Current & previous staff reviews (by year):
2008 Novels and Non-Fiction
39 Clues Series (Scholastic)
The idea for this series of 10 books was conceived by Rick Riordan who also wrote the first book in the series. Amy and Dan Cahill are only two members of the Cahill family searching for the 39 clues spread around the world by the late Grace Cahill, matriarch of one of the most powerful families in history and related to everyone from Napoleon to Ben Franklin. Riordan planned the arc of the plot over the 10 books but a different well known author will write each book. So far Riordan's and Korman's contributions are exciting, fast-paced, and educational (lots of history in these). The books combine with collectible cards (a pack of which comes with each volume) and an online game. Watch for the next book in the series: 39 Clues Book 3 The Sword Thief written by Peter Lerangis and due March 2009.
All the Lovely Bad Ones (Clarion, March 2008 )
Mary Downing Hahn is a gifted suspense writer and this book is an excellent offering. Travis and Corey (brother and sister) are a mischievous pair and when they hear the ghost stories set in their grandmother's Vermont Bed and Breakfast, they decide to help business with some haunting of their own. But their tricks wake a group of mischievous ghosts as well as a much more frightening entity. The two siblings must discover the mystery around these ghosts before it is too late. In addition to the creepy ghost story, Hahn sheds light on a little known period of U.S. history: the poor farm.
The Last Apprentice Series (Greenwillow, an imprint of HarperCollins)
Book 4: Attack of the Fiend (February 2008); Book 5: Wrath of the Bloodeye (August 2008)
This series, which began with Revenge of the Witch and tells the story of Thomas Ward, apprentice Spook, his teacher Old Gregory, and Thomas's witch friend, Alice, a girl of ambiguous nature continues strong with the fourth and fifth books in the series. As well as telling an exciting adventure, with each book in this series, Delaney has further developed his cast of complex, flawed, and admirable characters, maintaining suspense in their relationships without losing interest. Watch for the next book in the series: The Spook's Tale due out in May 2009.
London Eye Mystery (Random House , February 2008)
Siblings Ted and Kat become sleuthing partners when their cousin Salim disappears from his sealed pod on the London-Eye. They travel across London, searching for clues that will help them find their missing cousin before it is too late. A good mystery combined with strong characterization and interpersonal relationships.
Masterpiece (Henry Holt, September 2008)
Marvin, an artistic beetle, and James Pompaday, an eleven-year-old boy, find themselves mixed up in an art heist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A mix of art history, suspense, and a story about friendship, Masterpiece is an edge of the seat read.
Monster Blood Tattoo Book 2: Lamplighter (Putnam Juvenile, May 2008)
Lamplighter continues the excellent fantasy begun in the first book of this series: Foundling. This is one of the best new fantasy series to debut in the past few years. Skillfully and originally written, full of characters of all varieties and set in a world minutely detailed, the Monster Blood Tattoo series is one not to be missed by any fantasy fan. Rossamund is at last a lamplighter, but life is more dangerous than ever, as his feelings about monsters become even more mixed, he becomes mired in dangerous political intrigue, and he finds himself attached to a fellow female lamplighter in training, a girl even more despised than he is himself.
The Mozart Question (Walker, November 2008)
This is a moving tale of secrets and survival and music. World-renowned violinist Paolo Levi decides that it is at last time for his parents' story to be told. They were jewish prisoners of war, forced to play Mozart violin concerti for the enemy, watching their fellow jews being led to their deaths and trying to survive using the only weapon they had — music.
Barnaby Grimes Book 1 Curse of the Night Wolf (Random House, September 2008)
Barnaby Grimes is a ticktock lad, a paid messenger in victorian london, highstacking his way around the city both day and night. After an attack by an enormous dog and the disappearance of a friend, Barnaby Grimes finds himself mixed up in a horrifying mystery of crooked doctors, poor patients, mysterious tonics, and very expensive furs. This is a great adventure, just creepy and gory enough. Watch for the next two books in the series: Return of the Emerald Skull (February 2009) and Legion of the Dead (June 2009).
A Beginning, A Muddle, and an End: The Right Way to Write Writing (Harcourt Children's Books, April 2008)
Avon the snail and Edward the ant are back for another funny—and philosophical—adventure. This time, Avon has decided he wants to be a writer, only to discover that writing is way more difficult than he ever imagined. He finally gets the word Something written down, but there's a problem: What to write next? Luckily, his friend Edward is there to advise. Brimming with wit, wisdom, and humor, this warm and winning tale of two friends on a quest will be enjoyed by readers (and writers) of all ages.
Bird (Random House, October 2008)
This is a beautifully written parable about fear and discovery. Miranda is so light that the wind can carry her away so she wears iron boots to keep herself anchored to the ground. She lives with an elderly widow whose husband died in strange circumstances in a house full of consuming fear and menace. She has no friends until she meets a boy named Farley who helps her uncover the mysteries of Bourne Manor and discover her wings.
Cabinet of Wonders: The Kronos Chronicles Book 1 (Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, August 2008)
12 year old Petra and her clockwork companion spider, Astrophil, travel together to Prince Rudolfo's palace in Prague in a magical late 16th century Bohemia. Petra is determined to steal back her father's eyes, stolen by Prince Rudolfo. Petra's adventure brings her into contact with mysterious gypsies, English spy magicians, and bewitched palace halls. A fascinating and engaging fantasy with a twist of history and folklore.
The Calder Game (Scholastic, May 2008)
The latest addition to Balliett's art mysteries focuses on Alexander Calder. Petra and Tommy travel to England to help find their missing friend Calder Pillay and the Calder sculpture that went missing at the same time. Puzzles, art history, and suspense abound.
Chalice (Putnam Juvenile, September 2008)
McKinley never fails to please her readers and this new fantasy is a beguiling tale about two unlikely leaders: a priest of fire no longer fully human and a beekeeper girl whose task it is to bind the new master to his lands.
Cybele's Secret (Random House, September 2008)
Cybele's Secret is the companion volume to Marillier's Eastern European retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses (Wildwood Dancing ) and follows youngest sister, the philosophizing Paula, and her father to Istanbul in search of a powerful pagan artifact.
Dark Dude (Atheneum, September 2008)
Dark Dude is an insightful examination of race and identity. Rico is a light-skinned Latino boy. In Harlem, he is constantly having to prove he is Latino. When he flees to Wisconsin, he can blend in, but at what cost?
Dog Lost (Scholastic, September 2008)
Cash (a pit bull puppy won in a card game) and eleven-year-old Mackenzie are best friends. When she defends him from his father's alcoholic rage, the father takes her and dumps her in a field, where she struggles to survive alone. In town, a debate rages over whether to outlaw pit bulls as vicious dogs, when an unknown pit bull performs several acts of bravery. Dog Lost is an urban animal adventure reminiscent of classics such as White Fang. This book does explore animal cruelty and the underworld of dog fighting, so sensitive readers may choose to avoid this one.
Genius Squad (Harcourt Children's Books, May 2008)
This sequel to Evil Genius can just as easily be read as a stand alone. Cadel Piggot may have escaped his evil father's clutches, but now he's in a foster home with a bully. When Cadel hears of a group home for especially gifted teens, he jumps at the chance to move. He soon finds that this group of genius misfits has a mission-to bring down his father's evil corporation. But Cadel hasn't escaped his father's clutches as he had thought. Once again, Cadel must figure out whom to trust and depend on the help of his fellow genius teens to escape his father.
Good Neighbors Book 1: Kin (Scholastic, October 2008)
This young adult graphic novel is an urban fairy adventure that combines classic elements of fairy folklore with Holly Black's mastery of the genre and Ted Naifeh's stunning illustrations. In this first book of a series, Rue Silver (child of a Faerie mother and a human father) must venture into Faerie to find her mother who was snatched back into Faerie when Rue's father broke a promise.
The Graveyard Book (HarperCollins, September 2008)
Neil Gaiman's latest venture into the world of children's literature follows Nobody Owens (known to his friends as Bod) as he grows up in a graveyard under the care of its resident ghosts. As Bod grows older he wants to know more about what is outside the graveyard, but that will bring him to the attention of man Jack, who murdered Bod's family and wants to finish the job.
The House of Many Ways (HarperCollins, June 2008)
This companion to Howl's Moving Castle and Castle in the Air introduces new characters Charmain Baker (niece to Royal Wizard Norland) and Peter Regis (apprentice wizard). The two young people find themselves trying to care for a magical wizard's house whose single door leads many ways, including to the Royal Mansion. In the meantime the King and his daughter are desperate to find the missing Elfgift and they call in the formidable Wizard Sophie to help. Enter Howl disguised as a repulsively adorable lisping toddler, and of course where Howl and Sophie are, so also is Calcifer. This is a satisfying companion to fans of Howl's Moving Castle, but can easily be read by someone new to Diana Wynne Jones.
Impossible (Dial Books, September 2008)
In this modern fairy tale based on the ballad "Scarborough Fair", Lucy finds herself charged to complete three impossible tasks or fall victim to a generations old curse that will drive her mad.
Mysterious Universe: Supernovae, Dark Energy, and Black Holes (Houghton Mifflin, May 2008)
This non-fiction book explores the most mysterious elements of astronomy with Dr. Alex Fillipenko and his research team based in Hawaii, making this difficult to understand science accessible to young people.
Nation (HarperCollins, October 2008)
A tsunami leaves native island boy Mao and heir to the throne of England (if 140 people die) Ermintrude (who prefers to be called Daphne) alone on the island where Mao's people once lived. The two learn to communicate and to survive together. As survivors from other islands seek refuge, they are drawn to Mao and Daphne's island, known to the islanders as The Nation, where Mao and Daphne learn to be the leaders of a society. Pratchett's humor and humanity shine out as he explores loss, death, identity, belief, and even imperialism.
Ottoline and the Yellow Cat (HarperCollins, April 2008)
This quirky illustrated novel for younger readers follows Ottoline Brown and her best friend, a Norwegian Bog Beast named Mr. Munroe as they tackle the mystery of disappearing pedigreed dogs. Riddell's skill as a writer and illustrator has been demonstrated many times in his work with Paul Stewart on the Edge Chronicles and the new Barnaby Grimes series. Ottoline is a miniature masterpiece and a joy to read.
Paper Towns (Dutton Juvenile, October 2008)
A teenage road trip novel based on Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, what's not to love? When Quentin's girl next door and secret crush, Margo, disappears he has to know whether she ran away or committed suicide and he thinks she left the answer to the puzzle in a highlighted volume of Leaves of Grass. Q and his best friend Radar take on the puzzle. (Ages 12+)
Penderwicks on Gardam Street (Random House, April 2008)
In this sequel to the National Book Award winner, The Penderwicks, Aunt Claire arrives at the Penderwick home with the intention of helping Mr. Penderwick find a new wife. An emergency Meeting of Penderwick sisters (MOPS) results in a plan to show Mr. Penderwick that widowed life is best. A charming and not maudlin celebration of family.
Savvy (Penguin, May 2008)
Savvy is a magical road trip odyssey of self-discovery. Mib waits desperately for her savvy (a supernatural skill that comes to Beaumont family members on their 13th birthday) to manifest itself, certain it will enable her to heal her father after a terrible accident. Mib is so certain of her coming savvy that she sneaks onto a salesman's bus with the intention of traveling to her father in the hospital. Unfortunately, the bus is going in the wrong direction.
The Smile (Penguin, October 2008)
The story of the Mona Lisa, not the painting, but the girl herself as she travels to Florence during the Italian Renaissance, catches the eye of Leonardo da Vinci, and falls in love with Giuliano de Medici. Napoli's latest novel is well-researched and masterfully written, painting a realistic picture of the Italian Renaissance.
Stolen (Harcourt, October 2008)
This latest novel is short but well-crafted. Plot-twists and complicated characters abound. The amnesiac girl stumbling out of the woods is believed to be the girl Isabelle, stolen by a witch 6 years earlier. Isabelle struggles to recover her memory and her identity as the townspeople search for the witch who has stolen a new child.
Streams of Babel (Harcourt, May 2008)
Printz Honor Award winner and two-time Edgar Allan Poe Award finalist, Carol Plum-Ucci explores bioterrorism from the point of view of those people who are growing up under the threat of it, teens. Suspenseful and thought-provoking with teenage characters that are true to life, Streams of Babel compares favorably with Plum-Ucci's other books The Body of Christopher Creed, The She, and What Happened to Lani Garver.
Sunrise Over Fallujah (Scholastic, April 2008)
In this companion to Fallen Angels, Myers examines contemporary war through the eyes of Robin Perrie who, after September 11th, joined the army instead of going to college. Perrie finishes basic training in 2003 and is stationed in Iraq. This book examines the mark war, the war in Iraq in particular, leaves on a young man and is both topical and necessary.
Trouble (Clarion, April 2008)
"Henry Smith's father told him that if you build your house far enough away from Trouble, then Trouble will never find you." But Trouble comes careening down the road one night in the form of a pickup truck that strikes Henry's older brother, Franklin. In the truck is Chay Chouan, a young Cambodian from Franklin's preparatory school, and the accident sparks racial tensions. Caught between anger and grief, Henry sets out to climb Mt. Katahdin, the highest mountain in Maine, which he and Franklin were going to climb together. Along with Black Dog, whom Henry has rescued from drowning, and a friend, Henry leaves without his parents' knowledge. The journey, both exhilarating and dangerous, turns into an odyssey of discovery about himself, his older sister, Louisa, his ancestry, and why one can never escape from Trouble.
Underneath (Simon & Schuster, May 2008)
This is a haunting and beautifully written tale about a dog and family of cats living underneath a porch in the backwaters of the Bayou. Deceptive in its presentation, this literary and poetic novel in the tradition of Southern Gothic Literature should be read by middle school age children and older. National Book Award Finalist.
Way We Work (Houghton Mifflin, October 2008)
Macaulay has put his skill at explaining the way things work to the most intricate machine of all: the human body. The seven sections within the book take us from the cells that form our foundation to the individual systems they build. Each beautifully illustrated spread details different aspects of our complex structure, explaining the function of each and offering up-close glimpses, unique cross-sections and perspectives, and even a little humor along the way.
Well-Witched (HarperCollins, May 2008)
After Ryan, Josh, and Chelle steal money from a wishing well, the well-witch demands payback in the form of service. The three children take on powers they neither asked for nor want. Darkly witty, wholly unexpected, and exquisitely sinister, Frances Hardinge's Well Witched is a well-cast tale.
The Willoughbys (Houghton Mifflin, March 2008)
In this witty satire of the orphan story, Lowry pays tribute to a long line of classic children's literature, from Burnett to Dahl. The parents don't want their children, and the children wish they were orphans. When the parents sell the house out from underneath the children and their nanny, the group must use their wits to bring their story to a happy and quirky ending.
Gods of Manhattan (Penguin, March 2008)
Mebus' novel revolves around a mythic New York existing alongside the current New York and peopled by the historical figures who have influenced New York's history from the native Munsee Indians to Alexander Hamilton, Boss Tweed, and Ella Fitzgerald. The search for a sacred artifact centers around thirteen-year-old Rory Hennessey and endangers both him and his family. Fascinating history and unexpected plot twists keeps the reader engaged to the end and anxiously awaiting the sequel due out this year.
Runemarks (Random House, January 2008)
From the author of Chocolat comes a young adult fantasy based on Norse mythology. In a post Ragnarok world, the magic of the ancient runes has become hated and feared by the priestly rulers. Village misfit, Maddy, discovers an ability to use the magic of the runes and takes on a quest that could restore the ancient gods. This is a great read for the older fans of Rick Riordan's Lightning Thief that also pairs well with D'Aulaire's Book of Norse Myths and D'Aulaire's Book of Trolls.
Tales From Outer Suburbia
These illustrated vignettes uncover a whole world of wonder in suburbia. Beautifully illustrated and thought-provoking.