, bright and funny.  He is a universal figure who remains specific and
uniquely himself at the same time.  Spinelli’s writing is superb, capturing
moments and events with a friendly tone, but always revealing what is right
below the surface and what is deep and real. 

A book with a perfect tone for use in classrooms, this will also be loved by
5th through 7th graders just looking for a great read.  The perfect book to read
when your life is getting overwhelming, just to put it all in perspective. 

The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall.

Return to the charming world of the Penderwick sisters as they return home to Gardam Street after their summer adventures.  Mr. Penderwick’s sister delivers a letter from his dead wife, telling him to start dating again, and horribly he does!  Rosalind is terribly scared of having a stepmother and brings her sisters together to form the Save-Daddy plan.  Meanwhile, Jane and Skye do one another’s homework which leads to a web of deceit, Batty tries to warn everyone of a stranger lurking around the neighborhood, and Hound develops a fondness for a new cat next door.  Just normal life around Gardam Street.

Birdsall certainly didn’t suffer from the Sophomore Slump with this second novel.  In fact, I enjoyed it even more than the first.  The sisters are all unique and interesting characters facing normal life crises.  It is the writing itself that charms, creating a book filed with the warmth, confusion, love and mess of real life.  There is still that old-fashioned feel to the series, as if a book from your childhood has moved forward to modern day but maintained the same sense of safety and a rightness with the world.  Refreshing yet reminiscent.

If you enjoyed the first book, make sure to check out the second.  Another great read-aloud for classrooms and a must-purchase for libraries.  Highly recommended for ages 10-14.