Patrick Carman. THE DARK HILLS DIVIDE

What an intriguing book! A student recommended that I buy this series, and boy, am I glad I did. I could tell it would be one of those books that’s hard to move without reading it yourself. It’s not one you can sum up in a short catchy sentence to get kids to check it out. So, I took it home.

First off, you see a map of the Land of Elyon right at the beginning, which I completely adore in a fantasy book. I bookmark it & refer back to it continually. Maybe I’m just a visual person, but I love maps and they help in made-up worlds.

Anyway, Alexa Daley is the daughter of the mayor of the town of Lathbury. The book begins with her going to another town where she spends many weeks each summer. Her father meets the other mayors and spends his time busy with work. So Alexa is free to roam around almost completely on her own. She spends a lot of time reading in the library, but mostly she likes to explore.

Her town and several towns around her are surrounded by huge brick walls. They were built to keep creatures out, but Alexa feels trapped. This summer, she has made it her number one goal to find a way through the wall to the unknown. She knows there must be adventure out there waiting for her.
What an amazing world the author has created. I can’t even tell you much of it without revealing a lot of spoilers. I wouldn’t ruin it for you, because I had such a wonderful time discovering this little gem myself.
This is a trilogy and I’m already into the second book!

Plus, I just read that Patrick Carman just wrote one of the 39 Clues books. I’m going to have to read more by him. Here is his website. Here is an awesome page with all of the books in this series! There are some great videos.
Check it out! I highly recommend it!

Wendy Mass. A MANGO-SHAPED SPACE

After being called a freak in third grade, Mia Winchell has hidden something from everyone in her life. When she hears sounds, she sees geometric shapes and colors. Each letter in the alphabet has its own color. Names do too. When she realized in the third grade that no one else sees these colors, she decided to keep it to herself so people wouldn't think she was crazy. Then she begins failing math and when the thought of summer school looms over her, she decides to tell her parents. They take her to the doctor and Mia eventually learns that her “colors” are a condition called synesthesia. The best discovery for her was that other people have it too! She’s not crazy or alone. Although, when the kids at school find out, she begins to feel like a freak again. On her course of self-discovery, Mia has some challenges and losses to overcome. Does she really want to be normal or does she want to just be herself?
I loved this book. I really loved the characters and the unique story. Mia’s family is wonderful. Her older sister Beth is just the right amount of weird & caring. Her little brother Zack is adorably quirky and funny. Here’s one of the scenes that made laugh out loud. It’s when the family sits down for an important meeting:
“It has come to our attention,” my mother begins, “that some serious misconceptions are floating around this house.”
“Somebody better catch them because I might be allergic,” Zack declares. (so cute!)
Other great characters are her best friend Jenna. They go through some pretty realistic relationship ups & downs. Roger is also a pretty great guy that Mia becomes friends with. Even with all of the losses (several characters lose important members of their families), the story still manages to be uplifting. There is something about the author's voice - a tenderness that really comes through. I can’t say it enough; I really love this book.

Other books by Wendy Mass:
HEAVEN LOOKS A LOT LIKE THE MALL
My review is here



Also her website is here.
Wow, she has a new book out that looks amazing! Another one for my "to read" pile!

Ron Koertge. STRAYS

Ted lost his parents in a car crash and is sent to live in foster care. He grew up working in his parent’s pet shop selling kitty litter and dog food. He got bullied a lot at school, so he’s really only had animals as friends. He has to start over in a new home with weird foster parents and two foster brothers and begin at a new school. It’s strange for him at first. His friendship with animals helps him make the transition and mourn his parents. What starts out as the worst year of his life ends up being just what he needs to mature and learn to be with people, not just animals. With the help of his new friend Wanda, who’s quite the character, he no longer feels like a stray.
Koertge is a brilliant writer. I love his dialogue. In someone else’s hands, the relationship between Ted and the animals would’ve been cheesy, but here the dialogue is so witty and wise that it feels right.

MARGAUX WITH AN X and STONER AND SPAZ are just a few of his other books.