The Iron Trial

The Iron Trial 
by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

Callum Hunt did not want to get into the Magesterium.   When he performed terribly in his entrance exams, he and his father were certain that they had succeeded in keeping Callum away from the magic school.  Unfortunately, to the surprise of everyone, Callum was chosen to attend the Magesterium and, despite his father's protests, is forced to attend the prestigious magic school.

Warned about magic his entire life by his father, who had also attended the Magesterium, Callum became determined to do whatever he could to fail while attending the school.   However, as he progressed in his studies, he realized he wanted to be there.   Unfortunately, dangerous situations could prevent him from making it through his Iron Year.  Will he survive his first year at the Magesterium?

I recently finished this book with one of my book groups at George E. Jack and we all loved it!  We agreed that this book about a magic school has many similarities to the Harry Potter series and highly recommend it to fans of Harry Potter!   It is full of magic, action, and battles between good and evil.   Our book group is looking forward to reading the next book in this exciting series!

Book website: http://irontrial.scholastic.com/

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The Whisper

The Whisper
by Pamela Zagarenski

Does a book need words on its pages to tell a story?  One little girl thinks so and, when she borrows a special book from her teacher, she is dismayed to find that the beautiful pictures have no words to go with them!   A whisper, however, reminds her that the words for the pictures can come from inside her imagination and soon the little girl becomes a storyteller, imagining the right words for each picture inside the magical book.

This beautiful story, with outstanding illustrations, reminds us that within all of us is the ability to be a great storyteller if we just look deep within ourselves and use our imaginations! 

Author's website: http://www.pzagarenski.com/Home.html

Saving Lucas Biggs

Saving Lucas Biggs
by Marisa de los Santos & David Teague 

When Margaret's father is sentenced for a crime she doesn't believe he committed, she is forced to go against a longtime family promise to try to save her father's life.    Despite her father's warnings, Margaret realizes that she must use her family's ability to time travel to go into the past in order to keep Judge Biggs, who sentenced her father, from becoming the cruel man he grew up to be.  Will Margaret be able to change the past and save not only her father, but also Lucas Biggs?

Alternating between 1938 and 2014, Saving Lucas Biggs is a wonderful story of family, friendship, and justice.   While time travel is an important detail in this story, I find the book more of a historical fiction, asmuch of the story takes place in 1938.    I recently finished this book with a 5th grade reading group and it was a hit with them!    

The Night Gardener

The Night Gardener
by Jonathan Auxier

Everyone they meet caution Molly and Kip not to go to the Windsor house but,  knowing that this may be their only hope for work, the young siblings go anyway despite the warnings.   As they arrive at the home deep in the woods, they find the neglected house has been almost entirely taken over by a large, creepy tree that grows through it.    As she meets the Windsor family, including the unpleasant Mrs. Windsor, Molly becomes concerned about the unhealthy appearance of the family.   Despite the poor condition of the home and the peculiar family, Molly knows she and her brother have no other place to go and must stay and work as servants for the Windsors.

As they settle into the Windsor home, Molly becomes more suspicious that something odd is going on with the family and the home.   When she discovers that a strange, sinister man is going through the house at night, she realizes that there is something evil about the tree that has taken over the home.  

What a creepy story!  Readers who are looking for a suspenseful, scary book will love this one!    As I read this book, I was reminded of other books that involved creepy trees, including The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein and Juniper Berry by M.P. Kozlowsky.    Also worth noting about this book is that there's a good chance that it may be made into a movie, according to the author's website!

Author's website: http://www.thescop.com/

Going Places

Going Places
by Peter & Paul Reynolds

It's time for the "Going Places" contest!   Just like the other kids in his class, Rafael gets a Going Places Kit to build the go-kart that he will race against his classmates.  Because all the kits are the same, he expects his neighbor Maya's finished go-kart to look just like his.  To his shock, he learns that Maya did not follow the directions on the kit, instead using her imagination and creativity to make a very different looking vehicle!   Inspired by Maya's unique creation, Rafael suggests they work together and combine their kits to make a vehicle unlike any of the ones their classmates are making!

Going Places is an excellent story about teamwork and creativity that will inspire readers to think outside the box!

Author's website: http://www.peterhreynolds.com/

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A Handful of Stars

A Handful of Stars 
by Cynthia Lord

When Lily's beloved blind dog, Lucky, escapes from her one day, she has no idea that a peanut butter sandwich and bag of chips is about to change her entire summer!   Due to the quick thinking (and lunch) of Salma, the daughter of blueberry harvesters who are spending their summer working in the quiet, small Maine town that Lily lives in, Lucky is caught.   Soon after, Salma and Lily meet up again and develop a friendship, bonding as they work together to help Lily save up money for a surgery that could restore Lucky's eyesight.

When Salma decides to enter the Blueberry Queen pageant, Lily worries about how the people of their small town, including her close friend and  the current Blueberry Queen Hannah, will react to having a migrant worker enter.   Will the small town be accepting of Salma entering the pageant and will the two friends be successful in raising the money they need to help Lily's dog?

Written by a Maine author and set in Maine, A Handful of Stars is a wonderful story about friendship, family, hope, and acceptance.   Readers who enjoyed other Cynthia Lord books, such as Touch Blue or Half a Chance,  will want to read this one!  

Author's website: http://www.cynthialord.com/handful-of-stars.html

A Boy and a Jaguar

A Boy and a Jaguar
by Alan Rabinowitz
illustrated by Catia Chien

Growing up, Alan Rabinowitz could not speak without stuttering.    Because of his stutter, he was put into a special class at school, making him feel like he was broken.    However, there were times when he didn’t stutter at all: when he was speaking to animals.  With animals, the words flowed easily and fluently.   His love of animals, including his ability to communicate easily around them, eventually brought him to Belize, where he realized the jaguars were at risk.    Determined to help protect the jaguars, Alan faced the challenge of speaking to a group of people in order to convince them that the jaguars needed to be saved.

This inspiring autobiography is an excellent book that shows readers how someone can overcome a challenge and make a difference in the world!

Video of Alan Rabinowitz:

The Blood Guard

The Blood Guard
by Carter Roy

Ronan should have known something was up with his family when their last house suspiciously burned down.   At the time, however, there was nothing unusual about his two very ordinary parents.  Sure, his mother kept him busy with gymnastics, judo, and other after-school activities, but even that never made him suspect that his mother was beyond ordinary.   At least, not until the day she picks him up unexpectedly and tells him some shocking news: his father has been kidnapped and she is a member of a secret society called the Blood Guard.  In a flash, Ronan's life changes and he finds himself on the run from a sinister group out to get information that only the Blood Guard knows.  

Full of suspense, action, and adventure, this series will be a great choice for fans of Percy Jackson or The Genius Files.   The story is very fast paced with many unexpected twists.   

Author's website: http://carterroybooks.com/

The Worst Class Trip Ever

The Worst Class Trip Ever
by Dave Barry

Wyatt's class trip to Washington, D.C. has gone from bad to disastrous!    A smelly hotel room and a directionally challenged teacher are the least of his problems after his best friend Matt gets kidnapped by two men who could possibly be terrorists with a plot to attack the White House.   Of course, if Matt hadn't accused the two men on the airplane of having a missile, maybe they wouldn't be in this mess at all!   Now Wyatt has to save his best friend and, possibly, also the White House!

This hilarious story had me laughing many times while I read it!    This story is an excellent combination of humor and action.  It's a great choice for anyone looking for a funny, school-themed story.

The Luck Uglies

The Luck Uglies
by Paul Durham
illustrated by Petur Antonsson

The village of Drowning is a dreary, strange place full of secrets that eleven-year-old Rye O'Chanter is determined to uncover.   Unfortunately, Drowning is also full of strict rules created by Earl Longchance to keep curious minds like Rye's from learning about the dark history of the village.  Despite these rules, Rye remains stubborn in her decision to learn more about the secrets of Drowning, especially after a scary encounter with a Bog Noblin, a dangerous creature that was supposed to be extinct.   Only one thing can chase away the Bog Noblins: the Luck Uglies, a secret society banished from Drowning years earlier.    In the midst of all the danger and excitement, Rye meets a strange man with a surprising connection to her and finds herself entangled in the secretive world of the Luck Uglies.

The first in a series, The Luck Uglies is an exciting, suspenseful fantasy full. adventure!   This is a fast paced story full of engaging characters, adventure and unexpected twists.  I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series!

Author's website:  http://www.pauldurhambooks.com

Book trailer: