Mirror, Mirror (Creepers) by Edgar J. Hyde

What worked:

The story isn’t overembellished so it’s easy to follow and well-paced. The book opens with the family buying an old mirror from a shop owner and the youngest daughter, Sophie, finding a ballerina doll atop a music box. The family is told the mirror and doll come from the same home so readers will immediately sense something strange will happen. The mirror is hung in the den when Sophie finds herself alone, playing with her music box. She suddenly notices a terrifying scene in the mirror and witnesses a woman having her head chopped off! This kicks off the mystery of the mirror.

Maya and Dani, the two older sisters, are the main characters and middle-grade readers should be able to relate with them. Maya is the oldest child and Sophie thinks nothing can scare her. This characteristic is most handy when dealing with a haunted mirror. Dani is the most scholarly of the children as she’s constantly reading books. This habit makes her intelligent and a perfect partner for Maya. The sisters quickly realize a girl named Sara is keeper of the mirror and they’re determined to find a way to free the spirit.

What didn’t work as well:

The simple text may not appeal to more advanced readers although they often find the topics of spirits and ghosts very interesting.

The final verdict:

This book is a wonderful introduction to scary stories. Its simple text will appeal to reluctant or emerging readers and the subject matter isn’t too intense. I recommend you give it a shot.

The Abandoned Theater (Alderland Series 1) by Dana Robertson

What worked:

The story follows Beth as she wants to investigate the disappearance of a friend named Brent. Readers may be surprised to learn that her two best friends are starkly different from each other. Stan is an unpopular nerd with unusual quirks; he thinks dressing in green shorts, a green shirt, and a green fedora will act as camouflage in the woods. On the other hand, Teri is tall and pretty and she’s one of the most popular girls in school. Readers will know there’s something different about Beth as she wears an amulet that appears to glow. She dreams of places she’s never been only to discover they actually exist. She’s told she was lucky to escape the car accident that killed her parents when she was four but her aunt won’t talk about it. Beth has questions and the answers make her wonder about what she’s been told.

The theater is portrayed as a spooky, dangerous place that is off-limits to everyone. The theater owner disappeared years ago and now Brent is gone too. Beth’s aunt makes Beth promise that she’ll stay away from it but readers know that promise will soon be broken. Stan’s uncle was in the audience when the owner disappeared but he’s unable to recall any details from that night. No one fleeing the theater can remember exactly what happened. This leaves readers to speculate about the possibilities. Are the owner and Brent dead, murdered by an unknown villain? Did the owner’s wife commit the crime? The police bring her in for questioning. Perhaps something more magical is happening that might explain Beth’s amulet and premonitions. Could there be a hidden portal leading to another world?

The author artfully uses words and language to create moods and set scenes. When the kids first travel to the theater, they must maneuver a raft across a lake to reach it. At first, the lake has “gentle waves”, and fresh air “at this early hour”, and the raft drifts as the sun rises. The scene shifts once they make it across as “the sun’s rays flickered”, “an ominous shadow fell over the raft”, and the ground below the cliff was “untamed, overgrown”. Swaying branches seemed to “beckon them forward with long, slender fingers.” Once inside the theater, the kids hear clicking sounds that are “massive black crows” pecking at the skylight, blocking out the sun, “casting a shadow through the theater”.

What didn’t work as well:

The truth behind Beth’s past isn’t too hard to predict for experienced readers. The clues are all there and a character later in the book even tells Beth that she’s probably already figured it out on her own.

The final verdict:

The book’s second half has more action than the first as Beth starts to unravel the truth about her life. Shocking reunions await and Beth becomes an important factor in a war to save all worlds. There’s a medieval feel later in the story with magical elements mixed in. Overall, this should be a fascinating series to follow and I recommend you give this first book a shot.

Spy School Entrance Exam by Stuart Gibbs and Jeff Chen

What worked:

This book is a collection of puzzles enriched by the Spy School characters. The premise of the book is past mistakes led to security breaches and tainted recruitment of new CIA spies. The puzzles in this book present a new step in the screening process to identify intelligent, qualified candidates. After a brief, redacted introduction from the new CIA director, Zoe describes the first set of puzzles, word searches. Zoe has been a kind character in the past so Erica Hale presents a contrasting tone in the next section, different types of codes. Erica says she won’t be as supportive as Zoe since she’s “a spy, not a cheerleader”. Alexander Hale, Erica’s father, continues his tendency to exaggerate past accomplishments as he introduces “Outside the Box” mental challenges. However, Murray Hill, the antagonist in most of the Spy School books, interrupts and shares clever and devious solutions to the challenges. More characters from the series return to share Crypt-to-grams, crosswords, Battleship-like Battle Royale, and other familiar activities.

Many of the puzzle formats will be familiar to middle-grade readers although modifications have been made to make things trickier. Most people have seen Sudoku with numbers but how many are ready for a Sudoku with letters? “Chain Letters of Doom” requires readers to connect all twenty-six letters of the alphabet, in order, without crossing the connecting line. A fun twist to every section is the final puzzle’s hidden, coded messages that will be used later in the book. This detail promotes the book’s spy theme and helps to connect all of the different sections. In addition, all of the text, clues, and explanations are related to readers applying to become new CIA agents and to thoughts of the Spy School series.

Fans of Spy School will enjoy revisiting characters they’ve enjoyed in the past. Ben Ripley talks about his limited qualifications as a CIA agent even though he’s the main character of the series. He introduces Sudoku puzzles while Catherine Hale describes Double-Cross Crosswords. The characters mention previous events and missions so they evoke readers’ memories from other books. The last section of the book shares solutions to all of the puzzles. Of course, Murray Hill’s explanations cover more pages because he must share the clever solutions and then follow with his multiple devious solutions for villains.

What didn’t work as well:

Everyone can enjoy the variety of puzzles but they will need to read previous Spy School books to fully appreciate the characters and narratives. They have unique personalities and there are references to previous moments or relationships in the series. Crossword clues are related to the series so readers will need to have some knowledge of previous books to complete them.

The final verdict:

This book will be a treat for loyal readers although those unfamiliar with the series may not enjoy it as much. The different versions of familiar puzzles and challenges make them more interesting and difficult. Those who enjoy puzzles and Spy School will love this book and I recommend you check it out!