Lockwood & Co. #1: The Screaming Stairs by Jonathan Stroud

This book is a 2013 Cybils finalist in speculative fiction. Lucy has the ability to see, sense, and especially hear ghosts. She joins up with Lockwood and George, and they work together to rid homes of ghostly spirits. It's a dangerous job; a ghost's touch is deadly. During their first case together, the trio almost burns down a house, and Lucy accidentally traps the powerful ghost of Annabel Ward in a locket. The company starts to lose business, and they must find sixty thousand pounds in the next four weeks to save it. Then, an offer almost too good to be true arises. A client will take care of all the money if they'll investigate the most haunted house in the country. The house has centuries of ghosts haunting it, and other people have died while searching it. Solving the ghost problem may save the life of the company, or it may end the lives of Lucy, Lockwood, and George.

The plot was surprisingly interesting, I didn't expect much from a ghost story, and it also became a mystery. The kids needed to find Annabel's killer, and the killer knew it. In the setting, ghosts were common, and many companies existed to handle them, kind of like calling a plumber. The encounters with ghosts created suspense and provided action. I highly recommend this book if it tweaks your interest at all.

Constable & Toop by Gareth P. Jones

Sam is a young boy who is able to talk to ghosts. Clara is a young girl with an old ghost living in her house. And Lapsewood is a ghost whose new job is to check up on other ghosts living in buildings throughout London. Their stories carry them on separate paths, but Black Rot becomes a problem they all share. Ghosts that have been exorcised from haunted homes will summon something evil from beyond, and the "survival" of all ghosts is in danger. To complicate things, Sam's uncle shows up, and he's wanted by the police for killing an officer. Sam discovers in the worst way that this is not the first time he's committed murder.

The setting of the book changes each chapter as it follows the events surrounding the characters I mentioned before. Although Sam appears to be the main character, the main plot centers around Lapsewood. The first half of the book sounds like a "normal" story involving ghost problems, but the uncle becomes a larger character in the second half. The plot becomes much more ominous and evil at that point. I appreciated the author's imagination as he created a story about ghost characters that wasn't s cutesy.

An Army of Frogs by Trevor Pryce

Darel is a wood frog living in Amphibiland, and he dreams of becoming a Kulipari warrior, like his father. His father was a hero and died years earlier while defending the frogs against the scorpion army. Amphibiland is now shielded against its enemies by an invisible cloaking spell. However, the scorpion king and spider queen are joining forces to invade the land. The queen thinks she can use nightcasting to undo the spell, so the scorpion army can attack and kill all the frogs. Darel accidentally finds the enemy forces and must secretly join them to free his captured friend. How can one little frog beat an entire army of scorpions, spiders, and mercenary lizards?

Darel is a character with dreams of glory, but he also has the natural fear that goes with war. He is mischievous and frequently gets into trouble, but he is a very loyal, brave friend. The author did a good job of creating suspense and finding ways to add twists to the conflict. The reading level is probably appropriate for middle grade readers.

Celestine Chronicles #1: The Rock of Ivanore by Laurisa White Reyes

Marcus is an apprentice to a wizard, Zyll. He joins other boys his age to complete a quest that will make them men. They are to return with the Rock of Ivanore, but they have no idea what that means or where to find it. Along the way, a vicious beast tries to kill Marcus and Kelvin, but a half-breed named Jayson saves them. Jayson tells Marcus that the solution to their quest can be found in the city of Dokur where he was banished by the king for marrying his daughter. Jayson must return to the city to save it from an invasion, led by his treacherous brother, but he also wants to be reunited with his wife. Marcus is still learning to master his magic, and he will need it to survive and fulfill the quest.

The format of the plot is familiar: a band of unproven boys sets out to perform a difficult task. Marcus becomes the leader, but he's unsure of himself. Including Zyll's staff as a character added some humor to the events, but it also offered advice along the way. The talking head on a stick was creative. The climax was exciting, and the resolution was predictable but also offered a surprise.

Psi Chronicles #1: Freakling by Lana Krumwiede

In Taemon's world, most people use power from the Earth,, called psi, to do everything. Literally. They use the telekinetic power to put food in their mouths, open doors, and power their vehicles. Taemon has an additional ability that is rarely seen; he is able to project his mind into other things. He can enter an engine to figure out how it runs, a lock to figure out its combination, and he can enter water to find the oxygen. However, he loses all of his powers when he won't kill his brother, and he's sent to a colony of powerless people. His brother is announced to be the chosen one, and Taemon discovers some secrets held within the colony. The two paths cross again, but it may not be enough to stop a devastating war.

I haven't read many novels where the character has special abilities and then loses them. Taemon thinks that using his hands to perform tasks is almost barbaric, but he learns to value this ability. His character must adapt to these changes, but he may need his psi powers again to resolve the colony's problems. But the powers can't be turned on and off like a light switch. It's an intriguing conflict. This book is the first in a series.

Psi Chronicles #2: Archon by Lana Krumwiede

The city of Deliverance is a mess after Taemon got rid of all psi. Many citizens can't accept it and live with the hope of psi's return. After months, Taemon discovers that he is the only citizen who still has the power to use telekinesis and clairvoyance. He also hears that his father was taken to the Republik to help them prepare an army, so he sets out over the mountains to rescue him. Taemon finds the Republik has an army of archons, soldiers with psi, but he is no match for them. His left side is paralyzed, and it gets worse when he uses psi. The son of the Republik's general agrees to help, but getting into the enemy's fortress will be much easier than getting out.

This book is the sequel to The Freakling, and I enjoyed the plot. Taemon possessed great power in book one, but his injury in this book made his power unpredictable. The plot built up to an exciting climax. The time within the fortress created suspense. The end of the book seemed a bit rushed as they prepared for an invasion. The whole battle lasted four to five pages, but I liked the book overall. There will definitely be a book three.

Dragonborn #1 by Toby Forward

Sam is an apprentice wizard, but his mentor, Flaxfield, dies unexpectedly. Most of the former apprentices arrive for Flaxfield's Finishing ceremony, and they're concerned that Sam needs a new mentor. Sam is not aware of the great powers he possesses, and many wizards, good and evil, would like to control him. Sam runs away with his dragon, Starback, with no destination in mind. Starback starts to behave strangely and abandons Sam. Sam is guided to a school for wizards, but he senses something is wrong and heads out again. He comes upon the home of a deceased miner where he performs the Finishing. The mines are dangerous to wizards, and it may give the evil forces the edge they need to pull Sam under their power.

I found the idea of the conflict interesting. A young wizard with tremendous, unknown power, who was secretly being manipulated by others, created a dramatic conflict. Sam tried to learn about himself, while others seemed to already know about his secrets. I found the author's style a little confusing. The point of view jumped from Sam, to Starback, to an evil wizard. Sam often asked questions of other wizards that went unanswered, and it became annoying to me. Overall, I still enjoyed the plot and plan to read the sequel, Fireborn. Give it a shot.