Family Reads

Quick Pick: Tunnels

Tunnels

by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams
© 2007, 480 pages Level 5 (all about levels)Amazon Reviews

Initially, I checked this book out for Ben, but I couldn't resist picking it up and reading a bit. When I did, I was intrigued—I couldn't imagine where in the world this book was going. As I found out, it was going into the world...deep into the earth. You see, the main character, Will Burrows, and his father share a passion for digging tunnels. For Will, it's an adventure. For his academic father, it's an archaeological pursuit. But when Will's father decides to go it alone on a particular dig, he disappears without a trace. Will eventually uncovers his father's journal, and recruits a friend to go searching for him in a tunnel connected to their basement. They stumble upon a hidden world underground—a massive city complete with houses, streets, a church, and even a police force. They soon realize that this civilization is disturbingly different, only after it's too late to leave. Will they manage to escape? Will they ever find Will's father? These questions, and many more that follow, are what drove me to stay up way too late several nights in a row. There are a few brief periods (particularly the beginning) that are slower-paced, but readers will be rewarded well for sticking with this mysterious underground adventure.

Quick Pick: The Time Paradox (Artemis Fowl, Book 6)

The Time Paradox (Artemis Fowl, Book 6)

by Eoin Colfer
© 2008, 432 pages Level 5 (all about levels)Amazon Reviews

Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox is about a teenage, male, cunning genius named Artemis Fowl, an elf who is a LEPrecon officer, and a dirt-loving dwarf. Artemis' mother has contracted a deadly disease, and the only cure is found in the brain fluid of the Silky Sifaka Lemur. It would be easy to get the cure-if the animal still existed. Due to a heartless deal Artemis made many years ago, the lemur is extinct. Artemis, Holly Short, the elf, and Mulch Diggums, the dwarf, must go back in time and steal the lemur from the younger Artemis. This book is one of the best I've read in a while, and won't dissapoint fans of the previous Artemis Fowl books or people who enjoy science fiction or fantasy.

(P.S. In order to get the most enjoyment out of this book, I highly recommend you read the first 5 before diving into this one).

Quick Pick: Behind the Curtain

Behind the Curtain

by Peter Abrahams
© 2007, 400 pages Level 5 (all about levels)Amazon Reviews

Behind the Curtain reminded me of just how much I enjoy a good mystery. The second novel in the Echo Falls series picks up right where Down the Rabbit Hole left off. Our hero, 13-year-old Ingrid, once again finds herself in the middle of a multi-layered mystery involving her brother, his friends, her Grampy, her father (and his job), and the local police. With an attempted kidnapping, car chase, and lots of close calls, it's hard to stop turning the pages in this action-packed book. Behind the Curtain is definitely at the older range of books you'll find on Family Reads, and there are some mature situations and profanity you should be aware of, but for the right reader, it's just too much fun to miss. If you're looking to share some reads with your older kids, this book is a great choice!

Quick Pick: The Misadventures of Maude March

The Misadventures of Maude March

by Audrey Couloumbis
© 2005, 304 pages Level 5 (all about levels)Amazon Reviews

I never thought I'd have so much fun with a Western, but The Misadventures of Maude March proved me wrong. Orphaned at an early age, 11-year-old Sallie March and her 15-year-old sister Maude live a sober yet peaceful existence with their Aunt Ruthie. When their aunt is killed as a bystander to an accidental shootout, they go to live with a local preacher's family. When conditions there become unbearable, Maude and Sallie decide to head west in hopes of finding their mother's brother, whom they haven't seen in years. Between their hurried departure and incidents along the way, Maude gains a reputation for being a crazed outlaw. Told in the wry point of view of Sallie, who is so excited to try out life as a range rider after all the dime-store novels she's read, the story is mostly about the girls trying to survive their journey and the people they meet along the way. It's funny, smart, and a perfect introduction to the Western genre for those who've never experienced it before. I listened to this as an audiobook, and it would be an ideal choice for any road trip across western territory!

Hattie Big Sky

Hattie Big Sky

by Kirby Larson
© 2006, 283 pages Level 5 (all about levels)Learn More on Amazon

 

Oh, this book. Hattie Big Sky now has a permanent place in my heart. I read it in a week, which is an unusual feat with my current schedule—but it's just that good.

Orphaned at an early age, sixteen-year-old Hattie Brooks gets passed around here and there wherever she can lend a hand and earn her keep. In 1917 everything changes when she receives word that a distant uncle has passed away and left her his homestead claim in Montana. But there's a catch: Hattie has to prove up on the claim and has less than a year to meet the government's requirements for land ownership.

As unusual as it is for a young woman to be homesteading by herself, Hattie's story becomes that of the many pioneers in our country who headed west in pursuit of a dream. Her prairie life illustrates the best and worst of America all at once—neighbors taking care of neighbors are juxtaposed with others who let the fear resulting from a far-off war feed prejudices at home.

I just can't say how much I loved this book. Hattie is a lovably real character who displays bravery, stubbornness, independence, loyalty, and love in rapid succession. One of my favorite parts about the story is the way she forces herself to maintain thoughts of gratitude when faced with bleak circumstances. Readers who enjoyed Little House on the Prairie and Caddie Woodlawn will find this Newbery Honor winner a lovely next step.

Without giving too much away, I should warn you that this was a two-tissue book for me. Hattie's life, like so many settlers, has its share of heartbreak. The events are within context however, and should be fine for readers who've handled books like Little Women.

Quick Pick: The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place

The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place

by E. L. Konigsburg
© 2004, 304 pages Level 5 (all about levels)Amazon Reviews

With her parents in Peru for the summer, 12-year-old Margaret Rose Kane is scheduled to spend her break at Camp Talequa. But when she refuses to buckle under the peer pressure of her cabin mates and the prickly camp director, she gets kicked out. Her two Hungarian uncles, Alexander and Morris Rose, come to her rescue and she happily moves in with them for the remainder of her vacation. She loves it there, and especially enjoys the colorful backyard clock towers the uncles have constructed out of broken china, crystal and clock parts. When the neighborhood starts a campaign to have the structures demolished, Margaret bands together with unexpected allies to save the towers. We enjoyed The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place as an audiobook on a family trip and it was a refreshingly unusual story read by Molly Ringwald. The characters were my favorite part—smart Margaret and her eccentric uncles still come to mind years after listening to the book. 

Anna Smudge: Professional Shrink

Anna Smudge: Professional Shrink

by MAC (Melissa A. Calderone) © 2008, 256 pages Level 5 (all about levels) Read Amazon Reviews

 

Eleven-year-old Anna Smudge stumbles on to a career of helping people figure out their problems while she gets handed a doozy of her own to solve. While juggling loads of homework and therapy sessions in a storage closet of her apartment building, she has to unravel a complex mystery involving an escaped hitman, her off-kilter art teacher, and someone named Mr. Who. Her father's life depends on it! Her band of misfit yet likable friends joins with her in cracking a case that has the adults of New York City so baffled that they deny the very existence of Mr. Who.

We received an advance reader's copy of Anna Smudge: Professional Shrink from the publisher, Toasted Coconut Media. It's the first in a series of books titled The Professionals, featured on their website WhoisMrWho.com. They describe the book as a graphic novel and despite the fact that the only illustrations are at the beginning of chapters, it definitely reads like one, explaining its debut at the New York Comic Con this February.

Lori

I have to begin by saying that this book is not the type I would normally choose to read. It's a fast-paced action story low on emotional involvement. Ben and I read this book separately and I was tempted to give up several times because it just wasn't clicking with me. Ben, on the other hand, zipped through it in a couple of days. But after we watched the Nancy Drew movie, I could see some similarities between the two female sleuths that made Anna a little more appealing. Finally, I got hooked on the mystery and finished it quickly after that.

I'm still a little torn about this book because it isn't as sweet or kind-hearted as the ones I like to recommend. It's a little crude here and there, but no more so than an average family movie like Kicking and Screaming. It's a very modern book, and that probably says a lot about why it's not my favorite ;) But it's an interesting concept, the unique characters are smart and capable, and kids who enjoy quick-moving mysteries should be amply entertained. I'm looking forward to seeing how this series develops.

Ben

I really enjoyed this book. It is fast paced and has lots of action. I disagree with the fact that Anna Smudge is a touch crude, and if I'm wrong it is because it is a modern story. There is a slow beginning, but the book builds up speed like a train until the cliff-hanger ending. I highly recommend this book to any young mystery fan.

Number the Stars

Number the Stars

by Lois Lowry
© 1989, 144 pages Level 5 (all about levels)Learn More on Amazon

 

Stories of World War II seem to fascinate our culture, and I think it's because so many of them tell tales of ordinary people rising above their circumstances to do extraordinary things. We marvel at battles fought by soldiers barely old enough to shave, women who went to work for the first time in their lives (and in factories, at that!), and sympathetic individuals who showed kindness behind enemy lines...and we wonder if we'd be able to do the same. Number the Stars is just such book.

Set in Nazi-occupied Denmark in 1943, Number the Stars tells the story of 10-year-old Annemarie Johannesen, who has lived the life of a normal schoolgirl up until that point. Well, at least as normal as things can be in a Nazi-occupied country, with rationing, curfews, and the ever-present soldiers. Like most girls her age, Annemarie goes to school and plays, mostly with her best friend and neighbor, Ellen Rosen.

But when the Jews begin to be removed from their homes and relocated, the Johannesens fear for their neighbors.  As both families work to secure the safety of the Rosens, each member must wrestle with difficult choices and summon courage in their own unique way. And in Annemarie's actions we see a perfect illustration to the famous quote:

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear." Ambrose Redmoon

Winner of the Newbery Award in 1990, Number the Stars is definitely worth a place on your child's reading list. Some kids might not choose this one on their own, so you might consider reading it together or listening to it as an audiobook (only 3.5 hours!). Though the book is suspenseful, it doesn't become too scary and is milder than The Diary of Anne Frank. Number the Stars is one of those small gems that pulls us in with a compelling story, while showing us that we're often capable of more than we've ever imagined.

Nightmare Academy

Nightmare Academy

by Dean Lorey
© 2007, 310 pages Level 5 (all about levels)Amazon Reviews

"The monsters under your bed are real!" Nightmare Academy is the first book in a series about the Nightmare Dimension. After some nightmares, kids encounter real monsters.

When Charlie  Benjamin dreams, monsters leave the Nightmare Dimension and enter his world through a portal. After a particularly dangerous dream, Charlie is whisked off to the Nightmare Academy, a school that teaches kids to control their nightmares. Just after he arrives, Charlie unfortunately meets one of the four most powerful monsters called Barakkas the Rager. The monster causes all sorts of mayhem in Charlie's life.

Nightmare Academy should really be a Level 4 3/4 book, but since there are many battles and some killing in the novel (it sounds worse than it is), it qualifies as a Level 5. Nightmare Academy is an entertaining tale of a young boy and his adventures in a very imaginative world.

Maximum Ride: A Series Review

The Maximum Ride Series

by James Patterson
Level 5 (all about levels)

 

The Maximum Ride books are some of the best I have read. It took me five days to read the first two books, The Angel Experiment and School's Out - Forever (the fourth was just released). Try out this series and you won't be able to stop reading.

The Maximum Ride series is about a group of six kids. They are normal, except for the fact that they are 2% bird. The "flock" grew up in a lab where they were experimented on. Avian DNA was injected into them as babies, and they grew wings.

The flock escaped from the lab and lived peacefully in the mountains until one day Erasers (other lab experiments who can morph into wolves), attack them and kidnap Maximum's sister, Angel. Thus begins the Maximum Ride series.

I highly recommend the Maximum Ride series to anyone who likes the Pendragon series, enjoys adventure or has dreamed of flying.

*I was excited to find that a Maximum Ride movie will be released in 2010!

Maximum Ride Sites: Official Site and Fang's Blog