September+books

**Keeper by Kathi Appelt**
Dragged through this one. SOOOO slow to start. Keeper has a terrible day on the Blue Moon day that was supposed to be the best. So she sets out in a boat to find her mermaid mother. It takes the first half just to get the boat moving. The story is OK and there is a weird side story about Mr Beauchamp's first love: Jack. Who is actually a merman. Sorry, this is over the top in strangeness for me.

**Pillage by Obert Skye**
==== Beck Phillip finds himself living with a hermit uncle in a strange mansion in the mountains. He finds that he has some kind of strange powers over plants and there are some hints of dragons in his heritage. The plot is slightly confusing, but it keeps moving toward a final satisfying conclusion. OK 5th + nothing to make it only YA. ====

**The Magician of Hoad by Margaret Mahy**
Epic. Hariot Tarbas is torn by something inhabiting him. And he is dragged off to become the kingdom's Magician, pulled into intrigues and relationships that only become more twisted and unclear. The King and the Hero rule Hoad but there are years of plotting by everyone: two princes, one of whom is tied somehow to the Magician, one lady who knows who she loves but can't seem to have him, the Hero (who is no hero!), and Cayley the street urchin with an even deeper mission. Depth of plot like The Hobbit, but way more New Age. The Magician is "melted" when he physically unites with his true love and becomes one with the world of trees and rocks... Good story. Definitely YA for sexual allusions.

**Wolves of the Beyond: Lone Wolf by Katheryn Lasky**
Faolan was cast out as a newborn with a deformity. But he survives thanks to Thunderheart, a grizzly bear milk mother. Simply his story up until the day he joins a pack. Lots of actual details about wolf life, but also a lot of Native American thought: asking forgiveness of the elk he kills before it dies, taking the pathway of the stars to the afterlife, etc. Gory, but OK for 5th+

**Ivy and bean doomed to dance by annie barrows (Book 6)**
Ivy and Bean, second graders, think ballet will let them dance like Wilis in Giselle. But they end up being cast as squids in their ballet class. The dance teacher is a little mean, but their foray into the aquarium to 'run away" is priceless. Nice beginning chapter book with supporting pictures. 2nd+

**Wendelin Van Draanen**
Out in movie form now. Hard to imagine since so much of the story is in the thoughts of the characters. Story of true love, starting in second grade and reaching it's peak with lots of insights at middle school. Terrific family relationships from shallow seemingly successful dad, teenage sister going her gothic way, to the quiet mourning grandfather who is the strongest character. Chapters alternate between Bryce and Julie. Very, very good. 5th+

**39 Clues: Into the Gauntlet by Margaret Peterson Haddix**
The End. Finally. I liked the premise, but the writing just wasn't that great. I'm glad it's done. Not enough true forgiveness going on here. And the suggestion that there is another crazy family out there just seems too much like a publisher's suggestion. I liked the kids getting together and finally away from the truly evil older generation, but too much was beyond the suspension of disbelief.

**C losed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn** How does she get the best creepy covers?? Logan meets his new neighbor, Arthur, and discovers their new home was a "murder house". Solving the mystery would have made the Hardy Boys proud. Lots of great characters and appropriate creepiness, including an abandoned Magic Forest, covered in kudzu and decay. A few anachronistic words (how old is Ms Hahn?)--like Nina was really "built", and something that was nifty. But the writing beats 39 clues by a mile. 4th+ Excellent. **Framed by Gordon Korman** Third in the series about Griffin Bing and his friends, including Luther the dog. Griffen is accused of stealing a Super Bowl ring from his middle school. Overdrawn characters, but nice plot. 3rd+ **Stink and the World's Worst Super-Stinky Sneakers by Megan McDonald** Usual stuff. Stink gets to choose to be a judge rather than enter a contest he might win--nice decision making. Also thinking about careers theme is nice. Plenty of grossness for boys. 2nd+ **The Talent Show by Dan Gutman** A tornado strike CapeBluff KA (great description of the event), and in the aftermath the elementary school decides to have a fund-raising talent show. The rest of the story follows all kinds of kids and what they go through, including a famous alumni singer. A little over simplified for me, but easy reading and wraps up nicely. 4th+

**Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater** Definitely not my genre: werewolf romance. The story was OK with good amounts of conflict, tension, character development, etc. It was a little slow starting for me. Heavy on the "We love each other but can't see a future…" idea. His eyes being beautiful but sad --too many times. The ending was just too "of course" for me. Someone will love this. Not me. No overt sex descriptions although the girl and the wolf do sleep together (they did use protection we are assured--what wolf doesn't?) No language or excessive violence outside of wolf attacks and parents trying to kill their son. (what?) By the way, parents universally come across as idiots. Hmm. It's probably better than Eclipse. Who knows? YA **Reckless by Cornelia Funke** Terrific mature fantasy. Not necessarily YA, but lots of violence. Jacob and Will Reckless go through a magic mirror into a world where Will is fatally infected by the Goyl and is becoming the Jade warrior. War in the kingdom has some to a truce involving the Goyl and the Empress. James has to save his little brother. Will's true love, Clare, has followed him into the magical kingdom. Fairies are the eternal magical powers behind almost everything. Very dark with difficult decision making. Excellent writing. 5th+

**Sabotaged: The Missing Book 3 by Margaret Peterson Haddix**
I get slightly confused with the whole time continuum talk, and the story doesn't gel for me until very close to the end. I preferred the Among the Hidden series and some of her other standalones. But I'm sure some students will find this terrific. Jonah and Katherine are trying to help Andrea, who is really Virginia Dare. But they arrive on Roanoke in the late1500s slightly confused (to say the least). Their trip has been…sabotaged.