Just as Hotel Strange finishes preparing for the winter season, the hotel clerk, Mr. Snarf, is arrested by police from his home world- The Land of Ghosts- up above the clouds.

The hotel staff build a hot air balloon to rescue Mr. Snarf. They are soon arrested too, when they discover everything fun or interesting is illegal in the Land of Ghosts. Mr. Leclair asks his jailers for the “Rulebook of Ghosts”, which he reads the night before their trial. Mr. Leclair discovers the Rainbow Rule. None of the counsel or judge know of it because the rulebook’s pages were stuck together. The Rainbow Rule states, ” It is forbidden to forbid!” They are free to go.

Mr. Snarf and his friends leave a much happier Land of Ghosts since discovering the Rainbow Rule.

There is a recipe for caramels at the end of the book.

Being the new kid at school can be hard, if not difficult, but it does not help when you tell the class your last school was one for geniuses. Khufu Grundy is the new kid in Gavin’s class at Carver Elementary School. Khufu does not make it easy to get to know him. He sits off by himself at recess and reads.

Gavin and his friends are being allowed to ride their bikes to school. This is a first for Gavin. In his excitement, Gavin forgot his bike lock at home. Gavin leaves his bike unlocked with the rest of his friends locked bikes. Gavin’s bike is still there at recess, but when Gavin goes to the bike rack after school, his bike is gone.

Gavin’s parents will not be replacing the bike. Gavin will have to earn money to buy a new one, but his father says he will match the money Gavin saves.

Surprisingly, the next morning at school there is a bike very similar to Gavin’s in the bike rack, spray-painted an ugly orange. Could it be Gavin’s bike in disguise? After school Gavin sees Khufu ride off on it.

Later, Gavin and his friends come up with a plan to get the bike back from Khufu. Take it back, (steal it back) early on Saturday morning before anyone is awake. When Gavin’s parents find out what they have done, his parents make Gavin return the bike. That is when Gavin and friend, Richard learn the bike has been painted orange because in reality it was a girl’s pink bike given to Khufu’s father by a neighbor.

After these terrible mistakes, the book ends with the rectifying of another mistake. The previous week a 5th grade boy had gone home from school ill in the middle of the day. Later that day, his father had picked up Gavin’s bike outside the school thinking it was his 5th grade son’s bike because  the bikes were the same color and style. Now the father was returning Gavin’s bike to him.

Believably realistic!

A charming collection of stories of chance meetings, star-crossed lovers and random coincidences: serendipitous encounters that are remembered forever. Can entwining hands with a handsome stranger give a glimpse to your romantic future?  Can a chance meeting at the airport alter your choice of college? Can hiding out in the bathroom to escape being busted by the cops reveal a secret crush? The brief vignettes in this short story anthology are delightful and thought provoking, representing some of the best twenty-first century YA writers.  Easy to read one or two stories quickly or the whole book, Meet Cute is worth browsing.

A taxidermist, a percussionist, and a fanfic writer walk into a… convention center, not a bar since this is a YA novel. And this begins this humorous, kitchy story from three different authors — Alison Cherry, Lindsay Ribar and Michelle Schusterman.  Callie Buchannon, a taxidermist assistant to the recently separated father, wanted her week to be the chance to reconnect with him. Pheobe Byrd, traveling with her school’s underfunded percussion team, hoped to just make it through the week without too much embarrassment, on the stage and off, now that her two former best friends on the team are dating each other, causing Phoebe emotional strife.  Laden romantic interest in another team member further spins Phoebe’s mind.  Vanessa Montoya-O’Callaghan’s week looks better in person now that she’s met her online college-aged non-monogamous girlfriend, with whom she’s sharing not only the weekend but a room.  Each character’s issues arise in good times and bad in their 1st person voice as the chapters proceed.  Vanessa is coming to realize that the girl who she thought the world of is not all that.  Well-placed inner monologue and discussions with minor characters about gender pronouns help to make this coming-of-age week realistic in today’s world.   And any reader who is into fandoms will love chapters involving Vanessa.  Phoebe’s sudden feelings for her once rival bandmate and Callie’s frustration with her father’s lack of being a father fall into more traditional teen angst topics.  Early in the story Callie states, “Openly talking about taxidermy with someone I liked and respected was such a weird experience.”  For this reader, it is also a weird experience to read it.  Opening the book with Callie’s voice was a risk as young adult readers might not be willing to break through the taxidermy talk before they meet the other characters, but if they can pull through, it is well worth it because once all three worlds start colliding around page 100, this story takes off.  The dust jacket’s premise doesn’t do this book justice.  The interlacing of the stories by these three authors is seamless and the ending transcript and final pages are a basketweave of wedding cake icing — FANtastic.  A clever, episodic (in the best way) read high school students will look forward to when they find it.

Meet Cute consists of fourteen short stories featuring “how they first met” tales from contemporary YA authors. Four of the love stories feature LGBTQ couples. Authors featured include Jennifer Armentrout, Dhonielle Clayton, Katie Cotugno, Jocelyn Davies, Huntley Fitzpatrick, Nina LaCour, Emery Lord, Katharine McGee, Kass Morgan, Julie Murphy, Meredith Russo, Sara Shepard, Nicola Yoon, and Ibi Zoboi.

It is refreshing to find a collection of contemporary YA short stories. Some are funny, others are heartbreaking. All will please teen readers of romance.

Part of Abdo’s Hip-Hop Artists series, Alicia Klepeis biography of Kanye West is both smooth and dynamic, much like the focal artist himself.  Many unique qualities and factoids are brought up by Klepeis.  Readers will get to learn that Kanye was mainly self-taught and pursued other artists, begging them to teach one or two skills at a time.  He first made a name for himself as a producer and as he tried to get a recording contract, industry leaders didn’t think his own rap would sell because he didn’t come from the wrong side of the tracks.  His upper-middle-class household was supported by a single mother though; she was a university professor mother who provided a comfortable, supportive environment.  But Kanye worked for his own money from an early age as well to support his high-class fashion-forward tastes.  Focusing on his multi-faceted talents, Klepeis goes on to chronical Kanye’s albums, awards, and milestone moments in 96 pages of text and photos.  This is a highly accessible biography for middle and high school students, one that probably should be in most high school libraries.

Three kids go on a spooky ghost hunt traveling down a bumpy hill, crossing a wiggly bridge, following a twisty path, until they eventually come to a scary house and see a GHOST! They quickly back-track their way all the way to the safety of their home, but the ghost follows them! Questions to check comprehension and higher level thinking can be found on each page spread. Bright, colorful illustrations enhance this cute story.

The three pigs were forced to leace the comfort of their home when their owners moved away to Florida. So each one built their houses as the traditional tale is told. All the while, the hungry wolf is unable to order food at the local fast food joints, so he decides to blow down all the pigs houses, until the wolf cannot blow down the house of bricks. The pigs feel so badly for the wolf that they ask him to join them for dinner. Questions to check comprehension and higher level thinking can be found on each page spread. Bright, colorful illustrations enhance this cute story.

After the little bear plays outside in the snow, it is time for bed. A sequence of affection occurs from a wave, to a smile, to a tickle, until finally a kiss goodnight from his mama. Questions to check comprehension and higher level thinking can be found on each page spread. Bright, colorful illustrations enhance this cute story.

As Frog dances down by the cool of the pool, he is joined by duck, pig, sheep, cat, dog, goat, pony, donkey and cow, each adding their own dance moves. All of a sudden they splash into the cool of the pool, but that doesn’t stop the dance party! Questions to check comprehension and higher level thinking can be found on each page spread. Bright, colorful illustrations enhance this cute story.