Shine

Many of you are familiar with Lauren Myracle’s books like ttfn and ttyl. This novel is geared more toward the older readers.

Cat Robinson is determined to find out the truth behind the violent beating of Patrick, a gay schoolmate. Patrick and Cat used to be best friends, but in the last couple of years Cat has pulled away from many of her friends.

As you get caught up in the mystery, you will see the many relationships between people in the small town of Black Creek. The author will lead you to many wrong assumptions before you and Cat find the answer as to why Patrick was beaten. The reader learns that most things are not what they seem.

Myracle deals with some difficult issues and she has some very complex characters. If you have lived in a small town, you may recognize some of the complications as familiar. Life in a small town is not as “simple” as many want to portray it.

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Cryers Cross

Here is my reason for picking up this novel – the front cover “The smaller the town, the bigger the secrets.” Yes, that attracted me. Since I grew up in a small town I have always been aware that there are generally big secrets.

The story begins when Tiffany Quinn has disappeared without a trace. Kendall Fletcher has issues with this. It is not just because the girl disappeared, but it is about how it shakes up Kendall’s routines. Kendall has OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder).

Suddenly Kendall’s best friend and maybe boyfriend Nico disappears just like Tiffany. Now Kendall is even thrown into more turmoil. An unlikely friendship develops between her and Jacian who recently moved to Cryers Cross.

If you like mystery this is a great choice. If you haven’t read many mysteries, this is an exciting one to make your first.

You can preview this novel by Lisa McMann at Google books

Listen to the author talk about the book

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Across the Universe

Amy is just 17 when she and her parents are cryogenically frozen to make a three century long journey to a new planet. This novel is dystopian (the opposite of utopia), romantic, mysterious, and has elements of science fiction.

Amy is somehow “thawed” years before she should have been. She is introduced to a world that is nothing like the Earth she left. In this world, there are few differences and those who are different are thought to be mentally ill. One of those who befriends her is Harley, an artist. Elder is intrigued with this “strange” girl. There is even a character named Orion – probably not pronounced “or e-an.”

Amy has red hair and green eyes and she doesn’t want to conform to the way of life on the spaceship Godspeed.

The story is told in alternating chapters by Amy and by Elder, the young man chosen to become the next leader of the this world on board Godspeed. I found this novel to be intriguing and the mystery kept my interest

I would suggest this book for advanced 7^th graders and 8^th graders at OMS as there are some topics covered that require a more maturity to understand. This is the author’s first book and the first book in what will be a trilogy.

You might want to check out Beth Revis’s website that has a model of the spaceship.

Death Cloud – Young Sherlock Holmes: the Legend Begins

I was sent an advance reader’s edition of this book which has already been published in the U.K.

This is the first of a series of novels that will attempt to depict the early life of the legend, Sherlock Holmes. Holmes is a fictional character who was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and was featured in novels and short stories by the creator.

Andrew Lane has done a wonderful job of creating an exciting story. There are lots of details about the time period in England – Victorian Age. He has created lots of adventures and mysteries for young Sherlock. There are all the elements – the evil housekeeper, the henchmen, and a great villain.

I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

This book will be available on February 1, 2011.

Visit the website.

The Séance

This book by Iain Lawrence is set in the 1920s, and has a different “feel” than the other books I have read by the author.

Scooter King and his mom, Madame King, a psychic medium, become involved in a murder mystery. Scooter worked as his mother’s assistant.

Harry Houdini has arrived in their town and was putting on shows at the Orpheum Theatre. Scooter went to see the Burmese Torture Tank – the amazing water-filled tank from which Houdini would escape.  Instead … “Inside the tank was a dead man… I stared right into his face, and he stared back with white and bulging eyes.”

The author has made great use of the language of the twenties and given the reader a look at some of the characters – flapper hat-check girl and the billy-club wielding policeman. (you can check out some other gangster talk here) The story gives us many clues from the local newspaper, the Herald, like headlines, advertisements, articles, obituaries and gossip columns.

Read and excerpt.

The Things a Brother Knows

Boaz Katznelson has come home. He is not the same person he was when he left to become a Marine. The people of the community call Boaz a hero. Levi, his younger brother, who has always looked up to Boaz is confused and worried about the way Boaz has changed. He is home and safe, but is he . . .

Levi is not a supporter of the war so he isn’t sure about what he is feeling. He loves his brother, but something is wrong. Their parents just seem to want to ignore that there is a problem. Boaz spends all of his time locked away in his room. He refuses to ride in a car so he walks everywhere.

I wasn’t expecting the ending. The author gives the reader something to think about. We are currently into a sort of “hero worship” for those who serve in the military; this book makes you think about the human side of being a soldier.

Most of the book is available on Google Books

Morpheus Road: The Light

This is the first novel in a new series by D.J. MacHale. Marshall Seaver is being haunted by demons of his mind and those from the dead. The demon that seems to after Marshall is one that he has created in a sketch and only he can see it, most of the time. His best friend Cooper disappears and Marshall and Cooper’s sister, Sydney, try to find him. As they look into the mystery of Cooper’s disappearance they find something more frightening than even Marshall had feared.

I put off reading this book because I thought I wouldn’t really like it. I was wrong! It was exciting and one that I wanted to know what was going to happen next. The author has done a great job of creating excitement. I can’t wait to read the second in the series, but that won’t be until April, 2011.

Closed for the Season

Mary Downing Hahn has written several mysteries that many of you have enjoyed – The Old Willis Place, Wait Till Helen Comes, Deep and Dark and Dangerous, All the Lovely Bad Ones, Stepping on the Cracks, The Doll in the Garden. This one will not be a disappointment.

Logan Forbes and his parents have moved to a small town to get away from the violence of Richmond only to find out that a murder was committed in the house that they have purchased. Arthur Jenkins, the boy next door, lives with his grandma. They both have different personalities. Arthur befriends Logan immediately – Logan really wanted to be associated with an “in” group in his new school so he is not thrilled with his new friend in the beginning.

Arthur is very bright and he a Logan investigate the murder of Myrtle Donaldson, the former occupant of Logan’s house. Myrtle’s dog Bear still stays at the house and the Jenkins have fed him since her death.

This is a fast moving story that leads the boys to find a letter and a puzzle that convinces them that Myrtle was innocent and that she was murdered. Now they just have to find out who committed the crimes.

Google Books has part of the book online.

Learn about the author and her books.

The Cardturner

This story may seem very different from many of the novels by Louis Sachar – many of you may have read Holes or have seen the movie. His novels might be described as having quirky beginnings – like digging holes in the desert. This story takes the readers on a journey into the world of the bridge player.  And by this I mean a card game, not a structure that is built over a body of water. I am not a card player and what I know about bridge is that my sister spent a great deal of time playing bridge when she was a college student – an idea about her age – she is older than I am!

If you aren’t interested in learning about the game, the author has included a symbol of a whale to let you know when you can skip parts of the story. I found learning about the intricacies of the game to be as amazing as the rest of the story; so I didn’t skip too many of those parts.

Alton Richards will be a senior in high school. His parents are obsessed with inheriting a large amount from Uncle Lester when he dies. Hence, Alton’s mom is thrilled when Alton is asked to be the cardturner for his blind uncle. As you can imagine, Alton is not so thrilled.

As you get involved in the story, you will find there is a love story. Actually, there seem to be two – one involves Alton and one involves Uncle Lester and his perfect bridge partner of the past.

Don’t decide that this book sounds boring because it is about a game you don’t know anything about.

You can preview the book at Google Books

The Sixty-Eight Rooms

by Marianne Malone

Okay, yes, I do buy books that are about Illinois – you know I have read all of the Richard Peck books and I also have the Blue Balliett’s Chasing Vermeer, The Wright 3, and The Calder Game. So, when I saw this book was set in Chicago – I had to add it to my stack.

These rooms do exist and after reading this novel, you may want to visit the Art Institute of Chicago to see them. While you are there, you may find other art that is of interest to you. There are 68 miniature rooms that were designed in the 1930s by Mrs. James Ward Thorne – each is from a different time period and is perfectly detailed.

The book begins with Ruthie and Jack going on a class field trip to the Art Institute to see the Thorne Rooms. While there, Mr. Bell, a guard, lets them see behind the rooms to see the mechanics. Jack finds an ornate key. Ruthie thinks the key is magical and wants to return to explore more. Somehow the key allows Ruthie to shrink so that she is the perfect size for the rooms. As she and Jack explore, they find things that don’t belong to the time period of the room. Other kids have found the magic before them – a mystery.

Jack and Ruthie have to get around their parents to investigate the mystery. Jack and his artist mother are about to be evicted from their loft. Jack and Ruthie have to battle a monster cockroach while they are miniature.

Search Thorne Miniature Rooms, The Art Institute of Chicago