Eggs Over Evie

It's been a year since her parents divorced. Evie is dealing with all the emotions of missing her father, seeing her mother change and news of her father's new wife having twins! Mixed into the book are many references to recipes and cooking as Evie's father is a celebrity chef and Evie plans on becoming one, too.

I thought the voice of Evie was very truthful and believable as she struggled through all the emotions and changes in her life. I found the cooking part of the book a distraction, though. Unless your child is a true foodie, I am not sure they would really understand the quotes from famous cooks that begin each chapter. The included recipes seem a little strange to me as well. Are children really going to try them? The best part of the book for me was the relationships she developed with the people in her life.

The Romeo and Juliet Code

Because of the bombing of London, 11-year-old Felicity is taken by her parents to live with relatives in Maine in 1941. She slowly adjusts to her new family, including Uncle Gideon, who teaches sixth grade at the local school; Aunt Miami, who lives and breathes Shakespeare; “The Gram,” Felicity’s grandmother; and Derek, a 12-year-old adopted orphan whose dreams of military service have been dashed by a bout with polio. Felicity’s engaging personality and curiosity about letters arriving from Portugal written in code “stir up the soup” of life in the Bathburn household, but only time will tell if that’s a good thing.

This family is very quirky and it was difficult for me to really picture Felicity just being dropped here by her parents. The whole mystery in the family about her parents; the fact that Derek is hidden away and Felicity is not told; and the ending leaving so many unanswered questions makes this one tough to recommend.

Grounded

Grounded, by Kate Klise, is a sad book. I really don't do sad. The first page begins by sharing that Daralynn's brother, her little sister and her dad died in a plane crash. It was enough for me to put the book down. I really don't like to read depressing books. So, this was tough.

It would be difficult for me to suggest this to a child. Yet, in all fairness, I did finish the book and thought it really could lead to a lot of great discussions in a group or classroom. The title, Grounded, has many meanings in the story. This story is set in the early 1970s in Missouri. How Daralynn's mother grieves and deals with loss is difficult to endure, but there are a number of side characters that help make the story more palatable. All in all, not my favorite.

The Great Wall of Lucy Wu

Sixth-grader Lucy Wu thinks it's going to be the best year ever. Her sister is going to college, so she will have a bedroom all to herself that she can redecorate. She know her basketball team is going all the way this year and since is finally at the top of her school as a sixth-grader!

She really isn't interested in being Chinese, or Chinese food or Chinese culture. She would rather have lasagna, to the dismay of the rest of her family. Then her whole world is turned upside down when a relative from China comes to stay with her family and will share her room for several months!

I thought the story was well written and the voices of the characters rang true. Life as a tween is difficult enough, but Lucy must also struggle with balancing two different cultures and expectations from people on both sides.

The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable

Here's another series by Dan Gutman that will sure to be a hit with boys and girls. In this book, twins, Coke and Pepsi McDonald, will soon be going on a 3000 mile trip across the country with their parents when they discover that strange people are trying to kill them! Without their knowledge, they have been included in a secret government plot to use young geniuses to solve the nation's problems.

Well, as they travel across country they have a lot of adventures and the readers are introduced to a lot of trivia about all the landmarks they visit on the trip. Funny thing for us, is that the book ends at The House on the Rock! Very funny!

Action, humor, trivia, crazy James Bond-type gadgets and mayhem- all wrapped into a great new series.

The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

Ok, here is another series that I am adding to my short list of series that I WILL continue to read the entire series! No, this isn't a new series. It came out in 2007. The fifth book in the series will be out in May. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I don't usually read entire series. I read the first one to know what the books are about, but that's it. There are toooooo many books to read to stick with 6 or 8 books in a series. But this one I will continue reading.

Josh and Sophie are 15 year-old twins that could possibly be the most powerful magicians the world has ever seen. They get wrapped up in the life of the alchemist, Nicholas Flamel, and his wife who have found the secret of immortality and are being chased by an evil magician. Flamel believes the twins are mentioned in a prophecy in the ancient Codex. They encounter all sorts of mythological and legendary beings as they stay one step ahead of the evil, Dee, and his allies.

Great action and suspense! Fantastic mix of history, mythology, science and more. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next one!

Bink and Gollie

This is a mix of a easy reader, a graphic novel and picture book all in one. In three short stories, we are introduced to two friends, Bink and Gollie and their adventures in friendship. Parents, family and school do not seem to exist. I think the stories are humorous, but it is the wonderfully expressive illustrations that bring the stories to life. Perfect for girls in grades 1-3.

The Trouble with Chickens

The Trouble with Chickens written by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Kevin Cornell.

This book is about a wise-cracking rescue dog and the troublesome chickens that disturb his peaceful retirement. 

Fun, fun, funny! Hilarious. I really enjoyed this book. I loved the humor and the illustrations matched perfectly with the tone of book. Great family read-aloud!

I will suggest this book to any boy or girl ages 7 and up. Great next step when your child is looking for something more than the popular paperback series available.