This is a heroic tale. Aru learns that she is the spirit daughter of Indra, king of the heavens, god of thunder and lightning. Together with her newly discovered spirit-related sister Mini, she must defeat the Sleeper. If she fails to succeed, the Sleeper will reach the Lord of Destruction and time will end. The two sisters take upon themselves the monumental tasks of locating celestial weapons and thwarting the Sleeper's plans. Yes, there is plenty of action, adventure, and magic. But it’s basically a story of a girl who understands that she makes mistakes and that she is not perfect. Nonetheless, deep inside her are the qualities of a hero. Make that heroine.

To all those Rick Riodan fans who know every single character in the Percy Jackson series and can answer a bazillion Olympians trivia questions, meet a new heroine. Her name is Aru Shah and she has more exciting adventures in the heavens and earth than you could possibly dream. (Paraphrasing Shakespeare) Bonus: Aru has another book coming soon. Look for Aru Shah and the Song of Death.

It will take quick thinking, skillful maneuvering, and an enormous quantity of courage to protect the Jersey Devil from danger.   One constant threat to any mythical creature is the nefarious Schmoke Brothers, of Schmoke Industries. Their motto is "Making the World the Way We Want It to Be." They will stop at nothing to track down and capture mythical beasts.

Gidwitz's storytelling skills shine throughout the tale. He immediately takes readers into his confidence, sharing Elliot's thoughts as he boards the bus "They think I'm a weirdo." He mocks the eccentricities of adults. Miss Vole spoke to the students “like they were in kindergarten… if her voice got any higher, only dogs would be able to hear her. “ He keeps the action moving along, with plenty of hints suggesting possible peril. Short snappy sections are delicious little morsels, enticing readers on to the next page, paragraph, chapter.

Hatem Aly's black and white line drawings match character descriptions. Yes, Miss Vole does indeed resemble a vole.  The imposing figure of Professor Fauna completely towers over the children with eyes that look "like death."  Elliot and Uchenna have over-sized heads, giving them a slightly cartoonish quality.  It's like watching TV, only better.

My advice for libraries: begin clearing a shelf for this series. I worked with a group of youngsters last summer who could not get enough stories about Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster. Mythical creatures fascinated them. The Creature of the Pines is the first in a series that has the potential to be a sure-fire hit.

One final note about the end papers. The decision to show the "Official World Map" with edited improvements by Elliot and Uchenna is clever.  Let's hope that this map will evolve as the series progresses. 

Tom Edison's dream (not THAT Tom Edison) is to become a world-famous scientist. Sadly, the study of science is not his forte. This fact is of no consequence. He is convinced that given the proper opportunity, he will prove his potential. First step on the ladder to greatness: a job as a janitor at CEASE- the Center for Extremely Advanced Science Experiments. There he meets the quiet researcher Dr. Marisa Morice. Through a bizarre twist of fate, the two unlikely companions find themselves transported via a time travel machine to the prehistoric era. This is a land of cavemen, bats with an inordinate amount of guano, and one very determined saber-tooth tiger. How will the ever-exuberant but dim-witted Tom and the brilliant but socially inept Dr. Morice work their way out of this dilemma and return to the present?
​This is one fast-paced, laugh-filled adventure. Be advised: If you read this book in public and start laughing uncontrollably, people will take note and you'll probably have to read it aloud to total strangers.

Rodkey has created two things here: a hilarious time travel adventure and a how-to guide for aspiring young authors. Not since Adventures in Cartooning have I encountered such a successful and innovative approach to making a dual-purpose publication. The Story Pirates series takes it one step further. Rodkey solicitated Story Ideas from youngsters. He uses an idea from Vince Boberski, a boy from Memphis, as the premise for Stuck in the Stone Age. He explains the story creation process in a writing manual located at the back of the book. Throughout the text, references are made to sections within the manual which provide guidance and suggestions. The notations throughout the story are accompanied by clever illustrations. Helpful infographics are an added bonus.  Hatem Aly’s zany art provides the perfect complement to this wild adventure. This book is a gold mine for those who enjoy a good tale well told and/or those who want to tell their own amazing stories.

Interested in story creation? Story Pirates website is storytelling central. With live performances, educational programs, and online resources that include podcasts and videos, this is a treasure chest filled with imaginative delights.  Enjoy this sample of videos from the Story Pirate's YouTube channel.

With help from Scottish creatures and support from the local citizenry, the children manage to thwart Trout's enterprise.  His dignity is temporarily destroyed and he slinks off, taking the secret of his humiliation with him. Cooper's tale, while poking gentle fun at the developer, never stoops into the realm of nasty or vicious. Brimming with snippets of Gaelic phrases, ballads, and mythological monsters, The Boggart Fights Back is a magical tale that will charm young readers.​

Cooper weaves some of the most terrifying monsters from Scottish mythology into her story.  Meet them here. Warning: best to cover the eyes of those who are prone to nightmares.  This is the stuff that after-dark fears are made of.

Hold on.  I have saved the most horrifying, most terrifying monster for last: The Nuckelavee. With the body of horse and a head with one glowing red eye, a man's torso arises from the back with a head that lolls "to and fro."  Most frightening is that this monster has no skin. Flesh covers the monstrous body and black blood runs through its veins.  If you're reading this at bedtime, be sure to leave the light on.

This collection of fascinating rodents is arranged by size, beginning with the smallest. I found the answer to my first question on page one. The pygmy jerboa is the world's smallest rodent and possesses extremely long legs. The 1-inch leg and 1/2-inch foot can jump up to 10 feet! Yes indeed. I had my ruler with me, measuring these furry creatures as I moved through the pages. Each image is accompanied by a paragraph of fascinating trivia, not the boring stuff, but the information that kids love to memorize and rattle off. Did you know that chipmunks can collect as many as 165 acorns a day to store for the winter? How about an African giant pouched rat that detect tuberculosis lab samples with a "higher accuracy rate in ten minutes than a human technician can in a whole day." This is the stuff that young trivia enthusiasts thrive on.
Moving on to my second question: How to depict all these animals at actual size? The very clever Munro figured out a way. As the animals become progressively larger, we see parts of the animals, the beavers' webbed feet, a close-up of the capybara head in profile. Each body part is presented at an authentic size.

Back matter includes a brief description of each animal pictured with scientific species and genus name for most, body measurements, habitat, and an interesting fact or two.  Additional general information consists of a glossary, an index, and a list of sources and websites. 

There are stories of noble heroes who seem born to greatness and then there are those that one would never imagine to be heroic. Consider the sisters Bland who quietly spend their days darning socks. Consider also a lowly runt of a rabbit, timid and fearful. Who knew that these unlikely heroes would capture the hearts and imaginations of middle grade readers with acts of cunning and bravery?
Meet these heroes featured in two delightful series for middle grade readers. Filled with sparkling repartee, clever wordplay, and expressive black and white line drawings, these books are an excellent choice for those who enjoy snappy chapter books loaded with adventure and wild antics.

Kate Hindley's line drawings complement the story, echoing its charm and humor.

Several suspects may be responsible for her disappearance and it is up to Jaundice and Kale to sift through a cast of passengers and solve the mystery.   Bald French detective, Hugo Fromage, interviews the suspects. There are plenty of clues and a few red herrings to keep readers engaged until the truth is revealed.
Think tongue-in-cheek  Murder on the Orient Express for youngsters. Readers will enjoy the double entendres: The train is derailed by a collision with a truck carrying barrels of marshmallow crème. "The Uncanny Express is now stuck."  Jaundice, becomes distraught and doesn't look like herself. Kale's asks, "Does this make any sense to you?" Jaundice, the sister who loves to tie knots responds, "I'm a frayed knot."
Kara LeReau's The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters: The Uncanny Express is replete with mystery and dry wit. Readers clamoring for more Bland Sisters will happy to learn that further adventures await in the skies. Bring it on!​

How bland can they get? Jen Hill's illustrations nail the personalities of our young heroines  Jaundice and Kale.

Journey Across the Hidden Islands is an adventure full of interesting twists. I enjoyed the witty exchanges between the siblings. They reestablish their relationship, building on their connection from childhood while recognizing the realities of their evolving roles within the kingdom.  

Durst weaves a tale of two girls who discover what it means to be a hero: "we have to be our own heroes now." ​This story of a story celebrates siblings who face the unknown and together succeed.  Young readers will be enchanted. 

The pages go dark. Literally go dark: black paper with the white italicized text. But it's not just the visual change that is immediately apparent. The narration moves from Lucia’s engaging first person voice to a strangely detached almost other-worldly third person view when she is goes to sleep.

These dark pages are interspersed throughout Lucia's story of her contentious connection with Velvet, her developing friendship with two classmates, and her strained relationship with neighbor Will. She is also dealing with the fallout from her parent's broken marriage: mom moves away to Sweden with a new partner, older sister remains aloof, and dad seems to be paralyzed by this divorce. Now she's thirteen and trying to figure it all out.

Lucia tries to puzzle out what is happening when she appears to be asleep and yet another part of her begins to act out her subconscious desires.  What causes these episodes?  These strange interludes are forcing her to see another side of herself. Does she like who she becomes during her sleep-induced experiences? Who is in control here and what does she really want?  
Magic, shadows, dreams, and desires all come together in this spell-binding middle grade novel.  

Valente employs the use of invented over-the-top verbiage in Crashey’s pompous speech which echoes the oft-quoted lines from The Jabberwocky. ​Who knows, perhaps someday bindles will join brillig in the lexicon of nonsense words

Valente has created a magical world, filled with extraordinary characters and amazing adventures. Those familiar with history will discover Napoleon Bonaparte, The Duke of Wellington, and even Queen Victoria popping up throughout the narrative. There are numerous nods to literature including Alice in Wonderland, Lord Byron, characters from Brontë novels, and the medal-award scene from Baum's Wizard of Oz.  However, it is not necessary to be familiar with these references to enjoy this fantasy. 
At its heart, this is the story of four children who travel to a land of their imagining, seeking to escape the pain they experience following the deaths of their mother and two older sisters.  A tribute to imagination and the power of stories.

Whenever life was unpleasant, the Brontë children played The Game of And.  One of the older sisters would begin with an extraordinary tale and conclude with the word "and."  In turn, each would continue the story and signal it was the next sibling's turn with the word "and."  Read this sample from The Glass Town Game.  Then try creating The Game of And with a group of friends.

From day one, Impy is constantly aware that middle school has transported her into an entirely new enviornment. Unlike the familiarity of the festival community, the halls of middle school are fraught with terrors at every turn. She must navigate the complex maze of classrooms, negotiate seating in the cafeteria, and meet the demands of a regimented assignment schedule. She is immediately the subject of curiosity. Some express honest interest while others resort to ridicule. For Imply trying to fit in, trying to discover who she is, trying to keep up with the demands of teachers becomes very...well, trying.
She makes two fatale mistakes: one with her younger brother and one with a classmate. From her perspective, it appears that each one is impossible to completely recover from.
This book is honest, so painfully honest. No one is perfect: not Imogene, not the kids at school, not her family. They all make mistakes and struggle to learn, live, and forgive. The characters are spot on and Jamieson imbues each with a distinctive personality.
It is impossible for me to express how much I adore this book. Both the images and text work together to create storytelling magic. Copies of the book should be given as a gift to every youngster about to enter middle school. Not only will tweens learn about the Middle Ages and life in middle school, but they will also gain important insights into self acceptance.

I have always been fascinated by illuminated manuscripts and was delighted to note that Jamieson chooses to begin each chapter with an introduction featuring some gorgeous illumination.  Why not encourage young readers to try this intricate art?  Instead of illuminating an entire page, why not try illuminating a letter? Here is my attempt to illuminate the first letter of my last name. It's not nearly as intricate and the gold pigment ink is missing. But I had fun with a fine point black sharpie and a fistful of colored pencils.