Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Total, unadulterated, middle school humor! The diary, no, JOURNAL of Greg Heffley reveals the inner-workings of the mind of a middle school kid. No logic, no real story line, just pure fun that will make you laugh out loud. The girls have Georgia from Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging and now the boys have Greg to reveal what really goes on in the heads of middle school boys.

Reed Reads Score: 4

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Eight-year old Bruno loves to explore, loves to play with his best friends, and lives a full, rich life in World War II Berlin. Suddenly his life is turned upside down, when his father gets a promotion and he must move, leaving behind all that he loves. His new home is isolated in the country, and there is no one to play with, and nothing to do. Bruno decides to explore, discovering the "farm" he could see from his bedroom window. And there, sitting behind the barbed-wire fence, is a boy...

This is a beautifully told story of a special friendship in World War II Europe. Even if you've seen the movie, the book is still well worth reading.

Reed Reads Score: 4.5

Click: One Novel Ten Authors

We all leave legacies, the way we affect people and history, in unexpected ways. Click is the legacy of a photographer, George "Gee" Keane. The first chapters introduce the reader to his grandaughter, Maggie and grandson, Jason, each mourning the loss of their grandfather in different ways. Through them we learn that Gee was a well traveled, fairly well known photo journalist, who has left his grandchildren a gift that ultimately will change  their lives. Each chapter, written by a different author, is a short story unto itself that focuses on people and places in the life of Gee, and how they ultimately all connect. The concept is interesting, but I found the writing from chapter to chapter uneven (not surprising), with some chapters far more compelling than others.

Read Reads Score: 3.5

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

A murderer's knife is dripping with blood. Three in the family are dead, and now its the baby's turn. Little does this baby know that his curiosity has saved his life. Climbing out of bed and wandering outside, he was not to be found by the murderer. His curiosity has led him to a nearby graveyard, where the spirits that live there, know that he is now an orphan. The spirits decide that they must protect and  raise this child. A child that they will call Nobody or Bod for short. This is Bod's story, a story of a young boy raised in a graveyard by spirits and a guardian, the people he meets, the adventures he faces, and the mystery he must solve; who murdered his family and why they are still after him? This is Neil Gaiman's second book for young reader's, following the immensely popular Coraline. This is a great read especially for you horror and mystery lovers

Reed Reads Score: 4.5

Trivia question: Where did Neil Gaiman get the title from?

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Once again, Ms Halse gives us someone to care about: a smart young slave girl caught in the onset of the American Revolutionary War as it began in New York. I wanted to finish it because things happened fast, because New York and the life back then came vividly to life, and because I learned more facts I wasn't aware of during the War. Isabel is a heroine who follows her best instincts where others would not, and has to deal with difficult people and dire circumstances. She achieves great things despite her slave status. Reading this book took me to New York: it's muddy streets, cold winters, smells, foods, and vocations. This book is bound for awards for its rich portrayals, realism, and age-appropriate historical fiction writing. Read it, and I'll race you to the sequel when it comes out.

Reed Reads Score: 5

Antsy Does Time by Neal Shusterman

Antsy Does Time, a sequel to The Schwa was Here,  is a strong novel on its own. Antsy, Anthony Bonano is now fourteen.  Antsy and his buddies see a disaster in the making and run to go witness it themselves. Not able to watch a man falling to his death, Antsy turns away, his eye catching a kid from school, Gunnar Ümlaut, who must turn away as well. After this quick connection, they talk on the bus going home. Gunnar reveals that he has a fatal disease and will die in six months. Touched by this, Antsy creates a contract, giving Gunnar one month of his life. When others catch wind of Antsy's generosity, they too want to join in giving Gunnar time -- creating a situation that is soon to spin out of control. Antsy senses something is afoul when he develops a friendship with Gunnar and romance develops with Gunnar's older sister Kjersten. Fun and heartwarming, Antsy Does Time is a story about family, friendship and the strength of giving

Reed Reads Score: 4

The Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill

I'm partial to fiction books about Alaska because my big brother lives there, and was a bush teacher. Bush teachers know how to teach multi-grade classes in small, remote towns and villages, the only access being small airplanes in the winter, and boats if they are near the water.

In Kirkpatrick Hill's novel,  "The Year of Miss Agnes," Fred and the other kids of the Athabacan village get, yet again, another new teacher. But this one is different. She does not complain about the smell of fish and she tosses out old textbooks! She talks as if all the kids could be scientists and doctors if they wanted.  When you get a great teacher, you never forget, right? Ms Hill has written about just such a teacher, and a time in Alaska when everything was on the verge of change. I zipped through the book, not just because it was about Alaska, but because it was about a year of change and growth and fun.

Reed Reads Score: 4

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

I read Twilight this summer, reluctantly,  under pressure from my daughters. Needless to say, I did enjoy the book. Twilight is so wildly popular, and with the movie coming out this month, I didn't feel the need to review it, but then guilt set in and so here it is. Twilight is the story of Bella, a bright and independent girl who moves to gloomy Forks, Washingtion to live with her dad. In school, she meets Edward, whose perfection brings her to her feet. Falling rapturously in love, she soon knows something is different here - Edward is a vampire who lusts for her blood. Edward is  just as enraptured with Bella, and the fact that she is the one girl that he can't look into her mind. Their romance creates the collision of vampire and mortal worlds. 

While Bella's musings over the gorgeous Edward became a bit tedious for me, there were some real moments of excitement here. While this book's appeal has been mostly to a female audience, some of the guys could get hooked into the vampire fantasy and the adventure that ensues. This is the first of a series of four books. Be sure to read Eclipse, New Moon and Breaking Dawn.

Reed Reads Score: 4

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

In this future world, the conflict between pro-life and pro-choice armies has been resolved. From conception, no human life will be touched until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, a life can be aborted by the process of "unwinding", the harvesting of all body parts for transplantation. Three teenagers are destined to be unwound; Connor, a 17-year-old troublemaker, unwanted by his parents, Risa, an orphan whose talents are not quite good enough for the orphanage to keep her, and Lev whose religion makes it the highest honor to be unwound at 13. The three meet by chance, but their struggle to survive makes this one of Shusterman's most engrossing, high powered adventures to date.

Reed Reads Score: 5

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

OMG, this is one of the best YA books I've read in a long time!

I have never started a review like that, but this National Book Award winner is that good. Junior (aka Arnold) lives on an Indian reservation near Spokane, Washington. The novel chronicles his freshman year in high school, a period of monster change for most 14-year-old boys with raging hormones, new interest in girls, and being unsure of oneself while trying to understand their place in the world. What Junior faces is amplified when he decides to go to a "white" school outside the reservation. Now he is a traitor at home, and vilified at school. His experiences are heart wrenching and humorous .... how can that be? Read the book!    For mature readers.

Reed Reads Score: 5

15 Minutes by Steve Young

Casey, a seventh grader, finds himself continually late. If he could just be on time for things - classes, football practice, even breakfast, all would be well. While searching through his attic, Casey discovers an old watch that belonged to his grandfather. He puts it on, but like most of Grandpop's inventions, it doesn't seem to work right. When Casey discovers that he can't take the watch off, he reads Grandpop's journal and discovers that the watch is actually a time machine that can transport its wearer 15 minutes into the past. At first Casey is delighted, and uses the power of the watch to enhance his "coolness rating." However, he soon realizes that altering the past has serious implications. This humorus story combines science fiction, sports action, and laughs with a strong underlying message about personal responsibility and honesty. 

Reed Reads Score: 4

The Poet Slave of Cuba by Margarita Engle

A biography of Juan Francisco Manzano, born in in Cuba in 1797 and told through poetry in the voices of Juan himself, his mother and father, and the family that has enslaved him. A powerful, moving story of a boy who is gifted with the power of verse, but who must face the cruelty, jealousy, and spitefulness of the women that keep him as a slave. Juan perseveres and maintains hope even when each moment of freedom is crushed by severe brutality. Vividly illustrated by Sean Qualls with black and white drawings.
Reed Reads Score: 4.5

Elephant Run by Roland Smith

Nick is fourteen and has just been shipped off to his father's timber plantation in Burma because London is under attack. It's World War II and the timber elephants owned by Nick's dad are a valuable commodity to the deadly Japanese soldiers who take over the plantation. Nick becomes a slave on his family's land while Dad is sent to a labor death camp. With the assistance of some heroic Burmese friends, including the beautiful Mya, and a dangerous elephant called Hannibal, Nick will become something he is not, will discover secret tunnels, will experience the atrocities of war, and will live to tell about it. I enjoyed Mr. Smith's descriptions of timber elephants and their handlers: amazing creatures. I eagerly read about how Nick survived his enemies and I loved the old monk who could converse with the elephants. Enjoy.

Reed Reads Score:     5

Everlost by Neal Shusterman

When Nick and Allie collide with each other in a fatal car accident, they find that they have been "bumped" into an alter world called Everlost - a limbo for kids somewhere between life and death. At first, Allie decides she needs to get back to her home to see her family. Nick follows, and as they travel the two learn the rules of Everlost. As they approach New York, they see the Twin Towers which has also been caught in Everlost. Here they meet Mary Hightower, who has taken on the role of caretaker to the children of Everlost. Nick is content to stay in Everlost with Mary, while Allie continues to search for a way to see her family. As they battle terrifying creatures and try to keep from sinking to the center of the earth, they learn that there are some fates that are more frightening than death.
Reed Reads Score: 4

The White Mountains (Book1 of Tripod Trilogy) by John Christopher

If you start with the first book, The White Mountains, and if you enjoy science-fiction, you will end up devouring all the books in The Tripod Trilogy, including a prequel. A boy, Will Parker, avoids being "capped" by the alien Masters who now rule the modern world.  But even though he retains his freedom of thought, he is captured and made a slave. The world of the non-human Masters is vividly repressive and luxurious at the same time. Will is a victim, a renegade and, ultimately, a hero. Be mesmerized by the world that British writer, John Christopher created back in the late 1960's. It could one day be you.  The trilogy was a BBC TV series that I would love to find and watch. I've also heard rumors that a motion picture is in the pre-production stages.  Ah, someone else could not forget how wonderful is "The Tripod Trilogy."

Reed Reads Score: 5

Sirena by Donna Jo Napoli

This beautiful and talented mermaid can't figure out whether immortality and true love can co-exist. How she yearns for love! Perhaps she is fated. Does she - or does she not - have free will? Do any of us? Read this book to find out. The story is especially fun if you are familiar with ancient Greek epic poems such as Homer's Iliad and/or Odyssey, characters from which pop in and out of the story. The book contains delightful description of life under the sea as a mermaid. Almost makes you want to be a mermaid, until you remember the immortality vs. true love dilemma.
Reed Reads Score: 3.5

First Light by Rebecca Stead

A mystery unfolds as Peter Solemn accompanies his parents on a scientific expedition to Greenland. While Mr. Solemn and his young assistant, Jonas, study global warming with sophisticated equipment, Peter explores the vast snow land with his sled dog team.
Peter is about to collide with a hidden world where he will learn the answers to his mother's spells of sadness and his own frequent headaches.
Deep underneath the ice, a community that fled from danger generations ago lives in comfortable secrecy, until Thea, 14 years old, challenges her elders. Thea's determination to learn about her heritage and her connection to the world above leads her and her cousin Mattias to an old tunnel.
Clues and puzzles are examined and secrets are revealed against a dazzling background of ice where the future meets the past.
Reed Reads Score: 4

I Am Not Joey Pigza by Jack Gantos

Joey now has his ADHD under control. Everything seems to be going well. Until. Until he finds out that his mother has been dating. Dating not just anyone, but dating his father. I Am Not Joey Pigza is the unexpected fourth installment of the Joey Pigza series. If you've read the series, you know that his father is unpredictable, untrustworthy, and unloved by Joey. In this installment his father, Carter, has won a large sum of money in the lottery and has taken a new lease on life. Carter changes his name to Charles, and has a grand plan for Joey and his mother. To join in the change Joey will become Freddy to begin a laugh out loud story that is about forgiveness, family, and personal identity. While not as strong as the first three in the series, this is still an enjoyable read, and was like rediscovering an old friend.
Reed Reads Score: 4

Taking Liberty by Ann Rinaldi

What was it like in late eighteen century America to be born smart and beautiful, into well-favored circumstances, but be born a slave non-the-less? Meet Oney Judge, who became not only a personal servant, confidant, and "almost a daughter" to Martha Washington, but also Martha Washington's most famous runaway slave.

Ann Rinaldi's Taking Liberty is a page turner of a novel, telling the story of Oney's life with rich historic detail and accuracy. Gradually we find out how and why Oney left a familiar life of comparative ease for the almost certain hardship and loneliness of being a "fugitive slave". Although this story is told with great sympathy for all involved, you will never be able to look at George and Martha Washington the same way again!

Reed Reeds Score: 5

The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt

If you've every had the experience of feeling that a certain teacher just doesn't like you or is too hard on you, then this is a story with which you will relate. It's 1967 and Holling Hoodhood is in 7th grade. Over the course of the school year, Holling's experiences are both comic and moving, especially when he's forced to wear tights. The great thing about this book is the way the people change their own points of view during the course of the year. It's also an amazingly accurate look at middle-school life in the 1960's. Trust me, I know. After you read this, get Gary Schmidt's Newbery Honor book, "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy." These are worth your reading time. Reed Reads Score: 5