HALF MOON INVESTIGATIONS, I'D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU, BUT...,

Eoin Colfer. HALF MOON INVESTIGATIONS

This is great new book by the author of the popular ARTEMIS FOWL series. It's a funny mystery. Also, it has some interesting twists and turns that readers will enjoy. Fletcher is a 12-year old detective living in a small Irish town. He has an actual official badge he earned from a mail order detective school in Washington D.C. When one of the popular girls calls on him to solve a mystery for her, all sorts of things unravel. This is a funny, great book. Also, the end hints at more to come; this could be a fun new series.

Ally Carter.

I’D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU, BUT THEN I’D HAVE TO KILL YOU.

This was a really unique concept. It's about a private school for girls, but as you find out on the first page-it's a school for girls training to be SPIES! It’s fantastic! A lot of humor, adventure, and regular girl stuff, too! Plus, it's already optioned for a movie by Walt Disney. I hope it really does get filmed; it should be great.

THE LIGHTNING THIEF

Riordan, Rick. THE LIGHTNING THIEF

This was so exciting and really intelligent. For those of you who studied the Greek Gods last year in 7th grade (all of you, I think), you will love this. It is a wonderful way to remember the different Gods. Percy Jackson has always been a little different. Since he gets in trouble a lot, he's gotten kicked out of many different schools. He also has a little trouble with school because of his ADHD and dyslexia. Well, he suddenly finds out why he's so different. He's a demigod. His father, who he thought ran off when he was a child, is actually a god. I won't spoil it by telling you which one; you get to discover for yourself. Anyway, he ends up at a camp for half-bloods (that's what they call themselves), and he makes friends with other half-bloods. He also has been fighting monsters along the way, so he learns crucial skills like swordfighting. This was an amazing book that I really loved. The sequel just came out & I can't wait to get it. Oh just wait until they explain his ADHD & dyslexia-it's so cool. Makes total sense too.

CRACKBACK, RUNNING OUT OF TIME, ESCAPE FROM MEMORY

Coy, John. CRACKBACK

If you like football, you will love this one! Miles is a varsity football player. His team is expected to go to State this year. His dad, his coach, and his best friend are all pushing him Miles to be stronger and faster by any means necessary. He faces some tough decisions. Just how important is football to him? What will he risk? I enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the football games. Great read!

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. RUNNING OUT OF TIME

After hearing Margaret P. Haddix speak at the Teen Book Festival, I've become interested in her other books, besides Among the Hidden. She told us how she came up with the idea to write this book, so I really wanted to read it. It's about a girl named Jessie who lives with her family in the frontier village of Clifton, Indiana in 1840. However, she soon finds out that it is really 1996 everywhere else. Her village was set up for tourists to see through hidden cameras. The only reason her mother tells her the secret is because the children in the village are dying from diphtheria, a disease cured long ago in the modern world. She sends Jessie out to get medicine for the dying kids. Jessie is a little freaked out by the modern world, at first. Plus, she's threatened by the man who was supposed to help her. This was a great mystery from Haddix that I just could not put down!

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. ESCAPE FROM MEMORY

Wow, this was a really cool book! Kira gets hypnotized at her friend's house. Afterwards her friends are baffled by what she has said. Apparently, she spoke another language and has unusual memories of a strange land that she doesn't know anything about. She asks her mom about all of it, but her mom refuses to tell her anything. Then the next day, her mom disappears. Then someone claiming to want to help her shows up at her house to take her to her "homeland." This is a wonderful mystery. Another great one from Haddix!

BORN TO ROCK & EAGER

Korman, Gordon. BORN TO ROCK

This is Korman's newest novel due out around April. I got my hands on an advanced copy and read it right away! Leo is a student who is a member of the Young Republicans with a 4.0 average and full scholarship to Harvard. First, he finds out that his biological father is the lead singer of the most famous punk band from the 80's. Then through a misunderstanding during a test, he gets accused of cheating and loses his scholarship. Perhaps he can ask his rich musician father for college tuition? This was an amusing novel. The characters were wonderful. Another winner for Korman.





Fox, Helen. EAGER

This was great timing. We are right in the middle of our Science Fiction unit. The Bell's family robot-butler, Grumps, has problem with his internal clock. He serves them tomato soup for breakfast, breakfast for dinner and so on. So when a Professor friend asks them to take on a new robot EGR3 (who receives the name Eager) who needs to learn about life from a family, they agree. They figure that Eager can help out Grumps with the time issue, while Grumps can teach Eager a few things too. A whole new brand of robots are released to the world that end up putting lives at risk. Eager is there to lend a hand. This was an adorable book. A great way for someone to ease into Science-Fiction without too much technology or science overload. Just check out the cute cover!

CRUTCHER, HADDIX, WESTERFELD, TRUEMAN, CORMIER

Crutcher, Chris. STAYING FAT FOR SARAH BYRNES. Wow, wow, wow. This novel really displays Crutcher's talent as a storyteller. He weaves together the past and the present so skillfully. Plus, this is a meaningful tale about friendship and much more. I can't even go into a summary without going on and on. There's too much to say. I was really moved.

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. AMONG THE HIDDEN. This group of books has been out a while, and I finally got the chance to read them. The premise is a futuristic society where it is illegal to have a third child, for population reasons. The story is told from a third-child's point of view, Luke. He is hidden in his house because if he is found, he will be killed. He sees a shadow in the house near him and wonders if there are other third-children out there. Risking his life, he takes a chance to meet this other child.

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. AMONG THE IMPOSTERS. The sequel: Luke is able to get out of hiding with a fake ID and is sent to a boarding school under the new assumed identity. There he meets other third-children. They are working on plans to challenge these laws, but danger lurks around every corner.

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. AMONG THE BETRAYED. This is not a direct sequel but a companion novel: from another characters point of view, Nina. I’m sure it's great, but I wanted to continue to read about Luke. So, I went to "BARONS"

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. AMONG THE BARONS. Luke must leave the school and go live with a Baron family. Why? He soon learns of several different plots against him and others. Who does he believe??

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. DON’T YOU DARE READ THIS, MRS. DUNPHREY. A lot is packed into this short 128 pg book. At first Tish was reluctant to keep the journal required by her teacher. Then, she decides, oh well, the teacher said she wouldn't read it if I didn't want her to. The journal becomes an important "friend" and she begins writing down everything she can't tell anyone else. This is a wonderful, meaningful book. I won't soon forget Tish and her family.

Westerfeld, Scott. UGLIES (1) I had seen this novel many times, and the premise always intrigued me. Finally, I got to read it. It was much more than I expected.. In this futuristic society, everyone has plastic surgery at sixteen to conform to an “ideal” standard of beauty. The society assumes that if everyone is "pretty" than no one needs to pay attention to outward appearances anymore. Before you have your operation you are an “ugly” (hence the title). Then after you have it you are called a “new pretty.” Anyway, a character named Shay decides she likes her face the way it is and doesn't want to have it operated on. She and a group of others are rebelling against this mandatory policy. Many other secrets are found out about this “ideal” society. Very suspenseful!!!

Westerfeld, Scott. PRETTIES (2) I had to read the sequel instantly! The sequel was just as good as the original. I'm really attached to the characters now. I can't say much more about this one without giving away events in the first one. But you'll want to read it if you liked UGLIES.

Westerfeld, Scott. SPECIALS (3) Due out in May 2006. Can't wait for this one to come out!!

Westerfeld, Scott. THE MIDNIGHTERS#1. THE SECRET HOUR. Jessica moves to the small town of Bixby and soon realizes there is a secret hour every night at midnight. She and a few others, who were born at the stroke of midnight, are able to move about in the secret hour. Everyone else is frozen. This is a very cool action-packed, part science fiction, part horror story.

Westerfeld, Scott. THE MIDNIGHTERS #2. TOUCHING DARKNESS. It gets even better with part 2. Secrets are revealed, and it is just as suspenseful and action packed as the first. The minute it ended, I wanted to read the sequel, but yikes, it isn't out yet!
(I’m really getting into Scott Westerfeld!)

Westerfeld, Scott. THE MIDNIGHTERS #3. BLUE NOON Due out in March 2006. Can't wait for this one to come out!

Trueman, Terry. STUCK IN NEUTRAL. Wow! Imagine remembering everything you've ever seen or heard. But, you can't communicate in any way. Your family doesn't know you are smart. They aren't sure your brain even works. That is 14-year-old Shawn's situation. Now, he finds out people are wondering if he even deserves to live. I wasn't able to put this one down! This is a book you'll never forget!! Suspenseful and thought provoking.

Trueman, Terry. CRUISE CONTROL. The companion novel to STUCK IN NEUTRAL. This is the same story but from Shawn's brother's point of view, Paul. Paul is a great athlete and student. He has everything. He struggles with the fact that his life seems so great, but his brother seems to have nothing. He also deals with his disrespect for his father, who deserted the family. It was awesome to read the story from this point of view.

Cormier, Robert. THE CHOCOLATE WAR. I finally got to read this classic. After reading I AM THE CHEESE (unusual, freaky, excellent book) several years ago, I've been wanting to read more from Cormier. THE CHOCOLATE WAR is set at an all boy's private school called Trinity. There is a secret society, the Vigils, that assigns tortuous tasks to boys to carry out, whether they want to or not. Jerry Renault unwittingly stands up to the group. However, the Vigils, don't take kindly to people disobeying them. This is a chilling, haunting book. I highly recommend it!