Wizards: Magical Tales From The Masters of Modern Fantasy

This book is a collection of short stories written by some of the most popular authors of our time. Neil Gaiman shares the tale of a young boy and the ghost of a graveyard witch, while Jane Yolen describes a young girl's rescue mission back to a concentration camp in 1943. As the  book title foretells, the common element among the stories is the presence of magic, usually with wizards. The collection has a nice variety of short and long stories with a full range of intensities. Eoin Colfer shares a short one about a hungry albino parrot, while Garth Nix spins a tale about a young girl's struggle for revenge to control "Ingland". Nix's 36-page chapter would actually make a nice, full novel. Many of the authors' contributions include valuable lessons for characters and readers alike, almost like fables, although the messages aren't always spelled out. Overall, it's a very entertaining book if you're looking for short stories written by accomplished authors of middle grade fantasy. 

Hunger Games #0: The Ballads of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

My name is Coriolanus, and I cannot fully describe the importance of becoming a mentor in the Hunger Games. It was embarrassing to be assigned the female tribute from District 12, the worst district of all, but it was soon evident that Lucy Gray Baird had "star quality". I succumbed to her charms and began to envision how my life might change if she could survive to be among the final tributes. We made a good team, and the reporters and public loved us. However, I noticed that Lucy Gray's physical condition was deteriorating, but I was stunned when she said it would help if I started thinking she might actually win the Games, not just survive. I'm now starting to have thoughts we might have a future together. 

This book is a prequel to The Hunger Games. It's interesting to contrast the Games in this book with the Games described in the rest of the series. A focus of the organizers is to figure out ways to increase interest and viewership from the citizens of Panem. The most compelling aspect of the story is knowing Coriolanus will become the tyrannical president of the future Panem. In this book, he's initially driven by ambition to get a scholarship while trying to maintain some dignity after his family's fall into poverty. He also has compassion for others, but he's afraid it may imply weakness and result in punishment from the people he's trying to impress. As a result, much of the story takes place inside Coriolanus's mind, as he contemplates conflicting thoughts and emotions. Rest assured, in the end he exhibits the type of behavior you've come to expect in his character. The Capitol exhibits governmental oppression and entitlement, and there are clashes between values and ethics. The Headmaster of the Games presents controversial advances in science that explain some future events in the series. Overall, the Hunger Games are a part of this book, but it's not the whole story. I found it very entertaining, and I can envision a Hunger Games .5 being written. Give this book a shot.

Worldquake Sequence #2: The Chosen Ones by Scarlett Thomas

My name is Effie, and I truly want to know what I am. I know I'm a True Hero because I have the ring, but what else am I? Adventurer? Healer? Mage? I'm confused by some of my abilities, since they don't seem to fit together. Now, my father has taken my box of boons, and he won't give it back unless I give him a copy of The Chosen Ones. Most of them have been destroyed, since Albion Freake wants to have the only copy. It doesn't make sense to me, but Raven and I have figured out what he's up to. I can sense something is going to happen during this Friday's meteor shower, but what? And what's with the famous author following me around, trying to find out about my life? I need to get my boons back, so I can travel to the Otherworld. Hopefully, I'll find the answers I seek.

I suggest you read Dragon's Green first, since it sets the tone for the whole series. Effie spends much of her time in this book trying to "find herself". She has the True Hero ring, but there are two other unidentified descriptors. She thinks she'll be able to unlock all of her other abilities if she can fully understand herself. The plot mostly follows her adventures, not aware of a prophecy foretelling her death, with subplots involving other characters. Maximillian is pursuing new skills as a mage, Raven is protecting Effie and has close contact with the antagonist, and the antagonist has a master plan to become all-powerful and ruin everything. I like the teamwork of the characters, as they support each other and try to master their abilities. Prophecies are usually inflexible, but this book alters one after the events unfold. Other books leave wiggle-room for the interpretation of unclear prophecies, so alternative results are possible. Overall, I'm enjoying the series recommend you give it a shot. Again, start with the first book.

A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans #1 by Laurence Yep and Joanne Ryder

My name is Ms. Drake, and the death of my pet human has brought me great sadness. She told her granddaughter, Winnie, about me, and she's going to take some getting used to. She sometimes talks like I'm her pet, so she's going to need some training. She has a bit of artistic talent, so I didn't see a big problem when Clipper gave her a sketchbook to keep her busy. I should have sensed the sketchbook's magic when I felt a tingle, but it wasn't until later that I discovered my oversight. Winnie was shocked when she saw blank pages where she had recently drawn twenty pictures of creatures she had seen. The creatures had become alive and fled the book! I knew a spell to return them to their pages, so I wasn't overly worried... until I discovered the truth about the last monster Winnie had drawn.

I read this book's sequel first, but it wasn't a problem. The best parts of the story evolved from the humorous interactions between Winnie and Ms. Drake. Ms. Drake was queen of the dragons and was used to being treated with respect and awe. Winnie missed the memo where she was supposed to be obedient and amazed, so fun ensued. Two things stuck in the back of my mind as I read. Winnie's father was trying to get custody of her, but that issue was put on the back burner. Also, Ms. Drake needed to create a pet name for Winnie, and it seemed to be top secret. She didn't tell Winnie about it, and there weren't any clear clues about why it was significant. Guess you'll need to read the sequel. Recapturing the creatures was the main conflict, and the hunt created more amusing situations and some action. The twentieth monster had the ability to wipe out magic, so its apprehension wasn't fun and games. Overall, the book was entertaining, funny, and adventurous, and I recommend you give it a shot. 

The Worst Witch #6: The Worst Witch to the Rescue by Jill Murphy

My name is Ethel, and I wish I had the imagination to come up with an amazing idea for our homework project. I have a reputation to uphold as the most outstanding student at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches. Luckily, it was easy stealing Mildred Hubble's spell to let small animals speak. No one would have believed Mildred could come up with such a fantastic spell anyway. She's apparently good at modeling clay, and I was embarrassed when the art teacher compared Mildred's pot to mine. However, I fixed her good and got her kicked out of the class. I now know she has a talking tortoise that might be able to tell everyone what I've done. I'll need to take care of that problem too. 

I haven't read the first five books in the series, but that didn't affect my enjoyment of this one. Mildred is the main character, and Ethel is obviously the antagonist. I assume this relationship is a factor in all of the books. Mildred seems to have a poor reputation as a student, as there is talk of dismissing her from the academy. She has talent, so I'm curious to know how the misconception arose. Maybe I need to read the first book in the series, ha ha. The story feeds on images and reputations, but the essence of it stems from Mildred's goodness and compassion. She actually creates bigger problems for herself by trying to help Ethel. Mildred's friends remain loyal, although the evidence causes some skepticism. In the end, friends stand together, and Mildred is cleared of any wrongdoing. Will this result in an improved reputation? Overall, this book tells a fun story centered on an endearing protagonist. I recommend you give it a shot. 

The Girl in the Locked Room: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn

My name is Jules, and I've once again been forced to move to a new school along with my parents. I wish my dad would stop taking jobs to fix up old houses, although this one feels different. I could swear I've seen a little girl in the window up in the locked bedroom, and then again down by the stream. I'm not sure what she wants, but I feel like I'm supposed to help her. However, the dreams I've been having about angry men storming the house cause me to awake in a panic. My mom thinks my imagination is the problem, and I wish there was someone else I could talk to. I'm already the new kid in town, so who would listen to me? I've got to do something before I drive myself crazy!

As you may, or may not, know, I've always enjoyed books written by Mary Downing Hahn. She's written spooky ghost stories, they're not scary enough to intimidate young readers. The interesting twist in this book is the related "dreams" of Jules and the ghost. Jules has frightening images of violence, and the ghost has foggy impressions of people and events. She doesn't understand what they mean, and it's not until later that it's confirmed that these visions are actually foggy memories. The interesting thing is that Jules shares some of the same visions and slowly understands what's going on. Usually, the ghost is the one who knows what everything means, but the ghost is the innocent victim in this book. Overall, I recommend you give this book a shot if you're looking for a short, eerie story.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

My name is Ivan, and most Silverbacks aren't kept in a glass domain like me. I can't do tricks like my best friend Stella the elephant, but she's my best friend. Mack and George treat me okay, but I like George's daughter the best. She's an artist like me, and she shares her crayons and blank paper. I guess you can say I like still-lifes, since Mack puts frames around my pictures of bananas and sells them for $25. Life was getting boring with fewer humans visiting our carnival until Ruby came to live with Stella. I didn't know if Stella's bad foot would keep her from teaching the young elephant about life in the cage, and her injury seemed to be getting worse. I then made her a promise that I'm not sure how to keep.

The story is told by Ivan, as he becomes motivated to escape the complacency of his life. The simple lives of animals are contrasted with the unpredictability of humans. Humans can be kind and helpful, but they can also be heartless and cruel. Luckily, George and his daughter are good people. The book might make you wonder what's going on inside the minds of animals. Gorillas are some of the most intelligent creatures in the world, and the author endows Ivan with human logic and feelings. Primates have been taught to communicate with humans, but this book has Ivan teach himself. It's a key aspect of the plot's solution. He had compassion for the other animals in the carnival and felt especially protective toward Stella. Caring for others often benefits everyone involved. Overall, this book is a shortish, easy read and will touch the heartstrings for animal lovers. I recommend you give it a shot. 

The League of Beastly Dreadfuls #1 by Holly Grant

My name is Anastasia, and I've come to live with my great aunts in an old asylum for the criminally insane. It's a dreary place and hasn't been a pleasant experience. Each day, I get two bowls of lumpy mush to eat, do chores, and then I'm sent to bed before dark. I've done a little exploring around the huge, dusty building, and I've made a few discoveries. I've heard strange moaning sounds, seen perplexing pictures of missing children, and found a couple of hidden rooms. My aunties make me wear a creepy silver necklace, and they forced me into the bog to collect leeches. Things aren't adding up, so I've decided to investigate the mysteries I've found. I'm slowly starting to realize that I need to find some way out of here.

It's pretty clear right off that the "aunties" aren't related to Anastasia, but their motivations aren't discovered until later. They give evasive responses to Anastasia's questions, and all of their dialogue seems cryptic. Consequently, the story becomes a mystery, or sorts, as Anastasia explores the asylum. The story feels a bit zany with the characters and events that unfold, but Anastasia's efforts keep things "reasonable". There's clearly something different about her, but you don't get any details until the book nears its conclusion. I don't really understand the author's decision to add a character as the plot nears its climax. Anastasia was hours away from executing an escape plan when a guy shows up with completely different ideas. It would have made more sense if her plans had been flawed, and he'd shown up to save the day. It just seemed like a weird time to add a new character to a story. With that being said, I still enjoy the book overall. The uncertainty of the conflict creates tension, the characters provide humor, and Anastasia follows the adventure. I recommend you give it a shot, as I'll probably check out the sequel.