By Piranha T.

When seventh grader Nora Tucker’s school announces this year’s summer homework—a contribution to a town-wide time capsule—she doubts anything worth writing about will happen. Wolf Creek may be home to a secure correctional facility, but the most interesting things which happen are cookouts and carnivals.

But when two prisoners break out of the Wolf Creek Correctional Facility, Nora’s life becomes much more tense. Suddenly, her mom doesn’t let her go outside, police are pouring into town, and her little brother has her check for inmates under his bed.

She also meets Elidee Jones, an African American girl from New York City whose brother is in the prison. And as the search continues and tension runs higher, Nora begins to realize that no matter how welcoming Wolf Creek believes itself to be, it’s still prejudiced—both inside the correctional facility and out.

Breakout was an unusual book which confronted issues of criminal justice and racial prejudice in a way which felt completely natural and was very well done. Kate Messner narrated it in a series of documents submitted by Nora to the time capsule project, mainly by Nora, her best friend Lizzie, and Elidee. This gave the book an unusual feel and depth, and uniqueness, too—there are few books effectively told completely in documents! But instead of becoming dry, it was a really engaging format.

​This book was recommended to me, and if it hadn’t been, I don’t know if I would have read it; however, I’m glad it was. Breakout was an interesting book which covered a lot of issues which I don’t often see in middle-grade books. For anyone who remotely likes realistic fiction, this is a book which is good to read. I would highly recommend Breakout to readers ages ten and up.

By Piranha T.

In Inside Out & Back Again, Thanhha Lai narrates the story of ten-year-old Hà, a girl who has grown up in Saigon during the Vietnam War. Forced to flee her home with the end of the Vietnam War, Hà struggles to make a new life for herself in Alabama, while trying to learn the language, make friends, and understand the world around her.

Inside Out & Back Again was a moving, beautifully written book in free verse. Hà’s life was a moving and very real journey, from a war-torn homeland to peace in a foreign country, the story of a girl who longed for her old life despite all the horrors which were taking place where she had once lived. That reality in the story made it in some ways more powerful than many historical fiction novels which I’ve read—not a fictitious story, something imagined many years later by someone who had never experienced what they were writing about, but something based in real life, in the confusion and dreams of a relatable girl in a terrible situation.

This isn’t a book I’ll forget soon, and I doubt anyone will. I would highly recommend Inside Out & Back Again to readers ages ten and up, particularly those who love Farewell to Manzanar or Brown Girl Dreaming.

By Piranha T.

Long ago, the founders, aquatic beings with blue-green scales and powerful magic, raised stone from the sea and sang the City of Islands into being. But when the founders disappeared, the most powerful of their song-spells vanished with them. Now, although many of the songs are still remembered, the most ancient and complex have been lost to time.

Mara has always dreamed of mastering spell-songs and learning to become a mage. But after the death of not just her parents, but also of the mage Bindy, who took her in after they died, that dream seems unlikely. Instead, the Lady of the Tides employs her to dive in the ocean around the City of Islands to find artifacts from the time of the founders. She rarely discovers anything of interest, but her earnings are enough to keep her from the streets.

One day, Mara discovers a deposit of bones on the ocean floor which seem to be left over from the time of the founders and sing with spell-song. And when she shows them to the Lady of the Tides, it seems that they can be traced back to one person—the same mage who killed Bindy two years before.

As Mara delves deeper into secrets which someone powerful has done quite a lot to hide, she finds herself caught up in something much bigger than just the mysterious bones. And she might be the only one who knows enough to stop the mastermind behind it before it’s too late.

City of Islands was an engrossing book. Kali Wallace expertly wielded the details of the world and the spell-songs, creating a setting which felt absolutely real, and an unusual type of magic which is now one of my favorites. Mara was a heroine with her own desires and personality, and the plot surprised me at every turn, two things I always love in a story. The whole book felt completely unique, to the point that when I tried to come up with a similar book, I couldn’t! I would highly recommend City of Islands to lovers of multilayered worlds and complex plots ages ten and up.

A note from Piranha T: If you like City of Islands, check out our interview with the author here! 

By Piranha T.

The weather in Alorria is perfect. There is no such season as winter. Every day is sunny and temperate, and it rains only when the farmers request it. Everything is kept this way by storm beasts, bound to their human guardians, who together work the weather and make it perfect for all the land.

Twelve-year-old Mina has been waiting for the day when her storm beast will hatch. She cares for her egg every day, letting the unborn creature absorb her personality through the shell of the egg as all storm beasts do, so when it is born, beast and guardian will be perfectly matched in temperament.

But when Mina’s beast hatches, everyone believes there must have been a mistake. A fiery, unpredictable lightning beast is the last creature anyone would associate with quiet, timid Mina. But Mina and her lightning beast, Pixit, are sure there’s no mistake. They only have to show everyone else that it’s true.

Mina and Pixit are enrolled at Mytris Lightning School, where she learns how to become a storm guardian. But as she learns more about her country and about its history, she realizes Alorria’s flawless weather comes with a cost. And the more she discovers, the more she is determined to make her voice heard.

​Spark is an exciting, fast-paced fantasy with an intriguing world full of mysterious creatures and deep secrets. Mina is a sympathetic heroine learning her place in the world, and attempting to change a way of life which has been in place for generations. I would highly recommend this well-developed, unique fantasy to readers ages ten and up.

By Super Kitty

Ten-year-old Jesse Aarons gets up early each summer morning to run, sprinting as hard as he can as he trains to become the speediest kid in the third, fourth, and fifth grades. If he can win the races his classmates hold at recess, he won’t just be ‘some kid who likes to draw.’ It won’t matter that his sisters are always squabbling, his short-tempered mother makes him do most of the work around the house, and his father works such long hours that it feels like he’s never home. If he can get strong enough, Jess will be the fastest. Important. Special.

But just as the races are about to begin, a new kid—a new girl—joins the races and beats every boy competing—including Jess. Leslie Burke is considered by most to be pretty strange, and at first Jess wants nothing to do with her. But both of them are lonely, and as the weeks go by, they begin to form a friendship that will change their lives. Leslie has an incredible imagination, and one afternoon she and Jess invent Terabithia, a world of their own where they transform from outcast kids to courageous rulers.

Leslie tells Jess wonderful stories and leads him on fantastical imaginary adventures, but her most important gift to him is confidence in himself. When the two of them are together, Jess feels like nothing can stop them. But when he’s forced to face his greatest fear—alone—will Leslie’s guidance be enough?
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A Newbery Medal winner, Katherine Paterson’s story of friendship and loss has become a modern classic. Bridge to Terabithia touches on a wide array of themes and emotions, exploring grief, hope, and finding your place in the world—all through the eyes of a ten-year-old. Jess’ struggle for self-acceptance and a sense of belonging makes him a strong and believable lead character, and Leslie is all but irresistible, an extraordinary girl with a radiant imagination. Moving and powerful, Bridge to Terabithia is an excellent choice for book groups, and I would highly recommend it to readers ages ten and up. 

By Piranha T.

Magpie Windwitch, granddaughter of the West Wind, is a fierce faerie hunter in a world where the past is all but forgotten. Of all her kindred, she’s the only one defending the legacy of the faeries who ended the Demon Wars twenty-five thousand years ago—including Magpie’s hero, Bellatrix, the champion of the king of the Djinn. For humans have begun to unleash the demons from their bottle prisons, and Magpie is intent on hunting them down.

But when the ancient Blackbringer is released into the world, Magpie knows that she’s onto much more than a normal demon—and that if she can’t catch it, the consequences will be much more dire. She tracks it into the enchanted forest of Dreamdark, a place of dangerous magic and immense power. But as she uncovers more secrets and learns the true nature of the creature she’s hunting, she begins to wonder if there is any hope of keeping the world from unraveling completely—and catching the Blackbringer in time.

Blackbringer is an amazing book. Laini Taylor spins a complex tale which surprised me at every turn, with an intricate, magnificent plot which never seems to slow down. Magpie is a brilliant character who I absolutely love, and her quest is full of nonstop action and long-covered secrets. Not only that, but the world feels completely real and engrossing, in a way which few worlds are. This is a book for fans of the complexity of Seraphina, The Ruby Key, and Shadow and Bone.

Although there wasn’t much violence and no romance, I recommend this book for ages ten and up; there were some things which could be frightening to younger readers, and the plot was complex at a level you usually only get in young adult, to a point which might actually be hard to follow! But older readers may enjoy this book even more than younger ones, simply because of the brilliant multilayered plot. For kids 11+ who love fantasy, brilliant plots, and well-developed worlds, I would highly recommend Blackbringer.

By Piranha T.

There is nowhere in the world seventh grader Coco Hidden loves more than El Corazón, the bean-to-bar chocolate shop she and her mom run in her small Colorado hometown of Heartbeat Springs. Even when her best friend, Leo, stops talking to her, she can find reassurance in her favorite food: chocolate. Nothing in her world seems concrete, but she’s sure she’ll never lose El Corazón.

But then her mom tells her they’ll have to close the chocolate shop. Coco is certain that if she she’ll be able to save it if she can find a ceiba tree which has been haunting her dreams. But she’s never even left Colorado—how is she supposed to get to the Amazon rainforest?

Before long, Coco finds herself on an astonishing trip to the Ecuadorian Amazon with Leo and Gali Gallo, her elderly inventor-neighbor who has secrets of his own. But this small, unexpected bit of hope is deeply threatened. The jungle is being destroyed by loggers and oil-drillers who don’t consider the trees they’re cutting down or the ecosystems they’re destroying. Will Coco be able to find the ceiba tree and rescue El Corazón before it’s destroyed forever?

Tree of Dreams was an amazing book, simultaneously funny and deep. It confronts the damage being done to rainforests in a deeply relatable and unusual way—instead of feeling as though this was the reason Laura Resau wrote this book, it simply read like something which was drawn from it, in a very powerful way.
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However, you don’t have to be looking for that to love this book! Coco is a funny, relatable heroine with complicated relationships and a deep love of chocolate. The settings—particularly the rainforest—felt completely real to me. All in all, I would highly recommend Tree of Dreams to a wide range of readers ages nine and up: to people who love rainforest conservation, readers who love stories about kids and their adventures, and, of course, anyone who loves chocolate!

By Piranha T.

Cimorene is far from a normal princess. To the consternation of her tradition-loving parents, she has had various people at court teach her fencing, magic, cooking, and all sorts of other things before the king and queen have found out and put a stop to it. Finally, in an attempt to get her to settle down, her parents arrange a marriage for her with the prince of a neighboring kingdom. Cimorene’s response is to run away.

On the advice of a talking frog, she journeys into the Mountains of Morning and volunteers to become princess of the dragon Kazul. There, she finds all kinds of excitement—from a plot among the dragons to the suspicious activities of the neighboring wizards, to the troublesome number of princes who come to Kazul’s cave to try to rescue her, assuming she got there by force and not by choice. Cimorene’s life is now far from the boring monotony she’d experienced at the castle—and when she learns more about what’s going on in the Mountains of Morning, she realizes it’s about to get even more interesting still.
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Dealing with Dragons is a hilarious, entertaining read. Patricia C. Wrede spoofs classic fairytales in a unique way which is extremely funny. Cimorene is a strong, interesting and determined heroine who is just about as far from a stereotypical princess as you can get. I would highly recommend Dealing with Dragons to readers ages ten and up.

By Super Kitty
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Ten-year-old Keladry of Mindelan plans to become a knight like her hero Alanna the Lioness, who, years ago, disguised herself as a boy so she could train for knighthood. The law forbidding girls from entering the training changed ten years ago, and Kel becomes the first to take advantage of the new decree, making history as the first girl to officially become a page—but not everyone is happy about it. Lord Wyldon, in charge of training pages and squires, even insists on putting her on probation, which no other page has ever had to endure.

Faced with nastiness, bullying and heated opposition in addition to the already demanding training schedule, Kel has been given a far more difficult test than any boy has ever had to experience. Whether or not she is able to prove herself will determine not only her own fate, but that of any other girls who wish to follow in her footsteps. Fortunately, Kel is more than up for the challenge…

I’ve read a lot of Tamora Pierce’s books, including many of those set in the Tortall* universe, and the Protector of the Small Quartet is my all-time favorite. The author is known for her powerful female protagonists, and out of all of them I’ve liked Kel best. She’s tough, brave, smart and is an excellent tactician—she’s very human, and is all and all the sort of shero I love to read about. Also, unlike Alanna, she doesn’t have magical powers or a legendary destiny; she’s just an incredibly skilled young woman who’s willing to deal with the prejudice that the first openly female knight must face in order to pave the way for other Lady Knights.

Like Alanna, Kel ages quickly over the course of the quartet—in First Test, she’s ten, but by book four she’s about twenty, and the series gets progressively more ‘Young Adult’ in the later installments. So I although I would recommend First Test for ages 10 and up, younger readers may lose interest after the first two books. But it’s a great series, and older readers shouldn’t be put off by the fact that Kel is younger in the first book—she’s an awesome character, and I would highly recommend the Protector of the Small Quartet to readers who love fantasy, action, and strong, fearless heroines.

*Note: Although the quartet is set in the same world as many of Tamora Pierce’s other books (The Song of the Lioness Quartet and the Trickster’s Choice Duology), you don’t need to have read any of them before starting Protector of the Small (we didn’t!)

By Piranha T.

In beautiful poetry, Newbery honor winner Jacqueline Woodson narrates the story of her childhood as an African-American girl in the south. In the sixties and seventies, when the Jim Crowe laws were still in effect in many places in the south, the author was told not to simply accept that way of living. Instead, during her journey from Ohio to South Carolina to New York City, she’s taught to stand by her beliefs and learn who she is.
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In Brown Girl Dreaming, Jacqueline Woodson combines lyrical poetry with an incredible autobiography. Each poem is like a tiny work of art, a glimpse into her life, scraps of stories which sweep together into a moving, mesmerizing narrative. It tells not just the story of a girl discovering who she is but also what it was like as a Jehovah’s Witness, as someone who never felt quite at home, as a young writer discovering the power of words. It doesn’t have to be action-packed, like many books are today, to be impossible to put down. Jacqueline Woodson’s poetry—and the story she tells in it—is truly incredible. Even though this book is an autobiography, it reads like a story, which is why I placed it under the fiction tab. I would highly recommend Brown Girl Dreaming to readers ages ten and up.

By Piranha T.

Nathaniel is apprenticed to one of the magicians who forms part of London’s government. Although he isn’t entirely content, he’s happy enough to stay that way. But things change when one of the most skilled magicians in London, Simon Lovelace, humiliates him. Keen on revenge, Nathaniel learns spells necessary to get him back—and summons a five-thousand-year-old djinn called Bartimaeus.

Bartimaeus isn’t particularly pleased at being summoned by an eleven-year-old boy, but he’s forced to do Nathaniel’s bidding. He’s sent to steal one of Simon Lovelace’s most prized possessions—the Amulet of Samarkand, which authorities have been searching for for years. Nathaniel’s plan is to use it to show the public what Lovelace is really like—but instead, it pulls him and Bartimaeus into a tangle of complex politics, the rebellion known as the Resistance, and the plans of Lovelace—which may be much more ominous than either of them realize.
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The Amulet of Samarkand was an engrossing read, with lots of complicated plot twists so it read like a mystery. Although it alternates between Bartimaeus and Nathaniel, it isn’t confusing. Nathaniel’s narration has more of an upper-class tone, while Bartimaeus has five thousand years of experience and an extremely snarky narrative, which makes the book even better—and much more amusing. I would highly recommend The Amulet of Samarkand to readers ages ten and up, but older readers would enjoy it as well!

By Contributing Reviewer FalconX, age 11

Mia Winchell appears to be an ordinary kid. From the outside. She has a secret: after certain sounds and words, she can see colors in the air. At first, Mia's secret is easy to keep. But, as a middle child and juggling home and school, Mia begins to wonder if she should tell someone. But who? And when? At least, she has her best friend Jenna. But are best friends forever? Can she trust Jenna with her one most important secret? Mia thinks she is going crazy. But when she reveals it to someone, they take her to a therapist, and he says that there might be others like her . . . .

​A Mango-Shaped Space is a funny, heart-breaking, and crazy book that will keep you turning pages late into the night. I especially liked the word play and feelings Wendy Mass packed into this novel. This book can make you laugh and cry in the same scene. It makes you feel like you are right beside Mia, experiencing her troubles and triumphs. I would highly recommend this book to grades 5-8. ​

By Piranha T.

Little Rock, Arkansas has been known throughout the country as a hotbed of the segregation and integration movements. In 1957, several African-American students, known as the Little Rock Nine, went to one of the high schools. A year later, high schools are closed all over Little Rock to ensure that they won’t be integrated.

Twelve-year-old Marlee Nisbett isn’t caught up in that piece of the drama, but her older sister Judy is. She’s sent away to their grandparent’s house, and Marlee, who has always been shy and reserved, feels as though her world has been torn apart. Only because of Judy has Marlee even remotely participated in school. Marlee, however, always feels like she’ll say the wrong thing, and usually doesn’t speak in class unless she has to.

But despite believing going to middle school will just make everything worse, Marlee meets Liz, a new girl. Though they have almost nothing in common, they become fast friends. Liz helps Marlee grow more confident with talking to other people as they work together on a project for school. It’s not long, though, before Liz has to leave—and it doesn’t take Marlee long to learn why. Liz is really African-American, trying to get a better education at a better school. Marlee, though, isn’t willing to give up on a friend who has helped her so much, and is determined that their friendship won’t end here. But in 1958 Little Rock, that’s not as easy as it sounds. If anyone learns what they’re doing, both their lives could be in danger—and the world which Marlee’s always known may be about to fall apart.
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When I started The Lions of Little Rock, I didn’t think it would become one of my favorite books, since historical fiction isn’t usually my favorite genre. But Marlee was an interesting, sympathetic heroine who I could understand every step of the way. Although the schools closing in 1958 and the issue of integration were major points in the plot, what drove the force of the story were the characters and their choices. It didn’t feel like a lesson from a history book, but I learned a lot. It was an excellent book, well-written, weaving in bits of history naturally and easily. I would highly recommend The Lions of Little Rock to readers ages ten and up.  

By Piranha T.

When Candice Miller moves into her grandmother’s old house in Lambert, South Carolina, she doesn’t expect to find a mystery in the attic. But she finds an old, dusty box there—an old box that’s labeled for her. And in the bottom of it, she discovers a letter, the beginning of a mystery which will bring her all over the city of Lambert. It explains a mystery from the 1950s, the disappearance of an African-American family, and the injustice that was done to them all those years ago.

But solving the mystery isn’t as simple as it sounds. It doesn’t take Candice long to realize that this letter is at the root of her grandmother’s disgrace in Lambert a decade earlier. So instead of telling her mother, she keeps it a secret from everyone but her new friend Brandon. Together, they navigate hidden puzzles, uncovering the past of Lambert, the man who wrote the letter in the first place, and the family who the letter is about. But to Candice, it’s more than just a puzzle. It’s about clearing her grandmother’s name, and living the future she wants to.

The Parker Inheritance was a fun, incredible book which had me thinking at many points how awesome the puzzles were. Candice and Brandon are clever characters who manage to think of things I can’t be sure I would have myself, and both are bookworms, mentioning lots of my favorite stories! Intertwined with the story are ‘flashback’ chapters, relating the life of the family mentioned in the letter and the events leading up to what made them leave.

This book went deeper, though, because it wasn’t just about the mystery and the past. It was also about segregation in the south, social justice, and persecution. Almost all the characters were African-American, often still dealing with similar issues to those related in the flashbacks from sixty years before. These messages weren’t as obvious as they are in other books we’ve reviewed, or in many historical fiction novels. But they were also just as powerful, because it made you think how it’s set in the present day. The Parker Inheritance is completely fictional, but all it tells feels real. It’s not the main course of the story—that’s about Brandon and Candice, and the letter in the attic. But it’s still a major part of the plot, something which leaves you thinking even after you’ve turned the last page.
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I would highly recommend The Parker Inheritance to kids ages ten and up.

By Super Kitty

When Billy Colman, a boy growing up in the wild Ozark mountains, discovers an ad selling coon hounds, he feels as though his prayers have been answered. For years he’s longed for dogs to hunt with, and finally he has a chance to get them: it takes two years of careful saving, but at last he earns enough to buy the two puppies he’s been dreaming of. He names them Big Dan and Little Ann, and the three of them form a bond which other people wonder at. Unlikely friends they may seem, but soon Billy and his dogs become some of the most talented hunters in the mountains, gaining recognition by huntsmen young and old, and even winning a coon-hunting championship. But the untamed mountains are as dangerous as they are breathtaking, and the connection between boy and dogs is destined to be cut short…
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Where the Red Fern Grows is a moving, beautiful book, a classic which I think stands out for several reasons. Unlike many books today, there are relatively few characters mentioned by name, but those who are feel extraordinarily believable and real, clearly portraying Billy’s childhood world of a small but close family in the remote, sometimes perilous Ozarks. I admittedly have little interest in dogs, hunting, and the like, yet I was pulled in by the narration and writing even before the story had really begun. The tension and excitement of hunting with hounds translated vividly into writing, bringing the stunning setting into clear focus. At moments, I felt almost as though I was there with the characters, surrounded the sounds of a forest late at night. This is the story of a boy and his hounds, of hunting and tracking, and ultimately of the friendship between humans and their beloved canine companions, one that I would recommend to readers ten and up.