The Force Oversleeps by Jarrett J. Krosoczka is sure to satisfy Star Wars Jedi Academy fans.  Victor Starspeeder returns to Jedi Academy for year two. He’s excited about the new year, but he gets off on the wrong foot.  Victor can’t seem to get up on time and he’s constantly running late. There’s a new kid at the academy, too. Victory is experiencing jealousy and envy – not exactly two qualities young Jedi should have. Meanwhile, there’s a rumor that there is Sith activity on the campus and a traitor in the midst. Christina, Victor’s big sister, is somehow mixed up in the rumor.  With a balance of action and humor, Jedi Academy fans will rush to check out this latest installment in the series.

The Backstagers And The Ghost Light by Andy Mientus is a phenomenal book about the backstage crew of St. Genesius. The backstage is a mysterious and magical world that connects all the theaters of the world, and it is easy to get lost or hurt in the backstage. After disappearing for a prolonged amount of time, they are left without a stage manager, and have to face the new production on their own. The schools production of Phantasm is set in motion, and supernatural occurrences come along with it. The five backstagers: Jory, Hunter, Beckett, Aziz, and Sasha, have to figure out who or what is sabotaging their play. With falling lights, failed auditions, and the stage’s ghost light exploding during the use of an Ouija board, things are going to get harder and harder. And what will they do when a charismatic new lead actress shows up and has deeper intentions than performing? I highly recommend this book for it’s mysterious charm, along with it’s casual LGBT representation. The relationship between Jory and Hunter is casual and realistic, and shows how relationships can be affected by new responsibilities. It also shows how the loss of a loved one can negatively affect a family, and that someone who cared about them deeply would do anything to get them back. This book would be great for anyone who likes theater, supernatural themes, ghosts, and friendship.

Review by Allison

Isaveth continues on her adventure to solve the murder for which her father was accused in the companion book, A Pocket Full of Murder. Isaveth finds herself the recipient of a scholarship to attend the most prestigious magic school, Tarreton College.  While learning sagery, she continues to gather information to clear her father’s name. The mystery takes many twist and turns. This who-done-it story is full of political intrigue, social inequity, and prejudice, friendship and loyalties. Readers of book one will look forward to the conclusion of the murder mystery which is wrapped up in book two.

Dazzle Ships by Chris Barton tells the story of how the Allied forces during WWI attempted to thwart the German U-Boat attacks on naval ships by using the concept of camouflage. After failed attempts to maneuver ships carrying munitions, food, military personnel, civilians and other supplies, a new, creative and outlandish idea was concocted. In this book, the reader will learn the brief history that lead to paining ships in dazzling designs and colors. The illustrations appropriate use of color, design, and pattern to fill the pages with camouflage to depict the story. Complete with timeline, author/illustrator notes and additional resources, this book is a great reference for students of history, art and the research process.

This graphic nonfiction work explores how the earth came to be, specifically the Big Bang theory and geologic activity.  It is rich in scientific vocabulary, concepts and history. The illustrations are cartoon strip style with two unlikely narrators: a groundhog and an earthworm.  The narrative is engaging as it is informative, explaining scientific concepts in an easy to understand manner. An added bonus is the use of figurative language and humor to propel the reader through the multi-layered story of the earth’s creation and explains many aspects of earth science. Rich with comparisons, diagrams, and facts, this is a fun addition to graphic nonfiction collections.  Additional purchase.

Director’s Cut by Vanessa Acton creates a story filled with paranormal activity, adventure, and mystery. Four friends set off on an adventure to explore an abandoned and rumored to be cursed country and western movie set. Unconvinced that the set is cursed, the friends disagree about the causes of the odd and unexpected events that transpire during their adventure and the days that follow. Ultimately, the friends decide that they must solve the mystery and right a wrong in order to lift the curse. Cover art will draw in reluctant readers and the approachable text will keep them turning the pages. Stronger readers will be disappointed by the simplicity of the plot and character development. Additional purchase.

Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth is a fun-filled feline adventure.  Klawde, the overthrown alien warlord, is banished to the planet earth where he must find shelter, devise a plan to return to planet Lyttyrboks, and plot his revenge. Enter Raj, the human boy who, new to town, must endure survival camp and wants to adopt the stray cat, Klawde. With fun wordplay and interesting plotline, Marciano and Chenoweth create a fantastically unfriendly and devious feline villain juxtaposed with a vulnerable and likable  human boy. Will Klawde find a way to return home and reclaim his omniscient rule? Will Raj stand up to the mean campers and build lasting friendships in his new home town? Readers will laugh out loud as they discover the answers to these questions and many more. Monochromatic drawings are sprinkled throughout the text capturing the emotion and propelling action forward. A fantastically fun read!

Ultimate NFL Road Trip by Barry Wilner is about some of the most famous NFL stadiums. It is perfect for anyone who likes American football or traveling. The book contains lots of fun facts about the NFL stadiums. It also includes a glossary, online resources, more information, an index, information about the author, and map pages.

Review by Barrett

Auto racing super stats by Jeff savage was overall okay. The book was very informative, lots of facts although not page turning, The author Jeff savage did do a good job with this book if you are into cars or racing. This book is about racing different types of cars, world records, and lots of facts about everything to do with cars in general. In this book they talk about lots of things like NASCAR racing and drag racing. Another thing I love about this book is it has a ton of graphs showing cool things like most NASCAR wins in a row, most NASCAR career wins, cup series wins, best drivers in Generation-6 cars and most Indianapolis championship wins. It has different people who race, how many wins they have, and facts about them. One of my favorite parts of the whole book is that they also show some female racers. I personally think this is cool because I don’t normally see a lot of female racers especially in books. I would rate this good with 7 out of 10. Everything seems good except for that fact that it didn’t really grab my attention.

Review by Abigail

The author’s purpose of writing Hockey Records was to teach hockey and the amazing things people playing the sport have done. The author did accomplish this by giving information on hockey player records. The people that are most likely to read this book are hockey fans and just sport people all together. The way the book is special is all the details it had and the pictures it showed. All the facts are interesting.The book holds the reader’s interest by showing pictures and having facts. The book would go very nicely in a middle school library for its amazing facts and how easy it was for kids to read.

Review by Jordan