Three years after his brother was killed in Iraq, Daniel functions by keeping a notebook on how others have died. As his parents are lost in their grief, there is no one to console him. This summer he befriends a beautiful new girl as well as the school outcast. Refelecting on all that Eli has taught him and these new friendships help Daniel cope with the loss of his family as it was. A great story on dealing with death for ages 10 and up.

WPL Call Number: Y Rupp
Reviewer: Alice J.   (1/17/13)

In 1952 Janie's screenwriter parents move their family from Hollywood to London to avoid charges of communism. But Janie doesn't escape trouble--instead she finds it when she befriends the local apothecary's son, who hangs around the park pretending to be a spy. Soon the two of them are embroiled in a real plot to stop the testing of a nuclear bomb. They use the apothecary's transformational and whimsical magic to further their quest. This intriguing story will appeal to fans of historical fiction and science fiction in grades 6-8.

WPL Call Number: Y Meloy
Reviewer: Janet P.   (1/13/13)

Imagine the excitement of Paris in 1799, at the dawn of Napoleon's reign. The girls at Madame Campan's Academie Nationale a Saint-Germain want to be at the center of everything. And with their connections, they are. Eliza, the daughter of soon-to-be United States president James Monroe; Hortense de Beauharnais, the daughter of Napoleon's wife; and Caroline Bonaparte, Napoleon's younger sister, sneak out of school to get a closer look at Napoleon's ascent to power. Along the way, each one falls in love, with varying results. Fans of historical fiction in grade six and up will be intrigued by this book, which is loosely based on real relationships.

WPL Call Number: Y Dunlap
Reviewer: Janet P.   (12/16/12)

Having tuberculosis in 1940 meant that patients might be confined to a sanitorium for treatment. These isolating residences kept the patients well rested, well fed and less active until they were well. Thirteen year old Evvy is sent to Loon Lake, away from her family until she recovers. Here she finds roommates who may not be too friendly, but are all suffering with loneliness as they fight this debilitating disease. Evvy learns that some patients go home, not nesessarily back to their families, but weaken and die despite the latest treatments since there is no cure. This sad time in our history is told with news articles and letters as well as conversations between the girls. A serious story for ages 10 and up.

WPL Call Number: Y Hayles
Reviewer: Alice J.   (12/6/12)

Donovan Curtis is an average student with an impulse control problem. His actions often have unforeseen and unfortunate consequences. His latest is a doozy and it leads to his accidental transfer to the gifted academy. Being a "normal" among the gifted leads to unexpected alliances and friendships. Ungifted is funny and touching. Readers in grades six through nine will enjoy this realistic story.

WPL Call Number: Y Korman
Reviewer: Kathleen O.   (11/18/12)

Iris Anderson longs to help her father with his private investigation business, but soon enough, she’s got cases of her own to solve. Who’s leaving anti-Semitic notes in the lockers of members of her high school’s Jewish organization? Did Iris’s mother really commit suicide—or was it murder? Iris and her friends Benny and Pearl explore 1942 New York, facing duplicitous teenagers, tricky relatives, and Nazi sympathizers. Along the way, Iris learns more about her Jewish background, tries to mend family divisions, and proves to her father that she’s ready to work with him. The sequel to The Girl is Murder will captivate historical mystery fans in grades 6 and up.

WPL Call Number: Y Haines
Reviewer: Janet P.   (11/12/12)

When Evening Spiker's leg is severed in an accident, her mother insists on moving Eve out of the hospital to her own Spiker Biopharamaceuticals research facility. While recuperating, Eve is given a computer with a program that she can use to design the perfect person. An amazingly quick recovery forces Eve to accept the information a young worker there gives her explaining that her mom used her as a guinea pig. Young Solo Plissken explains that his parents were scientists who were Spiker's business partners before they were killed in a car accident. Solo tells Eve about all the bizarre and illegal experiments performed at Spiker. How Eve deals with this info and with Solo makes for an exciting saga. A great read for ages 12 and up.

WPL Call Number: Y Grant
Reviewer: Alice J.   (11/8/12)

Aislinn (A) has to spend her summer vacation taking care of her four younger siblings, B, C, D and E. Her father is an alcoholic who is verbally and physically abusive. Her overworked mother is pregnant again but chooses to stay quiet to keep the peace. Aislinn feels like a prisoner since her father will not let her go out with her girlfriend or talk to boys. While dreaming helps A cope, she discovers a way to share her dreams and help make them come true. A realistic but sad family situation with a bright outcome for ages 10 and up.

WPL Call Number: Y Paratore
Reviewer: Alice J.   (11/1/12)

Author Peg Kehret and her late husband, Carl, loved animals. They had their home on an edge of a forest certified as a wildlife sanctuary and went on to rescue a wide array of animals both wild and domestic. In this warm and personal memoir Peg Kehret devotes a chapter to each animal and tells how they became part of her life and writing. Animal lovers in grades four through seven will enjoy this book.

WPL Call Number: Y921 Kehret
Reviewer: Kathleen O.   (10/29/12)

Details on the deaths of many notables including King Tut, Napolean, Marie Curie, Beethoven, and Charles Darwin are given as well as information on all their primitive medical treatments. The gross descriptions and facts are enough to make you sick! This is perfect for any readers who are not squeamish in grades 5 and up.

WPL Call Number: Y920 BR
Reviewer: Alice J.   (10/26/12)