What Should I Read? Book Talks and More

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore John Smith-yep, it is a made up name.  John chose it as his new identity.  It is not his first new identity.  He is an alien to Earth from the planet Lorien.  One of the last of his kind.  He and his guardian, Henry, have been hiding and on the run from another alien race--Mogadorians.  The Mogs destroyed Lorien, now they will destroy Earth unless John, equipped with the magical legacy powers of Lorien, and his newfound allies can stop them--that is if he doesn't die first. This exciting science fiction adventure is the first in author Pittacus Lore's Lorien Legacies series.  I have read the whole series and it is very good.  I "love it!"  Good for grades 7 & up.  Ok for sixth graders whose parents don't mind some profanity in appropriate places (we'd probably all say a few of these when staring into the face of a Mogadorian who wants to kill us).  Spin-off series and com...

Skulduggery Pleasant   by Derek Landy 12-year-old Stephanie's favorite and odd Uncle Gordon dies.  A strange man, Skulduggery Pleasant, cames to the funeral and reading of the will.  He is actually a living skeleton--people cannot always tell since he walks around bundled up like the invisible man. Stephanie inherited her uncle's home and, while she is there alone, she is attacked by Serpine who needs a magic item from the house so he can rule the world.  Luckily, Skulduggery Pleasant is watching out for her and comes to the rescue. Stephanie finds herself in a magical world full of secrets, mystery, and power.  She and Skulduggery Pleasant team up to fight Serpine and other frightening powers.  This supernatural adventure is very entertaining.   This title was renamed Scepter of the Ancients when the paperback came out.   I enjoyed these books--it is really a different and original series in the fantasy genre.  One o...

Cinder by Marissa Meyer Cinder is part robot and doesn't know why.  The people of New Beijing are not in favor of having cyborgs around, so Cinder hides this part of herself as much as she can.  Many suspect cyborgs are the cause of the plague which is killing lots of people.  As the title suggests, Cinder has an evil stepmother and two stepsisters (one awful, one sweet).   Cinder is a very good mechanic--possibly because she is part machine herself.  Enter the prince, who has a mystery problem with his nanny robot.  He seeks Cinder because she is the best.  Meanwhile, Cinder's sweet stepsister gets sick and the Prince gets engaged to the horrible Queen of the Moon, whose people seem to be just waiting to attack.  Cinder soon realizes that her past, shrouded in mystery, is related to the mysterious lunar people and she may be the only person who can save the earth. I read all the books in this science fiction inter...

The House of Scorpion by Nancy Farmer Matt lives a surreal existence--alone in a house in a field full of flowers.  His mother is there part of the time, but she warns him to stay inside and not to speak to or be seen by anyone.  Why?  Because something really bad might happen.  And of course, it does.  But the absurdity of his situation does not end there because he is the clone of the most powerful man in the country.  The almost 150-year-old El Patrón is not only the president of the country and Matt's benefactor, he is the head of a powerful opium production and distribution country located between what used to be Mexico and the science fiction future of the United States. Usually when a clone is...made...the thinking part of the brain is destroyed and they are used as slaves or organs.  But El Patrón always raises his clones as people. This multi award-winning book has been on my reading list for about eight years! I took it home ...

Behind the Curtain by Peter Abrahams Ingrid did not intend to find another mystery in Echo Falls, but it happened.  She notices that her brother is suddenly much stronger, has developed a bad case of acne, and he is not exactly his old sweet self.  Based on information she learned in health class, she suspects he is using steroids.  But where is he getting them?  There are a few suspicious characters around.  But she does not realize until after her kidnapping that that she has uncovered more than one mystery in her quiet home town. Abrahams' series called the Echo Falls Mysteries includes three books in the series: Down the Rabbit Hole , Behind the Curtain , and Into the Dark . They are all based around teen super sleuth Ingrid Levin-Hill who is a very likeable character who loves to play soccer and is a Sherlock Holmes fan.  Abrahams includes sports fun.  I enjoyed this book and the others in the series. http://www.peterabrahams.com/ ...

Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool Jack's mother dies so his dad, the captain of a WWII navy ship, comes home to Kansas.  Jack and his father have not seen one another in several years, so things are strange.  Jack's dad takes him to a boarding school relatively close to his base.  Jack finds it difficult to fit in since he had not ever seen the ocean before he arrived in Maine and all students are expected to skull.  The first boy Jack meets is Early who seems quite odd.  He lives by himself in the basement.  Early has no family left and he seems to be a charity case at the school.  His oddness draws Jack in and they begin a quest that Jack does not really understand.  It is a quest to find a bear, or maybe it is find Early's brother (everyone knows that he died in the war) all based on the story that Early reads in the number pi. This historical fiction book is a good one.  Everything turns out right. ...

Chronicles of Ancient Darkness Series by Michelle Paver What was life like for people when we lived in small communities made of clans? Before we knew about science or why things in the natural world happened? Torak lived 6,000 years ago in northern Europe. Spirits and magic make life different and dangerous. His father is killed by a demon possessed monstrosity of a bear. Why did his father keep him separate from all the clans? Torak is unusual because he can speak with wolves. He befriends a wolf cub, whose family was also killed, and together they form their own pack. Eventually Torak is adopted by another clan, but his differences make it hard for the crow clan to accept him. Each of the first four books in the series that I read were exciting and, interesting, and a different kind of fantasy. I really enjoy this series!Torak went on a quest in each and was assisted by his crow clan friend who has power and secrets of her own, and Wolf. 1. Wolf Brother 2. Spiri...