Charlie Bone

Midnight for Charlie Bone
By Jenny Nimmo

I have heard for a while about how the Charlie Bone series is great for people who loved Harry Potter (like me)...but I haven't seen these books checked out much in the library for some reason...

So I thought I'd read the first one to see what it was all about.

And it was great! And I do think Harry Potter fans would enjoy the magic and mystery Charlie encounters in his bizarre boarding school for kids with "special (magical) abilities".

The series, called Children of the Red King, includes 8 books, beginning with this one. Give it a try! And let me know what you think of it!

Uglies

Uglies
By Scott Westerfield

Loved the premise of this dystopian series! Uglies is the first of four books.

As Tally is about to turn 16, she anticipates the operation every person in her city gets to turn them "pretty"; after that, teenagers lead a carefree and beautiful life full of parties in New Pretty Town, as Tally has observed  from across the river.

However, one evening Tally meets Shay, who is also about to turn 16 and has a different--and rebelious--personality, and a dark outlook on what it means to be turned "pretty".

When Shay runs away from the city in search of a mythical community of outlaws in a place called the Smoke, Tally must decide how important it is to be "pretty", and what kind of friend she will be to Shay.

The True Adventures of Nicoló Zen

The True Adventures of Nicoló Zen
By Nicholas Christopher


"Magic, danger, and an unstoppable hero..."

Taking place in 18th-century Italy, and including the composer  Antonio Vivaldi as one of the characters, this fun novel is full of intrigue and romance.

I especially enjoyed the beginning, when 14-year-old Nicoló dresses up as a girl in order to get into a an all-girls orphanage, where he can play his enchanted clarinet in a prestigious orchestra.

With magicians, gangsters, lovers, fame and fortune--this story has a lot of twists and turns!

Caminar

Caminar
By Skila Brown

April is National Poetry Month, a perfect time to read a book written entirely in free-verse poetry!

Caminar is an intense, moving story of a Guatemalan boy, Carlos, who flees into the jungle when his remote village is attacked by the Guatemalan military. From his hiding place, Carlos hears his neighbors and family being massacred.

He survives alone until he meets a small band of guerrillas--a rebel group, striving to overcome the military soldiers--heading toward a mountain camp. Not understanding the reasons for the war happening in his country, Carlos grapples with who he should trust, and what responsibilities he must now have.

In beautiful language, the author focuses on the results of the violence on small, rural villages during the horrible Civil War in Guatemala in the 1980's. Although this story is fictionalized, it is in many ways an accurate account of what really happened during that time, and the recovery afterward--that continues in Guatemala to this day.

Downsiders

Downsiders

By Neal Shusterman

An intriguing tale of an alternate, secret world below New York City streets by the masterful Neal Shusterman--but unlike in Gregor the Overlander, this Downside world is inhabited by humans.

14-year-old Talon is a curious Downsider youth, drawn to the surface (the Topside) and interested in the snowy, sunny world above. Seeking out medicine for his ill little sister, Talon meets a Topsider girl named Lindsay. They strike up an important friendship/romance, but ultimately must make difficult decisions about which world they will choose.

Loved it!

Turtle in Paradise

Turtle in Paradise
by Jennifer L. Holm

This is a Newbery Honor Book by the creator of the very popular Babymouse series...I didn't realize she wrote historical fiction until I read this great book!

Set in the 1930's in hot and humid Key West, Florida, it's a tough time to be the kid of a single mom desperate for work--it's the middle of the Great Depression.

Eleven-year-old Turtle is sent off to live with her aunt, uncle and 3 wild boy cousins who are just scraping by themselves.

But Turtle is a strong and strong-willed girl, and she makes the best of the situation...not only surviving a hurricane on a tiny island with her cousins, but also navigating the ups and downs of family life--and an unexpected adventure involving pirate treasure!

I was interested to read that this novel is inspired by the author's own Conch great-grandmother, who emigrated to Key West from the Bahamas.

The Penderwicks

The Penderwicks
By Jeanne Birdsall

I enjoyed this summery novel about 4 sisters who live with their dad (their mom has died) and their loyal dog, Hound. They have many adventures while staying in a rented cottage on the grounds of a mansion.

New friends are discovered (the eldest sister develops a huge crush) and enemies are made while the girls find themselves frequently getting into trouble.

But they stick together and manage to get out of crazy predicaments, learning a few lessons along the way.

This story is kind of old-fashioned, but in a good way!