This is a level 2 early reader (AR test at level 2.9, .5 points) with chapters for those emergent readers.  I generally like the Cam Jansen mysteries but didn’t care for this story due to characterization issues.  A main character, Cam’s aunt, although an adult in the story, behaved more like a disruptive young child.  Her behavior didn’t make sense to me and probably would be distracting to young readers as well.  The story is about figuring out what happened to Cam’s box of popcorn which went missing during the circus.  The mystery is properly resolved and I did enjoy the memory game included in the back of the book.

In another edition of the Boxcar Children, the four children have earned reputations as first-rate detectives and are in a competition with another family of kid detectives.  The other family, the Best family, have won this competition four times and are looking forward to their fifth win, earning them an all expense paid trip to Hawaii.  Right from the start, their Aunt Fiona, tries to sabotage them by mismarking landmarks on maps, stealing a  precious object from Benny, and by spying on them and then telling her nieces and nephews their clues.  The Alden children are pretty smart and catch on to her antics.  I really enjoy this series because of it’s readability and consistency.

This notebook-style book is two summer stories in one: Amelia’s Longest, Biggest, Most-Fights-Ever Family Reunion, and Itchy-Twitchy, Lovey-Dovey Summer at Camp Mosquito.  In the first story, Amelia, and her sister Cleo meet their father for the first time.  Amelia is distraught as she’s not sure she likes her father, and even worse, Cleo bonds with him and his new wife and child immediately.

In the second story, Amelia and her best friend, Carly, are off to summer camp.  Trouble ensues when they fall for the same boy.  Friendship prevails, but not before  some hurtful fights cause tension and competition for Luke’s affection.

Being artistic, Amelia draws pictures throughout her journal, adding a certain amount of charm and humor.  The disadvantage to this format in the Amelia’s Notebook series, is that there are no chapters or page numbers.  This makes it awkward to put the book down for the night and pick up where you left off the next day.  On the other hand, this will appeal to students who love to draw.

In a school where teachers turn a blind eye to problems, it is difficult for one to make their voice heard.  Alex is a bright young pianist who is looking forward to her final project but any bright spot in her life is eradicated when a drinking game gone wrong at a party turns into date rape.  Alex knows that at her school, no teacher will listen to her and she does not want to get the police involved.  It seems that Alex will have to live with this crime with no consequences for her attacker when her friend tells her about a secret society at the school founded by Alex’s sister – The Mockingbirds.  This society acts as judge and jury for any problems that teachers refuse to acknowledge from bullying to spreading rumors, and now date rape.  Alex has a chance to enjoy life again, but is she willing to go through the trial and face her attacker again?

In this realistic novel, the author portrays a powerful way in which a small group of students can make a difference in the lives of those who are bullied.  The main character is written as an in-depth believable teenage girl who questions herself and her problems in ways that actual teens would act.  Surrounded by her friends, while they don’t always understand her, it helps to make her problems more authentic.  This gripping story will appeal to readers of all genres.  This page-turner comes with an unconventional romance based not on “love at first sight,” but on standing by someone when they are in need and on two people who make each other a better person.

— Sarah J.

Very lovely illustrations to this book which has soul in it’s stories.  They are loosely woven around the theme of respecting our planet and appreciating the creatures who share our world.  This book is a collection of stories, with tales from many different cultures around the world. Russia, Greece, Africa, Japan and other countries have similar stories about loving the natural world.  Nice message told from these stories, nice way to compare cultures and note what we all have in common–the same planet.

Recommended.

Beautiful science book, with a focus on the connection science has with art and inventions by humans.  How art forms have been found in nature and mimicked by people who are looking for ways to better our quality of life.  For example, Velcro was discovered by a Swiss inventor who noticed how stubbornly cockleburs clung to clothing, after studying them under the microscope, he discovered that they had hooks.  Then he developed his own famous two sided fastener with loops on one side and hooks on the other.  This book is heavy on the earth sciences and would be best shared adult to child to absorb all of the facts.  Students will appreciate the artwork and linking the outdoor world to their world.  Recommended.

Absolutely darling, over-sized, beautiful picture book with Jerry Pinkney’s illustrations!  He’s taken another classic tale and transformed it into an enchanting visual effect.  Pencil and watercolor paintings with beautiful details–just as you would expect from Pinkney–consistent with his style.  You’ll have to read it yourself to see if the kittens ever find those mittens!  Highly recommended for the elementary bookshelf.

A popular comic novel with a look and sense of humor similar to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, in that the humor is ever so slightly “off color”.   Probably best for the upper elementary grades for readers with quick wit or low readers needing a different look to a a chapter book and visual prompts in the form of cartoon style drawings.  All in all, a fun style book which should motivate the less serious readers into action! Recommended.

In this fourth installment of The Faeries’ Promise, Alida, the faerie princess, helps the nearby villagers, thereby breaking Lord Dunraven’s law that states no contact between humans and faeries.  In order to feed his increasing army, Lord Dunraven exacts a larger toll on the villagers by forcing them to give up half of their food.  Worried that the villagers will starve over the winter, Alida uses her magic to hide half of the food for the villagers.  In turn, the villagers find out that the faeries have returned to their nearly home and invite them to their Winter Feast at the first full moon.  The humans and faeries learn to trust one another again.  However, Lord Dunraven, whom everyone fears, both villagers and faeries both, and his daughter are stranded in a winter storm and Alida’s compassion rescues them.  In doing so, Alida has forged a friendship with Ellen Dunraven who promises to change the law when she takes over from her father.  Again, an interesting story which should be popular with girls.

Wishes and Wings is book #3 of The Faeries’ Promise series, so there was some background that was necessary to understand the story.  The story revolves around Alida, a faerie princess, whose mother is the queen of all the faeries.  Alida had been recently reunited with her family after being kidnapped and spending years locked away in the human lord’s castle tower.  She became friends with a human boy, and together they were able to escape the wicked lord’s castle.  The boy, Gavin, joins the faerie realm and together they all move back to their original homeland, through a long and treacherous journey.  Once there, the faeries work on rebuilding their community but the difference from before is that the lord’s soldiers are looking for them.  They must use their magic to conceal their existence, only Gavin knows.  Their work is interesting and there are a couple of times when the soldiers are close to catching them.  It isn’t too difficult to catch up on the previous two installments of this series, but it is difficult to read this as a stand alone novel.  As a series, it is worthy of having in the library and I have already ordered books one and two.