13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison

I chose this book because I saw some students reading it, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Tanya has the ability to see fairies, and they are currently tormenting her. Her mother is fed up with her stories about them, so Tanya is sent to spend time with her grandmother, who doesn't seem to like her at all. Tanya discovers that her grandmother's best friend disappeared in some nearby woods about fifty years ago, and Tanya realizes that the fairies are involved. Despite being warned to never enter the forest, Tanya knows that she must disobey in order to solve the mystery, but does she know enough to survive?

The book reminds me a bit of the Fablehaven series (type the keyword into the search box above), which I recommend. There aren't many friendly creatures in this story; there are good fairies and bad fairies that take turns ruling, and the bad ones seem to be in charge now. The plot has a mystery to solve, and characters, especially the adults, seem to be keeping secrets. The climax to the plot was surprising, so that's something to look forward to. I think the plot could have moved more quickly, so I couldn't give the book a rating of five. 13  Curses is the sequel to this book.

Martin the Warrior by Brian Jacques

This book is part of the Redwall series, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. It shares the origin of the story of Martin, a legendary warrior mouse in Redwall. Martin is captured when he's very young and spends much of his time as a slave to Badrang, an evil stoat. Martin escapes with a few others, but he vows to return and free the rest. He also swears to kill Badrang and retrieve his father's sword. The rest of the book follows several plots. Martin has a difficult journey to reach Noonvale, the home of another mouse named Rose, where he hopes to enlist some help. Rose's brother meets a group of traveling performers who help him free additional slaves. Badrang has another problem in the form of his former partner, Clogg, who plans to take over the fortress and the slaves.

To be honest, I enjoyed the plots of this book, but there are a couple of things that might bother some readers. All of the characters are animals, but I'm okay with that. The main complaint I hear from some students is they can't understand the speech of the moles, shrews, and a couple of other characters. Some animals don't speak clearly, and the author writes the dialogue the way they sound. The rest of the characters should be easily understood, and I haven't had much trouble following the plot. The author is able to mix action and suspense with moments of humor. With regards to the series, I know there's a correct order, but I've skipped around to different books and haven't found that it's a problem. I read this book after Redwall, because Martin was mentioned in it.

Michael Vey #2: Rise of the Elgen by Richard Paul Evans

This book is the sequel to The Prisoner of Cell 25, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Michael and the other "Glows" are trying to locate and free his mother, but they discover that she is being held in Peru. The group first returns to Idaho, but Elgen is waiting for them. Michael receives phone calls from a mysterious voice that offers them help, but he's not sure if the person can be trusted. Meanwhile, Elgen has discovered a new energy source and plans to take over the energy production in all of the major countries of the world. Hatch, the leader of the Elgen electric kids, has a falling out with the board of directors controlling Elgen, so he comes up with a new plan to use the powers of the children. Hatch on the loose with the massive power of the electric kids means trouble for the rest of the world! Michael and the Electroclan travel deep in the Amazon Rain Forest to stop him.

You must read the first book in the series before reading this one. There is background information about the characters and the plot, and I don't think you can skip it. This book has two plots going on at the same: Michael and the Electoclan are trying to free his mother, and Hatch has a conflict with the other members of Elgen. I enjoyed the interaction of the characters and each group has its own internal conflicts. I didn't like the resolution to the book, but a third book must be on the way.

Epitaph Road by David Patneaude

This book was a classroom gift from a student, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. It takes place in the year 2097, thirty years after 97% of the male population dies from a mysterious virus called Elisha's Bear. Kellen's cousins, Tia and Summer, come to town, and the three of them uncover some overwhelming secrets. Tia had suspicions before arriving, but it looks as though the Elisha virus wasn't a random event; it was intentionally spread. And Kellen's mother is involved. He discovers that his father's life is now in danger, so he heads up north with Tia and Summer to save his father's life. However, once they arrive, they make some new discoveries that could spell the end of humans on Earth.

The conflict was very interesting, and it brings new meaning to the term "battle of the sexes". It takes concerns with society today and comes up with an unusual, and hopefully unrealistic, solution to the problems. The twist to the plot when the kids arrive at the bunker was probably predictable, but I didn't have my thinking cap on before that. The second half of the book had much more suspense than the second half, and I smell a sequel. I don't know if it will happen, but the door is open.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

I believe this book is going to be the first in a series, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Jacob's grandfather tells him many strange stories about people he knew as a child. He even has photographs, but they are too peculiar to actually be true. I mean, a girl with fire in her hands, another who can make herself rise off the ground, a boy who is invisible, and another child with a mouth in the back of their head? It all seems too wild until Jacob's grandfather is attacked and killed one night. Jacob starts having bad dreams, and it's decided that visiting the home in Wales where his grandfather grew up will help. Jacob can't believe what he finds there, and he may be the key to saving many lives, possibly the world.

You need to be prepared to think if you choose to take on this book. Obviously, grandfather's stories turn out to be true, and the book is full of photographs of the various characters. In addition, the plot involves a time loop and additional creatures that will require you to use your imagination. Jacob finds himself traveling between today and 1940, and he knows he will eventually need to choose to stay in one of the settings. The exposition of the story describes some evil characters who remain free and Miss Peregrine may be stuck in a morphed body. The children set off to make things right. Sequel!

Heroes of Olympus #1: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

This book is the first in a spin-off from the Percy Jackson series, and I gave it a rating of five out of five. Jason wakes up on a bus and cannot remember anything about his past. He is taken to Camp Half-Bloods along with his friends, Piper and Leo. It turns out they're all children of gods and goddesses, and they must go on a quest to save the world. There is a great force planning to destroy all of the gods and demigods, so the mysterious force can take over the world. Piper is destined to betray her friends, and the gods and demigods must work together to stop the force. Of course, there are prophecies and obstacles along the way that only make matters worse.

The style of this book is just like the Percy Jackson series. Actually, Percy is a missing character in this book, but Annabeth and Thalia are part of the plot. Leo adds a humorous angle to the story with his mischievous personality, but he's also able to create all kinds of machines. A big part of this plot, in case you're slow to notice the hints, involves the similarities and differences between Roman and Greek mythologies. This situation creates a conflict that I'm sure will be a main focus of the sequel.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

I gave this book a rating of four out of five. Conor's parents are divorced, and his father has moved to America. However, the biggest problem he's dealing with is his mother's battle with cancer. She has some good days, but most of them seem to find her tired and in pain. Then, the dreams start. Or are they dreams? The yew tree in the backyard starts to speak to Conor, and it tells him three stories that will teach him lessons about people, and himself. In the end, Conor must tell the tree a story, and it must be the truth. Conor's story will force him to face his most terrible fear and truth.

This story is not an uplifting, inspirational story. It's sad. Conor feels lost and alone with his dad away, his mom frequently in the hospital, and living with his strict grandmother. He's pushed away any friends he might have at school, and bullies enjoy tormenting him. All the while, Conor must try to accept the truth about his mother. I found the yew tree's stories interesting, because they didn't turn out the way Conor expected. The stories involved rewarding and punishing positive and negative characters, but it wasn't always easy to tell one from the other.