Review! The Naughty List

Authors: Michael Fry and Bradley Jackson

240 pages—Ages 8 to 12 (and up)

Published by: HarperCollins on September 22, 2015

Summary (from harpercollins.com):

When Bobbie's hilariously bumbling efforts to save her brother's Christmas actually land him on Santa's Naughty List, she must travel to the North Pole to make things right again and save Christmas. Bobbie suddenly finds herself on an epic holiday adventure complete with rogue elves, dysfunctional reindeer, a lazy Santa, and more.

Fans of the Big Nate and Diary of a Wimpy Kid series will love this laugh-out-loud funny Christmas adventure packed with comic illustrations.

Review! Disney Fairies: The Trouble with Tink (#1)

Author: Kiki Thorpe (author) and Judith Holmes Clarke (illustrator)

129 pages--Ages 6 to 9 (and up)

Published By: Random House on January 10, 2006

Summary (from amazon.com): 

Tinker Bell is supposed to be the best there is at fixing pots and pans, but when she loses her hammer, her talent goes with it. Tink is desperate to reclaim her skill. But does she have the courage to face up to her past?

Children of the Lamp: The Akhenaten Adventure (Book #1)

Author: P.B. Kerr

368 Pages--Ages 8 and up

Published by: Orchard Books on October 1, 2004

Summary (amazon.com): 

Meet John and Philippa Gaunt, twelve-year-old twins who one day discover themselves to be descended from a long line of djinn. All of a sudden, they have the power to grant wishes, travel to extraordinary places (and not necessarily on public transportation), and make people and objects disappear. Luckily (and luck does have something to do with it), the twins are introduced to their eccentric djinn-Uncle Nimrod, who will teach them how to harness their newly found power. And not a moment too soon!

Review! Unfriended

Author: Rachel Vail

288 Pages--Teens

Published by: Viking Juvenile on September 25, 2014

Summary (from rachelvail.com):

When thirteen-year-old Truly is invited to sit at the Popular Table, she finds herself caught in a web of lies and misunderstandings, made unescapable by the hyperconnected social media world.

Review! Book Scavenger

Author: Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

368 pages--ages 9 and up

Published by: Henry Holt and Co. on June 2, 2015

Summary (from bookscavenger.com):

Twelve-year-old Emily is on the move again. Her family is relocating to San Francisco, home of her literary idol: Garrison Griswold, creator of the online sensation Book Scavenger, a game where books are hidden all over the country and clues to find them are revealed through puzzles. But Emily soon learns that Griswold has been attacked and is in a coma, and no one knows anything about the epic new game he had been poised to launch. Then Emily and her new friend James discover an odd book, which they come to believe is from Griswold and leads to a valuable prize. But there are others on the hunt for this book, and Emily and James must race to solve the puzzles Griswold left behind before Griswold’s attackers make them their next target.

Review! Masterminds

Author: Gordon Korman

336 pages--ages 8 and up

Published by:  Balzer + Bray on February 3, 2015

 

Summary (from amazon.com):

Eli Frieden lives in the most perfect town in the world: Serenity, New Mexico. Honesty and integrity are valued above all else. The thirty kids who live there never lie—they know it’s a short leap from that to the awful problems of other, less fortunate places.

Eli has never left Serenity . . . why would he ever want to? Then one day, he bikes to the edge of the city limits and something so crazy and unexpected happens, it changes everything. Eli convinces his friends to help him investigate further, and soon it becomes clear that nothing is as it seems in Serenity. The clues mount to reveal a shocking discovery, connecting their ideal crime-free community to some of the greatest criminal masterminds ever known. The kids realize they can trust no one—least of all their own parents.

Review! Diary of a Wimpy Kid #10: Old School

Author: Jeff Kinney

224 pages—Ages 8 and up

Published by: Harry N. Abrams

Summary (from amazon.com):

Life was better in the old days. Or was it?

That’s the question Greg Heffley is asking as his town voluntarily unplugs and goes electronics-free. But modern life has its conveniences, and Greg isn’t cut out for an old-fashioned world.

With tension building inside and outside the Heffley home, will Greg find a way to survive? Or is going “old school” just too hard for a kid like Greg?