The Boreal Five – five friends how grew up on the same street, each quirky in their own teenage way but bonded through life’s events.   Suddenly they are cut to four as a classmate, also from Boreal street, guns down one of them during a presentation in English class.  Each of them has bullied the at one point or another over the years.  Though stopped and now locked up, they wonder if it could have been them.  Rem — our narrator– is even more tied into the mess as his scientist mother is now doing experiments on the gunman via probes inserted into his brain.  Rem is asked to come converse with the gunman so they can watch his brain react.  So begins Tattoo Atlas.

This story is very multi-layered.  School shootings make way for ethics in scientific research, which take a side seat at times to examples of outed and closeted gay students as well as the death of an enlisted brother, not to mention the betrayal in a mother/son relationship.   A psycho thriller at heart, Tim Floreen’s characterizations are what make this book so interesting even as it is soooo far fetched.  But where it falls miserably short is in the point of the title of the book.  Rem keeps a sketchbook that he calls his Tatoo Atlas but it never really ties dramatically into the story.  This reader kept waiting for an ingenious weaving of the plot to the atlas but it never came to a fruition that would make it worthy of the naming of the book.  And the tooth — the tooth swap at the end was too much!   Any editor should have axed that one line.

In as much as this could be a recommended read for high school students, the flaws weigh heavily on this reviewer.

In this realistic fiction novel, teenager Rakmen’s little sister died. His anger led him to nearly flunk out of high school. His parents are on the verge of divorce. The only place Rakmen feels kind of feels supported is in a grief support group meeting. He meets one of his teachers and her daughter at one of the group sessions. This leads to Rakmen’s parents sending him on a trip to the Canadian wilderness with his teacher and her daughter. In these surroundings, he is able to canoe, camp and find himself.

The author’s writing is such that the reader is able to feel the emotions of the characters which made the novel exceptionally captivating. Although it is a sad book, the journey of Rakmen’s self-discovery made the book a very moving novel. I give this book a 3.5 – 4 (out of 5) boxes of Kleenex rating. For those who enjoy reading realistic touching fiction, this is a good one!

— Natalie S.

Cowpoke Clyde sees an ad for a bike and decides that he should order one. He doesn’t know how to ride a bike and his first time on it turns into an out of control adventure. When Clyde finally ends that ride, he walks away from his bike never wanting to ride it again. Clyde soon decides that cowboys cannot give up, so he gets back on his bike again.

The illustrations are colorful and the expressions on the characters add to the story. The text is written in rhyme and with a cowboy twang.

Set in a questions answer format, this book asks a question about the animal on one page and then on the next page spread answers the question and gives more facts about that animal. Some of the animals included in the book are the hammerhead shark, colossal squid, sea anemone, and moray eel. The back includes a two page spread of “other awesome ocean animals.”

Here is a story of unconditional love. When a little boy’s puppy does not learn to sit or stay and continuously gets out of the yard, the boy’s parents finally decide to give the dog away. Seeing his sad little boy, the sad little puppy once again runs away. “I run away. The sky is black. A drop of rain. A thundercrack! I run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run.  I don’t come back.” The puppy would like to come back, but he is lost after running so hard after the thunder. In the end, the parents drive around looking for puppy until he is found. The parents let the boy keep the puppy.

I grew up seeing THE FLINTSTONES as they premiered, yet my own sons know about them from the Cartoon Channel on TV. The Flintstones are still popular. This first book in The Oodlethunks series brought back so many memories of The Flintstones.

It is set in the paleo era. The mother has a job at an advertising agency while her husband is a stay at home father who loves to cook and try out new recipes. The children go to school were they practice ‘Intimidation Tactics’, ‘Grunts and Bellows’,  have  ‘Show and Yell’, Tall Tales, and art class.

Oona finds a gigantic orphan egg on her way home. How will it survive? Oona has a plan, because she wants a pet. He parents will let her keep the egg until it hatches and then will decide if Oona will be able to keep it. “Dad warned…’what you can’t eat might eat you.’ ” (16 ) Oona and her friend Erma make a nest habitat for the egg. Oona’s younger brother, Bonk, wants to take it to school for Show and Yell, but Oona says no. While Oona is away with dad at the Valley Market, Bonk trades the egg for Bruce Brutes’ bracelet, so he’ll have something to show at school. Oona  forces Bonk to help her get the egg back from Bruce in the middle of the night. They find Bruce in the middle of his family’s pastures. The egg begins to hatch a baby stegosaurus.

” ‘This is crazy! Stegs are extinct around here!’ yelped Bruce. ‘Aren’t they?’

‘Dinosaurs haven’t been seen on Mount Urp since olden days,’ said Bonk.

‘We’re seeing one now. Guess this dinosaur is from new-en days,’ I said. ‘And she’s mine.’

‘Correction. She’s mine,’ said Bruce. ‘Cave law, remember. Speckles was born on my property.’ ” (122-123)

Soon both sets of parents arrive and suggest Oona and Bruce each call the baby steg. The person the steg comes to, keeps it. Oona wins.

Readers will enjoy the contrasting mix ups of modern with the old, sending humor throughout the book. Illustrator Mike Wu’s sepia toned illustrations give the book yet another feeling of olden days. Mike Wu has worked for both Walt Disney and “Pixar, where he animated such Oscar winners as The Incredibles and Toy Story 3 …”

Includes seven pages from book #2.

This refreshing, engrossing book by Carol Lynch Williams, winner of the PEN award, features cheerful, well-adjusted, well-loved and newly-turned 15 year old Evie Messenger, whose life has just changed forever as the legacy of the Messenger Family Gift is revealed to her…she can see the dead. Each woman in her family learns of their specific Gift at age 15, but Evie’s is special, rare and hard to take at first, since she sees Tommie, the dead daughter of her mother’s new husband. Tommie is mysteriously haunting her, and as Evie comes to terms with her Gift and the significance of Tommie’s persistence, the story of a gifted and loving family unfolds along with an irresistible new love.

In an era when many characters in the Young Adult Fiction genre are tormented, unhappy and depressed, this book sings with life and joy. Evie is surrounded by and helping interesting people who are living unusual lives. Each step in Evie’s discovery and exploration of her newfound Gift is crafted to reflect Evie’s own sense of trust in those around her and finally, in herself. Ultimately, this is an affirmation of the possible magic we all might share while still revealing special skills way beyond the ordinary ken of most. It’s an easy-to-read, satisfying book.

Messenger is Highly Recommended.

An easy to read introduction to Halloween and how it is celebrated in the United States.  A single mention of the holiday’s origin provides the only information not common knowledge among most school age kids making this a title better used for fluency than information.

Each page contains a large color photo that reinforces the text.  Interspersed through the book are occasional circles with thought provoking questions that will lead to discussion.

Contains an table of contents.  Back matter includes pictures of Pumpkin Carving, Picture Glossary of Halloween-specific terms, Index and Read More sections.

The series is also available as interactive e-books

A little boy believes dinosaurs still exist and provides evidence to support his argument.  “Dinosaurs ruled the earth for millions and millions of year… they could survive one fiery blast.”  The boy claims that dinosaurs have been hiding among us for years.  Thinking of all the things they’re missing out on, he invites them to show themselves, assuring them that they would be safe.  Then again, he thinks maybe dinosaurs would “feel uncomfortable with the way things are right now.”  Images show excessive technology, traffic, junk food and pollution.  The boy decides maybe we need to do some work before the dinosaurs will comfortable reveling themselves.  He assures them that their secret will remain safe with him.

A fun read aloud for dinosaur lovers.  The pictures of dinosaurs in disguise are sure to get a laugh.

Edgy.  Surprising.  Will she go that far?  These are gut reactions to Remix, a young adult novel by Non Pratt.  Best friends Ruby and Kaz, age 16, take off with Ruby’s older brother and his partner to a music festival for 3 days.  Ruby is the experienced one, the push it to the brink to make it exciting one.  Kaz is the responsible one, even programming in the local Chinese take-out phone number for her mother to have on speed dial while she is away.  Both enter the weekend without a boy to worry about, yet both of their former boyfriends also show up at the festival — #dramawillinsue.  Told in alternating voices of each girl, Pratt’s characterization of each is refreshing but leaves this reader questioning the reality of the girls’ choices.  The lines are definitely blurred between teen and adult as this could be read as an adult storyline.  Sex, drugs and rock n roll, they say.  First published in Great Britian, this U.S. print could gain an audience as it was an enjoyable read and one worth considering as an additional purchase.

This is Claire Freedman’s and Ben Cort’s fourth or fifth book in this series where cute little space aliens and colorful smiling dinosaurs love underpants which do not initially belong to them.

The pants loving aliens crash on Earth. Following their beeping ‘pants-tracker’ they soon discover a huge ‘stash of … gigantic undies…” The dinosaurs, who own the undies (this time) , won’t let the aliens have their undies. The aliens build a trailer for their spaceship and invite the dinosaurs and their pants back to their home planet. Problem solved.

The rhyme scheme does not always flow well due to an over abundance of words.  The words often get in the way of the bright, silly, colorful illustrations. ALIENS LOVE DINOPANTS is a mediocre sequel.

The primary school dinosaurs are all getting ready for their school’s class picture day by wearing their favorite outfits. Teddy- Tyrannosaurus is in his favorite shirt with the circle of stars on it. As the class lines up, in rushes Tina Triceratops, who spills her juice all over Teddy’s shirt. “Teddy is mad. Teddy is sad. He starts to roar and cry at the same time.” Quick thinking Tina makes a large paper star to cover the stain on Teddy’s shirt saving the day!

There are two or three large font sentences on each page. The smiling little dinosaurs in their t-shirts, shorts, tennis shoes and pinafores with their expressive eyes will win you over just like proud grandparents at a elementary school play performance.

Haley and her pony, Wings, enter a prestigious competition in this seventh book in a contemporary middle grade series in the tradition of Marguerite Henry’s Misty of Chincoteague.
Haley has been focused on one goal with her pony Wings: entering an upcoming competition in the fall and winning. She’s so busy trying to make that happen that her grades drop and her family is worried. And then, when the big day finally arrives, Haley falls off Wings and is eliminated! It’s the worst thing she can imagine after all her hard work and sacrifice. Can she get back on her horse and regain her self-confidence? An easy read that will entertain young girls who enjoy horse stories.

Mark of the Plague is physicist-turned-author Kevin Sands’ follow-up to the much-honored The Blackthorn Key, with its teen protagonists facing new dangers and struggling to solve new mysteries in 1665 London. The Black Death has returned to London, spreading disease and fear through town. A mysterious prophet predicts the city’s ultimate doom—until an unknown apothecary arrives with a cure that actually works. Christopher’s Blackthorn shop is chosen to prepare the remedy. But when an assassin threatens the apothecary’s life, Christopher and his faithful friend Tom are back to hunting down the truth, risking their lives to untangle the heart of a dark conspiracy. Who is this stranger who seems to be able to cure the bubonic plague that’s ravaging the city — and what’s in his medicine? As the plot unfolds against a backdrop of the black plague’s devastation, the teens suffer beatings, stabbings, poisonings, and more in their efforts to discover and unmask a murderer. Mark of the Plague delivers swashbuckling adventure, brain-teasing puzzles, several explosions, and assorted gun-brandishing and sword-wielding. Some characters die, and there are brief gory descriptions of injuries and plague symptoms as well as dead bodies. This installment has a strong moral compass, with frequent but non-preachy messages about friendship, loyalty, kindness, using your brain, and doing the right thing even when you’re being strongly pressured to do the wrong one.

It’s the middle of the 19th century, and Stephen and Josephine are accompanying their families on the Oregon Trail. During their 2000 mile trek, they see new landscapes and experience peaceful encounters with Native American tribes like the Shoshone. Their journey by horse and wagon lasts six months. Upon reaching their destination, the children promise to keep in touch—Josephine’s family will stay in town while Stephen’s plans to claim farmland.

Gregory uses accessible language to explain what life was like during this point in American history. The inclusion of historical snapshots effectively blends fact and fiction. At the back of the book, a simple illustration of the Oregon Trail provides readers a visual reference of Stephen and Josephine’s journey. There is also a timeline, a glossary of 5 key terms, and an index. Lluis Farre’s cartoonish illustrations add a playful touch.

A little fish is swimming through the ocean when he is spotted by an octopus. The octopus catches the little fish and plays catch with him, fishket ball, lost in a maze, and other games. Finally the octopus says that he looks so cute and probably tastes cute. He puts the little fish in his mouth only to discover that the little fish is a pufferfish and is left with a tongue full of spines.

With very few words on a page, this illustrations carry the story. The expression on the animals convey their feelings and the surprise ending will appeal to readers.

A young boy is so excited to go to the beach the next day, but that afternoon a storm blows in. His family prepares for the storm, but all the boy can think about is how upset he is to not go to the beach. That night he dreams that he sails on a ship with big propellers to blow away the storm. When he wakes the next morning, the sun is shining.

The charcoal drawings emphasize the feeling of darkness in he storm. The beginning of the book, the illustrations are lighter and as the storm approaches the pages are darker until the boy wakes up to sunlight streaming through his window. The last pages of the story have the only color, blue sky!

This book was originally published in Japan in 2009. English translation published in 2016.