The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

by Tom Angleberger
This is a story with a lot of boy appeal.

At McQuarrie Middle School, many sixth graders, such as Tommy, have been fascinated by Origami Yoda. Like, does he really know things? Can he see the future? Does he use the Force? First of all, Dwight, who keeps Origami Yoda on his finger, is really weird. How can it be that such an odd guy can be the holder of such a wise figure? Written in what appears to be an old journal with wrinkly pages, the story is told by many viewpoints, like a case study. Many of the anecdotes take place during lunch-time in the school cafeteria.

All the little doodles and writings in the margins were very clever, as were the directions in the back on how to make your very own Origami Yoda. A fun read, and may the force be with you!

Recommended for grades 4-7
Reviewed by Joe Drinka

Just in Time, Abraham Lincoln

by Patricia Polacco
Michael and Derek are on their way to Harper's Ferry with their Grandmother. When they arrive they meet the mysterious Mr. Portufoy. Their grandmother tells them he has an extensive collection of Civil war uniforms, rifles and a display of the photographs of Matthew Brady. Once at the museum the boys are allowed to put on Yankee uniforms and are told they may participate in a game in Antietam just after a battle has taken place. Derek comments that he has a video game about the battle of Gettysburg, and Mr. Portufoy asks if they would like to play something better than a video game. They are not sure if they want to play when they learn they will not have guns or swords, but they decide to play. They will go through a door, and will be in the year 1862 right after the battle of Antietam. They must tell no one who they really are, or anything about their modern life. Mr. Portufoy gives them a pocket watch with a chime and admonishes them to hurry when they hear the chime, because they will have one hour to get back to the door. The game is starting, come along for their journey.

Recommended for grades 3-5
Reviewed by Alice Woertendyke

The Hunchback Assignments

by Arthur Slade
Fourteen-year-old Modo has just been dropped off in London with no money, no friends, no family, and no more than the clothes on his back.  He has never been to London before.  In fact, he has lived in seclusion since he was an infant and was saved by the mysterious Mr. Socrates from life in a traveling freak show.  But it is Mr. Socrates himself who leaves Modo in London with the instructions to learn how to fend for himself.  Luckily Modo has been educated well in Mr. Socrates's care.  His training, along with his unique talent to change appearance at will, makes it possible for Modo to thrive in London without the help of others.  Before long he finds out that Mr. Socrates is part of the Permanent Association and that he, Modo, has been trained to be their secret agent and spy.  Soon Modo is in the middle of an investigation into the disappearances of several London children, an investigation that may lead him directly into a plot by the nefarious Clockwork Guild to bring down the British Empire.  Together with another secret agent, the young and beautiful Octavia Milkweed, Modo must race against time to save the children and London from the hands of evil.  Falling into the steampunk category of science fiction, this novel has the right balance of action, adventure, and dark corners.

Recommended for grades 6-9
Reviewed by Tara Olson

Ship Breaker

by Paolo Bacigalupi
Copper wiring, aluminum, nickel, even steel clips and tiny staples - this is the "treasure" Nailer's light scavenge crew sweats and scrapes to retrieve from the hulking wrecks of tanker ships. Ship breaking is a hard life, the crew face possible death or permanent injury every day, but it puts at least a meager amount of food in their mouths. Nailer hates scavenge work and avoids his druggie father, but he gets by as best he can even as he worries about what he'll do when he gets too big for the tight spaces that hold the best scavenge. Until then, at least Nailer's got his crew - a makeshift family that will always have his back. They all dream of the lucky strike that might take them to the top of the ship breaking heap or even away from the destroyed beachfront, but everyone knows lucky strikes are one in a million. At least, that's what Nailer thinks until after a hurricane he finds the fanciest storm-wrecked ship he's ever seen - days before anyone else knows it exists. With scavenge from this lucky strike, Nailer could be set for life.  Only one thing stands in his way: Nita - the one survivor of the shipwreck - a swank, beautiful girl. If Nailer kills Nita, the ship's contents will be his, but could she be the ticket to a better life or just to a world of trouble? Packed with action, danger and tough decisions, you won't want to put Nailer's story down!

Inspired by real Bangladeshi ship breakers, Bacigalupi has created a fascinating, near-future world devastatingly changed by technology and ecology in ways that seem quite possible. If you love dystopian science fiction or want to know what to read after The Hunger Games, try Ship Breaker.

Recommended for grades 7 and up
Reviewed by Jennifer Baker

The World We Live In

by Susan Beth Pfeffer
In this third book from Susan Beth Pfeffer about the meteor hitting the moon, the characters from books one and two are brought together.

Miranda has not written in her diary for over a month, and it is now nearly a year since the catastrophic event of a meteor colliding with the moon. It is springtime and Miranda's brothers Matt and Jon leave for a few days to see if they can catch some fish to supplement their food supply. On their return they have brought back a girl named Syl who Matt introduces as his bride. But there is more to deal with. Miranda's father and stepmother and baby brother return with three strangers, a man named Charlie Rutherford, and two teenagers, Alex and Julie Morales. These five people have traveled across America together. At times Miranda is jealous of the bond she sees between all of them, and especially the closeness between her father and Alex and Julie. Now feeding these extra people becomes a problem, and there is the issue of space. Miranda is both attracted to Alex and confused about the feelings she has for him. A tornado causes havoc in their lives and Miranda is faced with a decision that will have lasting repercussions. Once again Susan Beth Pfeffer has written a book that will keep you turning the pages as you hope for the best as these characters deal with a world that is changed forever

Recommended for grades 7 and up
Reviewed by Alice Woertendyke

Dark Life

by Kat Falls
Get ready to read about adventure in the wild, wild, umm... Ocean? Yep, that's right, pardner. Global warming has made land so scarce on Earth that people are now homesteading on the ocean floor. Fifteen-year-old Ty was the first child born in the deep ocean after the Subsea Homestead Act was passed. Citizens willing to stake a claim and work it for five years will own the hundred acre sea farms free and clear. That's what Ty wants to do when he reaches eighteen. Ty, his family, and their neighbors raise crops of plankton and kelp, and livestock including fish, cows and chickens (which live in undersea barns). Just like pioneers of old, they are carving out a home in a harsh environment, have limited access to supplies, and have to deal with rustlers and outlaws.

Enter Gemma, a Topsider girl, who comes down in search of her missing prospector brother. Gemma is annoying, nosy, talkative and amazingly astute. She notices that the ocean-born kids seem to have rather unusual talents and wonders if they are examples of the rumored Dark Gifts - special abilities that are whispered about Topside.

Moments after meeting, the two teens find evidence of a violent crime, and then, within hours, witness a neighbor's homestead being attacked by outlaws. The teens are caught up in the race to catch the outlaws and save the undersea settlement from political machinations on the Topside.

This is an original, fun read that twists several genres into something new. It is a mixture of western and science fiction, with a sprinkling of fantasy thrown in for good measure.

Recommended for grades 5 and up
Reviewed by Alexa Newman

Space Station Rat

by Michael J. Daley
Have you ever wondered what it might be like to live on a space station? Jeff thought it was going to be awesome, full of excitement and special activities, like the space walk he and his Dad are supposed to be training for while Mom works on her super important solar data tracking. The truth: thanks to Mom's assistant Doctor Krosta getting sick at exactly the wrong time, everyone, even Dad, is way too busy doing important science stuff to do anything else, especially anything that involves Jeff. Instead, Jeff is stuck with an annoying baby-sitting robot named Nanny. Jeff is bored out of his mind - until the e-mail from Earth arrives. "Hi! I am looking for a pen pal who lives in an unusual place. Your address seems unusual. Do you live in an unusual place? Are you looking for a pen pal? Write back. P.S. Do you like peanut butter???" Soon Jeff and his new pen pal are exchanging e-mails non-stop, but little does Jeff know that his pen pal isn't on Earth. His pen-pal is right there with him on the space station. Rat turned the wrong way when she escaped from her laboratory on Earth and now she's stuck on the space station and starving. Jeff is her only hope to survive, but Rat isn't about to trust a human ever again so she'll have to trick Jeff into helping her. Good thing Rat has some special skills like knowing how to type...

For more about Jeff and Rat, check out the sequel Rat Trap.

Recommended for grades 3-6
Reviewed by Jennifer Baker

The Carbon Diaries 2015

by Saci Lloyd
In the near future, global weather becomes severe; with floods, draughts, wildfires, and hurricanes pummeling the earth with a fury that has never before been recorded. These changes are thought to be a result of global warming, and the world begins to look for ways to fix the problem. On January 1, 2015 Great Britain begins carbon rationing. Homes are fitted with meters to measure each person's carbon output – if a family uses too much, they are cut off until they have earned enough credits to cover the usage. Sixteen-year-old Laura records her thoughts and experiences about the change rationing makes in the lives of her family and friends. It chronicles all the changes in lifestyle that Laura adjusts to, in the course of the year. Her family goes from taking timed showers, to no hot water to no water at all in the house. And they go from lowering the thermostat, to having the government turn the heat on and off, to no heat. They can no longer afford to buy the food they have taken for granted, because the "carbon cost" to fly fruit from Africa costs too much. At the same time, Laura is going through all of the typical teenage rites of passage: boys, school, and parent problems. This book is a little scary, because it is so realistic - everything that happens could actually happen to us in our near future. An interesting book, that really made me think.

Recommended for grades 6 and up
Reviewed by Alexa Newman

When You Reach Me

by Rebecca Stead
Winner of the 2010 Newbery Award, When You Reach Me is both an engaging and unusual novel that is a multi-layered combination of mystery, science fiction, fantasy, and even historical fiction, with humorous references to what life was like in 1978 - minus cell phones and video games. If this assortment of genres were not enough, When You Reach Me also touches on the theme of sacrificing oneself for the benefit of others. The story begins with a mysterious event right off the bat. Miranda, a twelve-year-old who lives in New York City, is walking home with her best friend Sal, when, out of the blue, an eccentric classmate of theirs walks up to Sal. Without a word, Sal gets punched in the stomach and crumples over in pain. Immediately after this embarrassing episode, Sal all but completely cuts Miranda out of his life. Dealing with this blow, as well as helping her mother prepare to be a contestant on the 1970s television game show, "The 20,000 Pyramid," Miranda tries to make sense of a series of mysterious notes received from an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time and space. These notes are as cryptic as they are frightening. The first one reads, "I am coming to save your friend's life and my own." More notes and bizarre events follow until Miranda finally realizes what has been happening and why the tragic event that occurs was necessary, and is greatly moved by it. For those who allow themselves to be pulled into the plot, the reward of finishing this book will be a worthwhile endeavor that leaves the reader thinking about these memorable characters long after the book is set down.

Recommended for grades 6 and up
Reviewed by Rozanne Porter

Powerless

by Matthew Cody
Daniel is totally not looking forward to moving to Noble's Green - The Safest Town on Earth - so he and his family can live with his elderly grandmother.  However, once he gets there, he meets Mollie and Rohan, an girl and a boy who live on his block, and realizes that there is something rather strange about the kids in Noble's Green.  Soon Daniel learns that they all have powers - one can fly, one can turn invisible, one has super senses, and one can control electricity.  These powers are kept secret from the adults in town, but the kids have long been using them to keep everyone safe.  But they can't keep the townspeople safe forever.  For some unknown reason, the moment each of these secret superheroes turns 13, their powers and any memory associated with having them are lost forever.  Being without a power himself, Daniel is determined to use good old-fashioned detective work to learn what is happening to his friends and see if he, powerless and regular, can save them.

Recommended for grades 4-8
Reviewed by Sara Murray

Mortal Engines

by Philip Reeve
A Steam-Punk novel, this first-in-a-series is thoroughly engaging.

London is a moving Traction City approaching the Great Hunting Grounds. Orphan Tom, a lowly third-class apprentice, thwarts an assassination attempt on the city's Head Historian, Valentine. The would-be killer escapes down the waste chute to the Out-Country, where Tom ends up as well.

Follow them on their adventure, by Air-Ship, Pirate City, and the defense city built into mountains, and learn the true circumstances of Valentine's lethal weapon MEDUSA.

Experience Municipal Darwinism in a world that is not what it seems, with an intriguing underbelly and strong characters on the move.

Recommended for grades 6-9
Reviewed by Joe Drinka

Mothstorm

Mothstorm, or the Horror from beyond Georgium Sidus!, or a Tale of Two Shapers
by Philip Reeve and illustrated by David Wyatt
In this rollicking third installment of the Larklight saga, the Mumby family is preparing Larklight for their Christmas celebration with guests space pirate Jack Havock and the rest of the Sophronia's crew when they receive word that missionary friends reverend Cruet and his daughter Charity have gone missing from the planet Georgium Sidus (otherwise known as Uranus). A strange cloud has appeared at the edge of the Known Universe and it is getting larger. The Mumbys pack up and head to Georguim Sidus to find the Cruets and examine the cloud. What is waiting for them is beyond their imaginations - giant moths, blue lizard-like creatures called the Snilth, and the Mothmaker. Art, Myrtle, their Shaper mother (a creator of solar systems) and their friends must battle the evil Shaper Mothmaker, who wishes to conquer the British Empire by killing Queen Victoria in a final showdown at Balmoral Castle. As usual, good prevails and the Empire and the Mumbys live to fight another day. Mothstorm is another wonderful example of the Steampunk genre from Reeve. The first two books, Larklight and Starcross are also available at the library.

Recommended for grades 5 and up
Reviewed by Alexa Newman

The Dead and The Gone

by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Although this is a companion book to "Life As We Knew It", I was hoping to find out more about how Miranda and her family fared in the aftermath of a catastrophic event. I was somewhat disappointed to find the companion book dealt with new characters in a new location. I read a few pages and was hooked. We now see the catastrophic effects of the meteor hitting the moon through the eyes of Alex Morales in New York City. When the asteroid hits, Alex is at work. Alex soon realizes that perhaps both of his parents are missing. He is now responsible for the care of his two younger sisters. As the effects of the flooding, earthquakes and volcanoes spread throughout the world Alex must hold his family together. He is forced to do things he would never have considered before. Alex tries to help his sisters cope with this new world, but their day to day existence is a struggle. The help of the parish priest and friends is a comfort, but inevitably it is Alex who must make the right "moral" decisions for all of them. Alex must come to grips with what he has to do now to help himself and his family.

Recommended for grades 6 and up
Reviewed by Alice Woertendyke

The Hunger Games

by Suzanne Collins
This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading it. It is full of suspenseful moments, tough decisions, and improbable outcomes. It is a must-read in my opinion.

Katniss Everdeen, who is 16, volunteers to replace her younger sister Prim when Prim is selected as District 12's girl tribute in the 75th Hunger Games. The Hunger Games are a televised contest in which 12 girls and 12 boys (one from each district in Panem) fight to the death as part of a peace treaty settlement. Although Katniss is from the poorest, least winning district in the former Appalachia, she is a survivor. Kat has learned to provide for her family since her father's death in a coal mine explosion five years earlier. Will she be able to survive against the other tributes? Some are very strong, tall, and fast. Others come from much wealthier districts. When the Games start, the tributes are released into an arena where natural and artificial obstacles are placed in their paths by the Gamemakers. Will Kat's intelligence and natural talents help her to survive? This book examines war and violence and how they effect youth.

Recommended for grades 6 and up
Reviewed by Alexa Newman

Ignatius MacFarland: Frequenaut!

by Paul Feig
Junior-High-Schooler Ignatius MacFarland has had enough. Enough of being teased and picked on. Iggy decides to build a rocket out of a garbage can and a lot of fireworks to escape it all.

Iggy ends up in an alternate frequency run by Mr. Arthur. That former English teacher rules over his army and guards that are giant octopuses, armless gorillas, huge slugs, and big five-armed purple babies, along with other menacing creatures. Iggy befriends Karen, another transplant, while attempting to survive in this crazy dimension. Also on Iggy's side are the flying people, which live in elaborately-constructed treehouses.

Mr. Arthur must be up to something awful behind closed doors. Will Iggy and Karen get back to their own home frequency in one piece? Read this action-packed, whirlwind book to find out what happens!

Recommended for grades 5-8
Reviewed by Joe Drinka

The City of Ember

by Jeanne duPrau
In the city of Ember, the sky is always dark. There is no natural source of light such as the sun and the moon. In fact, no one ever leaves Ember because the few flood lamps illuminating the city are left behind once you attempt to leave the city limits. What remains is a suffocating darkness that makes you feel as if you are being swallowed! Today is assignment day for twelve-year-olds Lina and Doon. At this time, they and the rest of their classmates have finished school and are about to be given their job in society. Lina wishes to be a messenger, but Doon wishes to be assigned to work underground in the Pipeworks Department. This is where the huge electric generator that powers the city and keeps it alive is housed. Unfortunately, the city of Ember is dying. The generator is growing weaker, and is about to give out completely. The townspeople are beginning to panic because the power is going out more often, and for longer periods of time. They feel they are doomed and are helpless to prevent it. Nevertheless, for Lina and Doon they believe there is one hope. That is to find the message left behind by the founders of Ember. It is a message explaining the way out. But will they find it in time – before the lights go out permanently and the people of Ember become extinct? Exactly where is the city of Ember? This novel is sure to keep you in suspense, and will be an enjoyable read before the movie comes out in October!

Recommended for grades 5-8
Reviewed by Rozanne Porter

Life as We Knew It

by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Miranda Evans is not thrilled with the three papers she has to write for school about the large meteorite that is scheduled to hit the moon. The night of the event, there is a 4th of July like atmosphere as Miranda and her family gather to watch the meteorite hit. But something is wrong, the meteorite hits and there is a large explosion, the moon appears to be tilted. By the next day life has changed forever. With the moon out of orbit, tsunamis damage the coasts worldwide, then the earthquakes begin, followed by rising gas prices, food shortages, and looting. Eventually volcanoes that spread ash, cause an end to summer and an arctic winter with little light. Miranda's mother has prepared as much as she could, by stockpiling food, water, batteries and other essential items. But with each new day, Miranda and her family face new challenges, will things improve and will life ever be the same

Miranda shares her experiences with the reader via her daily journal. An absorbing read!

Recommended for grades 6-12
Reviewed by Alice Woertendyke

The Glitch in Sleep (The Seems: Book 1)

by John Hulme and Michael Wexler
Becker Drane is like any ordinary twelve-year-old boy, except for one important fact: he is a Fixer.

This book is set in a universe that is split between the World and "the Seems," a parallel universe that runs everything in the World. When something major goes wrong, such as with the Weather or Time, a Fixer is paged. They are specialist members of an elite corps, who get the job done when no one else could.

Becker has many fixing adventures, along with another fixer Casey Lake, a twenty-something girl that a lot of guys have a crush on, and Simly, Becker's "Briefer" (assistant).

Come along on a romp through the "Stream of Consciousness" to the Seems, and see how our crack team handles the world-wide disturbance in Sleep.

Also includes extensive Glossary of Terms and Tools of the Trade.

Recommended for grades 4-9
Reviewed by Joe Drinka

The Last Book in the Universe

by Rodman Philbrick
Spaz is walking down "the Pipe," a concrete artery in "the Urb."  He lives in a world both futuristic and ancient, where people use mind probes for entertainment, but rarely have running water.  There are not any trees or grass in this gray place, either.

Fourteen-year-old Spaz is a boy making a living from stealing, but when he runs into Ryter, a gummy (old person), their lives change.  Joining their rag-tag band are the young Little Face, and the proov (genetically improved) girl Lanaya, with sky colored eyes and hair like sunlight.

What exactly is the last book in the universe?  Will Little Face ever get enough Choxbars?  Will these unique characters survive the attack of the Monkey Boys?  Is there really a place called Eden in their land?

Read this fast-paced, action-driven book, and go for an awesome ride.

Recommended for grades 6-9
Reviewed by Joe Drinka