Charlie Bumper vs. The Squeaking Skull by Bill Harley

Charlie is in the fourth grade, and he's looking forward to Halloween. He wants to go trick-or-treating with his friends, but his little sister always wants to go with him. And this year, Charlie's invited to a sleepover with friends, in a really nice neighborhood, which means better candy. He really wants to ditch his sister and go to the party, although they'll be watching scary movies. Charlie is deathly afraid of them, and he doesn't want to embarrass himself. Charlie gets an idea for an awesome costume, and his older brother offers to help with the movies by scaring the fear out of him. Sounds like some interesting days are coming up.

The plot is not as mature as most of the books in my blog. It's a cute story and will appeal to younger readers who may be checking out my reviews.

Kinda Like Brothers by Coe Booth

Jarrett's mom is a foster mother, and she's usually taking care of infants. However, this time, the new two-year-old girl has an older brother named Devon. Jarrett is forced to share his room, and his life, with this person, and there's no way to know when he'll be leaving. Jarrett is also taking summer school, struggling to pass the sixth grade test. Devon won't say much about his life, and Jarrett is wondering how the little sister got cut on her head. Jarrett is afraid to tell a girl how he feels, he ends up in the hospital with an asthma attack, and his mom's boyfriend is getting tired of sharing her with all the babies. Jarrett's life is full of issues, and he's not sure if Devon is the biggest issue or if he's actually a friend. Nevertheless, the two boys have problems, and they're taking them out on each other.

Many books deal with stepfamilies, but foster children are kind of like temporary stepfamilies. Devon is treated like a new brother, but Jarrett knows he could leave at any time. His mom seems to care more about the foster babies than anyone else, and it's hurting Jarrett. The author does a nice job of capturing his mixed emotions, and the plot bounces back and forth depending on Jarrett's mood. The book touches on the pains of growing up, conflicts with society, and family issues. It's a good read.

A Million Ways Home by Dianna Dorisi Winget

Poppy's grandmother, and guardian, is recovering from a stroke, so Poppy sneaks away from the juvenile center to visit. She gets lost and stops at a convenience store. A few minutes later, the kind store clerk is shot and killed during a robbery, and Poppy is the only person who can identify the murderer. The detective allows her to stay with his mother for protection, because the killer may be looking for her. Poppy has a hard time dealing with her problems, as her grandmother's condition only worsens. With the help of a new friend and a German Shepherd scheduled to be put to sleep, Poppy starts to have more good days than bad. However, the emotions of her parents' deaths, her grandmother's strokes, and the danger of the gunman start to gang up on her. A couple of bad decisions may end up blindsiding her.

The author did a wonderful job of capturing Poppy's feelings and frustrations. All she wanted to do was take care of her grandmother, and she still blamed her parents for getting killed and not being around to care for her. It was heart-warming to see the changes in Lizzie's character as she learned to support Poppy. The detective and his mother displayed great kindness, but the murderer on the loose kept constant danger a part of the plot.

Nerd Camp 2.0 by Elissa Brent Weissman

Gable and Zach are stepbrothers, and they couldn't be more different. Gabe loves to learn, likes to do science experiments, and collects element cards from the periodic table. Zach...doesn't. He's sloppy, plays sports, and collects baseball cards. Gabe is returning to his summer camp for smart kids, and he helps Zach convince his mom to let him go to a nearby camp. Everything seems great until a forest fire damages Zach's camp, and they're forced to share the camp for gifted enrichment. This situation doesn't go over well, and it becomes a war between the nerds and the new intruders. Each side uses pranks to "attack" their foes, but the antics get worse. Gabe and Zach slowly become leaders of the two sides, but they're not comfortable with the anger growing among the campers. Will their friendship survive?

This book is the sequel to Nerd Camp, and I recommend it too. You don't need to read it first to enjoy this book. As a former middle school teacher, I appreciate the conflicts faced by some students who like to learn. Some kids are uncomfortable being smart and try to hide it. The main characters capture the internal conflicts faced by these students and the students who don't enjoy school. Zach's character goes through some changes that even surprise himself. The climax of the plot involves cytoplasm and ghost peppers, some of the hottest peppers in the world.

How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes are Untied by Jess Keating

How cool would it be to have parents who work at a zoo and travel the world working with animals? Not very cool when you're named after a snake, and you're just trying to survive the seventh grade. Ana's best friend moves to New Zealand, and she's left alone to deal with teasing from the snobby girls and other classmates. She's flunking math, she's unprepared for her speech, and she has no idea what to for an art project that represents her own self. She wants to avoid everyone's attention for a few weeks and make it to summer break. Easier said than done. Her world-famous grandfather shows up and wants to put the family in a movie. There's no way Ana is brave enough to make it.

Although the setting is a bit unusual, the author captures the fears and frustrations of middle school girls. Actually, middle school boys have many of the same problems. The secondary characters offer wonderful personalities, and Ana finds support from some unlikely sources. The book offers a lesson on overcoming your fears and becoming the person you want to be.

Also Known as Elvis by James Howe

This book is a 2014 release, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Skeezie is thirteen, and he's living with his mom and two little sisters. His mom is working two jobs, so he gets a job at the Candy Kitchen to help pay the bills. Skeezie seems to constantly argue with his mom, and he envies his friends and their family time. Then, his father shows up with a couple of major announcements that will affect Skeezie's life. He tries to talk to his co-worker, his friend, and a popular girl (girlfriend?), and it's all so confusing. He's not sure what to do, but his life will certainly never be the same.

The plot is typical for many books, but it's unusual to be told from a boy's point of view. I haven't read many books that focus on boys' feelings about girls, family, and divorce. Skeezie is upset about being responsible for his sisters, helping to pay bills, and missing his father. He wants to have a normal family life, but it's not that simple. I enjoyed reading about his anger, sadness, and kindness. Action is not found in this plot, but it has very strong character relationships and emotions. The climax and resolution were a little surprising, although I kind of expected them in the back of my mind.

The Gollywhopper Games: The New Champion by Jody Feldman

This book is the first in a new series, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Cameron wins a chance to compete for one million dollars. It's like the golden ticket in the Willy Wonka story, but there are 900,000 contestants, including Cameron's brother. Each round of the contest requires Cameron to solve puzzles and riddles, and it's all caught on camera. He makes some friends along the way, but some other competitors make things difficult and uncomfortable. Slowly, other kids are sent home, and Cameron gets closer to the  life-changing prize. As a twist, there is a spy who is poisoning the contest.

This book is made for puzzle lovers. Every part of the plot allows readers to see the clues along with the characters and to try coming up with the correct answers. The characters' bonding and conflicts keeps things interesting. The climax was a little surprising, and the resolution was very unexpected.