#51: The Last Olympian

The Last Olympian is the fifth and final book in the excellent Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan. In the story, Percy and his friends and allies have to face Kronos and the Titans in a showdown over Mt. Olympus, conveniently located in New York City. Along with the titans, Percy and his friends must face a variety of monsters, including the powerful Typhon, who is rampaging across the country toward New York and attracting the attention of the Olympians. Percy also has to deal with the disturbing prophecy of his sixteenth year.

I don't want to give away any specifics about this book for people who have not yet read it. It was action packed though, with a very quick moving plot. Many of the familiar characters from other books return. Riordan also delves into areas of mythology which he had previously left unexplored in his other books, including the involvement of some of the minor gods.

I found The Last Olympian to be a satisfying conclusion to a great series. And while it seems to wrap up Percy's story, it does leave the door open for more tales about demigods.

#49: The Lightning Thief

The Lightning Thief is the first book in Rick Riordan's excellent Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. In this book, the protagonist is twelve-year-old Percy Jackson. He has always struggled with learning disabilities and always gets into trouble without trying, leading him to attend a different school every year. As a sixth grader, Percy attends a field trip to a museum with his class from the prestigious Yancy Academy. Although he tries to behave, he manages to vaporize his despised math teacher. Even stranger for him, it seems like no one has noticed. A new teacher appears out of nowhere, and no one has ever heard of the old one.

After this, Percy and his mom take a trip out to Long Island. A fierce storm arises, and Percy and his mom get into their car. Along the road, they meet Percy's friend Grover from school, who seems to Percy to be there randomly, although Percy had thought Grover knew more than he let on. They get into more trouble, and leading to a fight with a minotaur. Percy's mother disappears into thin air, but Percy manages to escape to a safe place - Camp Half-Blood.

At Camp Half-Blood, Percy finds himself in a new world. The Greek gods that he studied about in school are real. His former Latin teacher at Yancy Academy is a centaur and Grover is a satyr. Percy, like all of the other campers, is a half-blood: one parent is a mortal and one is a god. Unfortunately for Percy, he does not know who which god his father is.

Percy eventually figures out from some characteristics he exhibits and a revelation that his father is Poseidon, the sea god. This leads him to become embroiled in a three-way struggle between Poseidon, Zeus and Hades. In order to fix things and save the world, Percy must go on a quest to the gates to Hades, located in Los Angeles. He is allowed to bring two friends: Grover, and Annabeth, a brilliant daughter of Athena.

The Lightning Thief is a very engaging book to read for two reasons. It is packed with action, the author also incorporates a lot of humor. I read it to my class this year, and they enjoyed it thoroughly. Several of the kids read the series on their own, and it got them interested in Greek mythology due to Riordan's seamless incorporation of the mythology into the story. I strongly recommend it!

#44: Science Fair

Science Fair is a book for kids written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. While I previously enjoyed the first two novels of the Peter and the Starcatchers series that they wrote, I found Science Fair to be hilarious.

Science Fair is set in a middle school in the Maryland suburbs of Washington DC. Toby, the main character, is enrolled in the school's gifted program, along with other gifted students and others whose rich, powerful parents have bought their way in. The rich parents are obsessed with their kids' success to the point that they do the work for their kids. For example, one mother was said to have worked hard for all of her son's grades, starting with the professionally bound animal report he turned in in first grade.

Each year, the school conducts a science fair with a large corporate-sponsored prize. One of the rich kids always wins, because they purchase complicated projects from a strange store in the mall. However, there is a problem - Grdankl the Strong, the leader of the rogue nation of Krpshtskan, has enlisted an operative to rig the science fair so that the rich kids' projects can be utilized for a terrorist plot. Toby finds out about this, and he and his friends have to fix things.

The plot and the details of Science Fair are absurd and over the top, but that is why I enjoyed it so much. Barry describes Krpshtskan in a way similar to the fictional Kazakhstan in Borat, with details like the national holiday for the tournament of the fighting death hamsters and Grdankl's slogan of "Vote for Grdankl or die." Another episode I found amusing was when two of Grdankl's operatives who were sent unwillingly to the U.S. to straighten out problems became addicted to the Home Shopping Network.

Science Fair is a book that definitely would appeal to kids, with its mix of humor and action. In fact, I loaned it to one of my sixth graders after I finished and he read the entire book in a single day. It would also appeal to adults who can enjoy a book that doesn't take itself seriously.

#42:Cryptid Hunters

Cryptid Hunters by Roland Smith is about people who are looking for creatures long thought to be extinct. Marty and Grace, 13-year-old twins, are attending a Swiss boarding school when they receive news that their parents have disappeared. They are sent to live with their Uncle Travis on an island off the coast of Washington state. They find out about their uncle's passion for hunting cryptids, or hidden creatures, and see the array of gadgets he has at his compound.

After unsuccessfully lobbying their uncle to take them with him to the African jungle on a research trip, Grace and Marty are on their uncle's plane heading back to school, when they are unexpectedly dropped into the jungle with his supplies while roaming the cargo hold. This leads to their struggle for survival against the forces of nature, as well as their uncle's rivals.

Cryptid Hunters did a good job developing the characters of Marty and Grace, so I was interested in finding out what would happen next. It had a lot of action that young readers would enjoy, but did not stand out to me.

#39: The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman was this year's winner of the Newbery Medal, the prestigious award given to children's literature. As I started reading it, I wasn't really enjoying it, but then I got to the beautifully written chapter in the middle entitled "The Danse Macabre," and the ending really tied the story together.

The main plot of the book follows Nobody Owens, who goes by the name Bod. Bod lived with his parents and sister until they were brutally attacked and killed when he was a baby. He managed to elude the killer and escape to the local graveyard where the ghosts agree to take him in and give him sanctuary. As Bod grows older, he interacts with a fascinating mix of characters from various time periods, including the bizarre Miss Lupescu, the witch Liza, and Silas, his guardian and protector. All of the residents of the graveyard are fiercely protective of Bod, especially when he reencounters the man who murdered his family when he was so young.

The Graveyard Book is a beautifully written fantasy story, but this was especially exemplified in Chapter Five, "The Danse Macabre." This chapter describes a special occasion in which all of the townspeople gather in the town square to dance with the ghosts of the cemetery, then the memory quickly fades for the people when the evening is over. Gaiman does an incredible job infusing this scene with the details of the movements and music, helping me to create a spectacular picture in my mind as I read it.

The Graveyard Book is definitely a title that would appeal to adults as well as children. It is darker than Coraline, and may not be appropriate for younger children, but would be recommended for fans of fantasy.

#37: Genius Squad

Genius Squad is the follow-up to Evil Genius, the last book that I reviewed. It begins with Cadel in foster care. The Australian government doesn't know what to do with him because there is no record of his birth or existence. Cadel has little to occupy his time because since he doesn't officially exist, no legitimate university will allow him to enroll. He spends much of his time visiting with his friend Sonja. He also has two adults looking out for him: social worker Fiona and police officer Saul Greeniaus.

Cadel, along with Sonja are offered an escape from their foster homes. They are offered spots on Genius Squad, an elite group for intelligent and troubled kids. As members of Genius Squad, they will be provided with housing and cared for. They will also be working to bring down GenoME, the company created by Dr. Darkkon. Cadel decides to join Genius Squad along with Sonja because he thinks that situation will lead to her receiving a higher level of care.

Cadel is happy with his new mission because he gets to show off his skills with computers working toward what he feels is a good cause. However, he has to stay on his feet after his nemesis, Prosper English, escapes from prison. As he gets more deeply involved in the plot to bring down GenoME, he realizes that Genius Squad might not be everything he hoped for.

Genius Squad was enjoyable, but not quite as much as Evil Genius. One of the things I enjoyed about the first one was the villains, and the ones in this book were fewer. There were also some aspects of the story that were a little too predictable. Still, I will be waiting for the third book in the series to come out.

#36: Evil Genius

Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks is a book that at first reminded me of Artemis Fowl. Both are about young geniuses who use their talents for evil purposes. However, Evil Genius is more of a science fiction novel than fantasy, although the science fiction is mostly limited to the gadgets.

Evil Genius tells the story of Cadel Piggott. Cadel lives in Sydney, Australia, and he is introduced as a 6-year-old who has the ability to hack into sensitive government files. His parents don't really know what to do with him because they are absorbed in their own lives and seem to want a child only for show. Cadel ends up making frequent trips to a psychologist, Thaddeus Roth. Mr. and Mrs. Piggott think that Thaddeus is helping out Cadel to resolve his problems, but Thaddeus is actually encouraging Cadel to further develop his evil schemes. This leads to the revelation that the Piggotts are not Cadel's real parents, but that he is in fact the son of Dr. Phineas Darkkon, a criminal mastermind.

Cadel progresses through a series of schools, eventually graduating from high school at the age of thirteen. Along the way, he fails to make friends, but develops enemies, and becomes increasingly resentful of the Piggotts, who he realizes are not his real parents and do not treat him well. Cadel enrolls in the Axis Institute, a school for world domination bankrolled by Dr. Darkkon, where he takes classes like forgery and disguise from an interesting cast of characters.

It is at the Axis Institute where the book takes an interesting turn. Through a series of events, Cadel finally begins to develop empathy toward other people. He begins to question the value of the Axis Institute and the direction that his life is going. He eventually makes the decision to bring down the Axis Institute, which leads to a lot more trouble for him.

Evil Genius is a thick book, but the story was engaging and I progressed through fairly quickly. Cadel's redemption was somewhat rewarding, and the cast of evil villains was intriguing. Still, the author tried to do a little too much with the story with the large number of subplots, but she did set up well for the sequel, as I wanted to find out more about what happened to Cadel.

#35: Tangerine

Tangerine by Edward Bloor is one of my favorite young adult novels, so this year I decided to try it as a read-aloud. Most of my students followed with interest, although I'm not sure how well all of them were able to truly grasp the multiple layers of the novel.

Tangerine tells the story of Paul Fisher, a 12-year-old moving with his family to Tangerine, Florida. Paul lives with his parents and his older brother, Erik, who is a senior in high school. Erik is a star kicker on the football team with his eye set on a football scholarship to a major university. Paul and Erik's parents, especially their father, are obsessed with Erik's football career, leading Paul to derisively label it as "The Erik Fisher Football Dream" in his thoughts.

Paul enjoys sports as well, although his favorite sport is soccer. He plays goalie, a position at which he feels comfortable, despite his disability. Paul is legally blind as a result of a mysterious accident when he was younger. His parents told him that he stared at an eclipse as a child, but the story doesn't add up.

Paul quickly realizes that nothing is as it seems in Tangerine. He lives in a seemingly pristine development of McMansions surrounding a man-made lake, but it is plagued by many strange occurrences. A muck fire burns just outside the perimeter wall, the expensive koi are disappearing from the lake, and one house is repeatedly struck by lighting. Strange things also begin happening outside the development. The captain of the football team is killed by a lightning strike during practice. Also, part of Paul's middle school is swallowed up by a sinkhole.

The idea that nothing is as it appears in not a new one to Paul. He feels that even though his vision is impaired, he sees things more clearly than other people. This is especially true in regards to his brother Erik. Where everyone else sees a fine young man and a star football player, Paul sees other things that are far less unpleasant. Whenever something bad happens around Tangerine, Erik seems to be nearby. Paul notices Erik's strange emotional reactions to events. Paul also starts to have flashbacks, thinking that Erik was somehow involved in the mysterious accident that affected his vision.

The main part of the story occurs after the sinkhole incident. Paul decides to transfer from the wealthy, mostly white Lake Windsor Middle School to the poorer, mostly minority Tangerine Middle School. While this doesn't bother him at all, he sees ugly ideas about race and social class from some of his friends and family. Paul ultimately finds a comfort zone at Tangerine Middle, even as things around him become increasingly chaotic. Houses in Paul's neighborhood are burglarized, people are attacked, and Erik seems to Paul to be increasingly unstable.

Tangerine has such a complex (but still easy to follow) story that it is hard to do it justice in a short summary. It touches on so many things. It satirizes the supposedly idyllic life of new developments, as well as the culture of youth sports, in which talent can trump character. It looks at the juxtaposition of social classes that is common in so many areas, where the lives of the rich and the poor who live close together usually intersect only infrequently. It looks at the struggle of Paul to find an identity as an adolescent who is often overshadowed by others. But most of all, it goes into the importance of looking beneath the surface.

#33: Hatchet

Hatchet is a classic children's novel by Gary Paulsen. Since I read this book with my class every year, this was my fourth time through it. I have found that it maintains the interest of the majority of kids pretty well.

In Hatchet, 13-year-old Brian Robeson who lives in New York is going to visit his father in Canada. He boards a small plane with a pilot who is hauling a piece of equipment to his dad. When the pilot has a fatal heart attack, Brian has to make some quick decisions and is able to land the plane in a lake in the Canadian wilderness.

From there, it becomes a story of survival. Brian has little knowledge about how to function in the woods, so he has to combine prior knowledge from books and TV with new things he figures out along the way. He has to deal first with satisfying basic needs such as thirst, hunger and shelter, and later has to figure out how to establish a more fulfilling existence in the woods.

Hatchet provides an identifiable main character for kids. Many have dealt with the effects of divorce, and many also would feel lost if they were stuck in the woods. The novel is divided into manageable chunks in terms of important events, and the pacing keeps the reader interested. It also leads to a lot of discussion about Brian and his decisions. Finally, the book has a good message of the importance of believing in yourself in achieving what you need to do.

#25: Scat

Scat is Carl Hiaasen's third book for young readers, following Hoot and Flush. In this novel, like his others, he focuses on environmentalism and Florida, but he also tones down the content compared with his regular novels.

Scat follows the story of Nick and Marta, two high school students, who are in Mrs. Starch's biology class. Mrs. Starch is legendary as the strictest teacher in the school, with a singular focus on teaching biology. One day, she takes her biology classes on a vacation to a local swamp. While they are there, a mysterious swamp fire stars, forcing the trip to an abrupt end. After the students return to school, they realize that Mrs. Starch has not returned. The next day, principal reassures the students that Mrs. Starch had to leave due to a family emergency, but this excuse does not sit well with Nick. First of all, he is not aware of Mrs. Starch having any family, and also she had been previously threatened by Dwayne "Smoke" Scrod, a rebellious student who had a run-in with her.

Nick decided to investigate Mrs. Starch's disappearance and brings Marta along to help. They begin by visiting her house on the outskirts of town, but are chased away by a mysterious man named Twilly Spree. Although they (as well as the police) suspect Smoke to be involved with Mrs. Starch's disappearance, Nick is baffled when Smoke suddenly visits to borrow his biology book. To further this improbable connection, Smoke seeks out Nick to tell Nick that he is innocent as he runs from the police who have come to apprehend him at school. Nick and Marta's search for Mrs. Starch adds a new dimension as they try to figure out if Smoke was telling the truth.

Then of course, there is the environmental element. A man named Drake McBride from a rich family is determined to prove to his father that he is not a total failure, even though everything he has ever done suggests this. He stakes out a claim to drill for oil, then comes up with a scheme to make money from the government even though his claim has not panned out. However, he runs against obstacles as his project is repeatedly sabotaged and his employees have strange things happen to them.

Like all of Carl Hiaasen's books, Scat is filled with a variety of eccentric characters. Nick and Marta are the regular people, who get sucked into the plot to help save the environment. Drake McBride is funny, with his faux Texas cowboy act, while Dr. Dressler, the principal of Nick and Marta's school, is a stereotypical administrator who is solely out to cover his own butt when anything goes wrong. The list goes on, with the Scrod family (including a rich grandmother), Dr. Waxmo, a very strange substitute teacher, and of course Mrs. Starch.

The plot of Scat moves very quickly, as Hiaasen weaves in various subplots, such as Nick's father serving in Iraq and Nick's fascination with the Florida panther. Hiaasen also takes care to help readers picture the Florida setting he cares so much about. It adds up to a thoroughly interesting novel.

Rating: *****

#23: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw is the third book in the Wimpy Kid series. If you are unaware, the series is told from the point of view of middle schooler Greg Heffley. He begins keeping a diary after his mom buys him a blank one, and the book is written in this format, with text that looks like handwriting and doodled illustrations. The plot consists of Greg getting himself into stupid situations, then trying to take the easy way out, usually getting him into more trouble.

Last Straw begins with a new year. Greg starts thinking about resolutions, but comes to the conclusion that he is the best person he knows and therefore doesn't need to make any resolutions. Instead, he makes them for the other members of his family. One example of this is that he decides that his mom needs to make less noise when she chews her potato chips.

The book continues with other hilarious endeavors. For example, Greg tries playing soccer, with disastrous results. Later in the book, Greg's dad sees what military school has done to a teenage former nemesis of his, and decides that it would be great for Greg, so Greg has to work to thwart this plan. Other things that made me laugh out loud (without giving away too much) involve a well-known children's author and a bingo game full of old ladies.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw was highly enjoyable to read, and is also enjoyable for kids. The humor is much more sophisticated that books like Captain Underpants because while Greg's situations are often ridiculous, they are also grounded in reality and do not just rely on toilet humor. The simple stick figure like drawings also add a lot to the story. This book is another success in the series, and I anticipate Wimpy Kid #4.

Rating: *****

#21: The Last Invisible Boy

I spotted The Last Invisible Boy by Evan Kuhlman while browsing at Borders, and it looked interesting, so I decided to pick it up at the library. While it contains cartoon illustrations and is written in diary form like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, it is much more serious, mostly because of the subject matter.

The diary in this book is that of 12-year-old Finn Garrett. His father passed away unexpectedly at a relatively young age, and he is trying to deal with his feelings. As part of this, strange things begin happening to him. His skin becomes pale and his hair turns white. Finn believes that this is because he is slowly becoming invisible. Although he is somewhat ostracized at school, he is happy that his pretty and talented best friend Meli is always there when he needs her.

The book is composed of very short chapters (mostly 1-2 pages), with each being a separate entry. Some are set in the present, some are flashbacks, and others are Finn's fantasies about things like traveling through space. The entries have a good voice, especially when seen through Finn's imagination.

The Last Invisible Boy was not perfect, but it was very good. Finn idolized his dad, and presented an idealized picture of him - although his dad had some flaws, like spending too much time at work, Finn was able to ignore these, especially after his death. Also, Finn's relationship with Meli was sweet, as he imagined marrying her when they got older. However, the pacing drags a little at times, though this could be expected, given the subject matter. You also have to be in a certain mindset to read it, as it is pretty depressing. It is ultimately rewarding in the end to see Finn begin to overcome his grief.

Rating: ****

#19: Jack's Run

Jack's Run is the sequel to Zach's Lie, by Roland Smith. While it was a fast-paced and enjoyable action story, it didn't quite measure up to its predecessor, mainly due to some extremely implausible situations.

In Jack's Run, the Osborne family has been reunited in North Carolina after their escape from Elko. Joanne has graduated from high school, and moved to Los Angeles to attend UCLA and pursue a career in show business. Jack's parents want him to be safe during the trial of drug kingpin Alonzo Aznar, so they send him to stay with his sister in LA. However, as soon as Joanne settles in LA, she enters an American Idol-like competition and her face makes it onto national TV. Aznar sends his people to kidnap Joanne and Jack and take them to Argentina, with the threat that they will be killed if their father testifies in his trial.

After this, Neil Osborne decides to go rescue his kids. He ends up bringing his wife, a friend of his from the Navy, and Sam Sebesta, the mysterious ex-KGB agent custodian from Elko. They gather up the supplies they need and plan a trip to Aznar's Argentinian compound to save the kids. Meanwhile, the kids try to escape so they can save themselves.

Jack's Run was full of action and suspense, which kept it moving. However, some parts seemed beyond belief. For example, Aznar, the drug kingpin, was able to live an Al Capone-like lifestyle behind bars, obtaining technology necessary to continue running his empire. And his brother, Raphael, was over-the-top stupid, housing an 18-year-old and a 14-year-old in a room with tools they could use to escape. Sam Sebesta's solution for dealing with the Aznar brothers also seemed somewhat implausible, with a remotely triggered heart attack that can be activated at any time. Even so, this novel was fun to read, and I would recommend it for kids.

Rating: ****

#16: Zach's Lie

Ok, I've already moved on to my second Roland Smith novel. Zach's Lie, while completely different from Elephant Run, is also packed with action. 13-year-old Zach Granger has just moved to Elko, NV with his mom and older sister. Moving would be hard enough, but as part of the move, he had to assume a new identity. Zack, formerly Jack Osborne, was forced to go into witness protection after his father was arrested for drug trafficking and agreed to testify against dangerous criminals.

Zach begins to adjust to his life in Elko. He learns about the Basque heritage, and makes friends with Catalin, the granddaughter of a Basque sheepherder. He also befriends Sam Sebesta, the janitor at his school who seems to have a lot of unusual skills for a janitor. Unfortunately for Zach, when his life is coming together, someone finds out his secret, and the enemies are led to him in Elko.

Zach's Lie was quick and fun to read - I polished it off in a couple of hours. Roland Smith's writing style is enjoyable for kids, as he keeps the action moving. Zach was a sympathetic character, and I am interested in reading more about him in the sequel, Jack's Run.

Rating: *****

#15: Finn's Going

Finn's Going, by Tom Kelly, is about a 10-year-old English boy whose identical twin brother has died. Danny, fresh off of 6 weeks of self-imposed silence, is unsure how to deal with his feelings, so he decides to run away. He gets on a train and goes to the coast to the site of a past family vacation. Once there, he takes refuge on an island in an old boathouse.

Although Danny packed for his journey, he didn't pack well. As he is laying down in the boathouse during a storm, he sees a man appear, who checks to see if he is alright. Later on, someone leaves food and a note to "come say hello." During Danny's wanderings, he finds the man who had visited him living in a camper near the beach. Danny meets this man, Nulty, and learns about his life and why he ended up in his situation.

Danny continues staying on the island, with the help of supplies from Nulty, who realizes Danny has a purpose of some kind. Danny occupies himself with gathering bricks from around the island (leftover from a destroyed building) and counting and stacking them. Eventually, he feels comfortable confiding at least some of his feelings to Nulty, which leads him to be ready to return home.

The best part of Finn's Going was the character's voice. Most of the story is told using an interior monologue, as Danny spends most of the novel by himself. The character seems like a real 10-year-old, as his logic is not always logical, and he thinks often of bodily functions as many 10-year-old boys do. The book moved slowly, but given the subject matter, the pacing was appropriate. While it may not be appreciated by younger readers, I enjoyed the introspection, and the ending definitely got me thinking.

Rating: ****

#14: Dodger and Me

Dodger and Me is the fourth book by Jordan Sonnenblick, and first aimed at elementary aged children. As I really enjoyed his previous three, I wanted to give this one a try.

Dodger and Me is centered around Willie, a 10-year-old who can best be described as a wimp or a loser. His mother is highly overprotective, and does not trust him at all. He also has no friends at school, although Lizzie, a girl he tries to avoid, lavishes him with attention. One day, after failing at the plate in his baseball game and causing his team to lose, Willie takes a forbidden shortcut through the woods to get to his house. As he is walking, he sees a fast food bag, and decides to pick it up so it will no longer spoil nature. After doing this, he is surprised by the appearance of a large blue talking chimpanzee wearing surfer shorts.

Willie begins speaking to the chimp, whose name is Dodger. Willie brings Dodger home, and he agrees to help Willie solve the three most vexing problems in his life - getting his mom to trust him, getting Lizzie to stop bothering him and becoming a better baseball player. Unfortunately for Willie, as Dodger is doing this, he also creates many new problems.

Dodger and Me was an enjoyable book with likable characters. Willie is a boy who wants to do the right thing, and Dodger is very amusing. The situations that Dodger gets Willie into are pretty funny, and kids would enjoy reading the book. I recommended it to my class, especially those who like books like Hank Zipzer. While I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie or Notes from the Midnight Driver, it was written for a different audience and it presents a good message.

Rating: ****

#13: Elephant Run

Elephant Run is a historical fiction adventure story by Roland Smith. The protagonist, 14-year-old Nick Freestone lives with his mom in London during World War II, but due to the frequent bombings, he is sent to stay with his father in Burma. Nick's father owns a teak plantation where much of the labor is done by elephants. In the nearby village, many of the citizens work as mahouts, or people who drive the elephants. This includes Nang, one of the plantation's most trusted employees, and his son Indaw and daughter Mya, who is about Nick's age.

Unfortunately, the Japanese arrive in Burma at the same time as Nick. Nick's father is taken captive, Nang is killed, and Nick, along with Mya, is forced to work as a servant to the Japanese now occupying his father's house. When Nick receives word that his father is alive, his goal becomes rescuing his father. He receives guidance from Hilltop, an ancient Buddhist monk, who wants to follow Mr. Freestone's desire to get Nick and Mya out of Burma to a safer place. Mya is anxious to join Nick's dangerous quest, as she wants to rescue her brother, who is also being held prisoner. After escaping from the house, Hilltop leads Nick and Mya on a dangerous journey to attempt the rescue.

Elephant Run was a very exciting book to read. The wartime setting provides constant action and danger to the characters. The characters are presented realistically, as the Japanese soldiers are much more than evil caricatures. They range from the ambitious, but dangerous young officer Moto to Sgt. Sonji, who was more soft spoken and appreciated haiku and gardening.

Additionally, the author did a great job establishing the setting in the jungles of Burma during WWII. It was very interesting to learn about the mahouts and the conflicted loyalties of the local people, as they yearned for independence from England, but were wary of what the Japanese were bringing to their land.

Elephant Run was a highly enjoyable book to read, and I am looking forward to checking out more books by Roland Smith.

Rating: *****

#11: Found

Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix is book 1 of a planned trilogy. I first learned about Haddix from her popular Shadow Children series, which are full of action. Found also fits this criterion, as it was a book I had trouble putting down.

The main character in Found is 13-year-old Jonah. He was adopted as a baby and lives with his parents and sister in Ohio. One day, he is outside playing basketball with a friend Chip when he receives a strange note in the mail in an envelope with no return address. It reads, "You are one of the missing." He thinks it is a joke, although it disturbs him a bit, so he keeps playing.

Later, Jonah and his family are eating dinner, when a frantic Chip comes to the door looking for Jonah. He received the same note as Jonah, and after talking to his parents, was astonished to learn that he was adopted.

Soon, Jonah and Chip each receive a second note along the lines of "They're coming to get you." Chip wants to investigate, but Jonah is very reluctant to help, so he enlists the help of Jonah's sister, Katherine. Their work leads to an FBI agent, a list of other kids, and a woman named Angela DuPre who relays a story about a mysterious plane full of babies and time travel.

The book culminates when Jonah is invited to attend a local conference for adopted children and their families. He brings Katherine and Chip along, and they realize that nearly every child on the list they found is at the conference. The kids are separated from their parents to go on a hike to a secluded location where they learn the unbelievable truth about their adoptions. I don't want to say any more and give it away.

Found is an enthralling blend of adventure and science fiction. Haddix keeps the story moving with a series of small mysteries that have resolutions leading to other mysteries. Jonah, Katherine and Chip are clever, but not unrealistically so, and have to work together to solve problems. The ending was surprising to me but left me eagerly anticipating the second book. I will definitely be recommending this to some of my students.

Rating: *****

#10: The Divide

The Divide, by Elizabeth Kay, is the first book in a trilogy. Felix, a 13-year-old from London, suffers from a heart defect, which has limited his ability to do things that a normal kid could do. His heart is in danger of failing at any time, especially if he overexerts himself, so his parents have taken him to Costa Rica to enjoy himself. While hiking to the Continental Divide, Felix faints and is transported to a magical world on the other side of The Divide. Many things are the opposite of what Felix's world is like. For example, elephants and humans are thought to be mythical creatures, while elves, pixies and brownies roam around freely. Also, things are done using magic, in contrast to the science that Felix is used to.

Felix meets Betony, a "tangle-child," (an elf-like creature). Betony agrees to help Felix to try to find a magical cure for his heart condition. Meanwhile, Betony's older sister and brother encounter Snakeweed, a japegrin (pixie) who is a pharmaceutical entrepreneur. Unfortunately, his remedies are unsuccessful, but he still tries to sell them. Snakeweed finds out about Felix and desires to learn about his scientific knowledge so that he can profit from it. As a result, Felix and Betony also have to evade Snakeweed and his henchmen as they search for the cure.

The Divide presents a conflict of good vs. evil, with many good creatures coming to the aid of Felix, and certain evil creatures working with Snakeweed. The author also makes some interesting commentary about the effects of technology and development on a society (Felix compares the magical society to what he has learned about in history) and the environment (discussing how a decline in the population of one species affects others), among other topics.

The Divide has good pacing, and moves along quickly. I did find myself frequently flipping to Felix's guide to the magical creatures, but the author did a great job coming up with creative beasts like the worrit (a funny-looking dog that kills its prey by constantly telling jokes and causing the prey to laugh to death). The book also ends with a cliffhanger of sorts, so I am looking forward to reading the second one.

Rating: *****

#3: The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp

The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp by Rick Yancey is the first book in a series (3 so far) aimed at young adults. Alfred is a 15-year-old who lives with his uncle after his mother dies. He lives a pretty boring life as a school outcast due to his large size. One day, his uncle approaches him to ask for help with a plot. A mysterious man has asked Arthur's uncle, the night watchman at an apartment tower, to break in and retrieve a sword from the office of the owner of a tower. Arthur is able to complete the theft, although it involves a harrowing escape from some strange men. Arthur later finds out that the sword is Excalibur, and when he has to protect the sword, trouble follows.

This book was very fast paced and full of action. Alfred is well-developed as a character, an ordinary boy doing extraordinary things. Another interesting point is the juxtaposition of the modern luxuries (Arthur travels in a Ferrari for example) with the elements of the King Arthur story. I look forward to eventually picking up the sequels.