Skellig by David Almond

I probably could have put this book with the fantasy genre, and I gave it a rating of three out of five. This book will not be enjoyed by everyone. Michael's family has just moved into a run-down house with a crumbling garage in the back. His baby sister is very ill and spends much of her time in the hospital. Michael does some exploring and discovers a strange, old man with bumps on his back living in the garage. The man, Skellig, is very weak and just lays behind the piles of junk asking for Chinese food and beer. Michael and his neighbor, Mina, help Skellig move to a safer hideout and discover there is more to him than meets the eye. The baby's condition takes a turn for the worse, and Michael's world gets all turned around.

The type of creature Skellig might be is unclear, and readers will need to decide for themselves. It's clear there's something special about him, but it's hard to put a finger on. Despite the lower lexile range for this book, there is much more to the story than the words printed on the pages. The plot focuses on characters and theme and forces readers to think. As mentioned at the top, this book is not for everyone.

The lexile level from lexile.com is 490.

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

This is a Newbery-winning book, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Jack Gantos lives in the small town of Norvelt, located somewhere in Pennsylvania in 1962. The town was founded by Eleanor Roosevelt, and Jack's neighbor, Miss Volker, is the town's medical examiner and is also in charge writing obituaries for the original residents of the town. Jack writes and types them for her, and he has a special interest in the history she adds to the obituaries. Jack has time for this job, since he's grounded for the summer for firing his dad's Japanese, souvenir rifle. He manages to get himself into more trouble despite the grounding and discovers some secrets along the way.

The different chapters almost read like short stories, although the plot moved along through the summer. History was a large part of the plot as Jack's dad was a World War II veteran and had Jack digging a bomb shelter as part of his punishment. Miss Volker was a very entertaining character, and Jack learned a lot from her during his visits. In the end, the reader will discover who put the bullet in the rifle fired by Jack and that there was a murder mystery hidden within the plot.

Ghetto Cowboy by Jesse Joshua Watson

This book has a bit of an unusual plot, but I gave it a rating of three out of five. Cole rarely goes to school and seems destined to a life going nowhere. His mom decides to take him to Philadelphia to live with a father he has never met. Cole is very bitter about his mom's decision, and he's also shocked to discover his father is a cowboy, living in inner-city Philadelphia. Cole is reluctant to accept this new life, and he wants to go home. He becomes attached to one of the hard-to-handle horses and learns some things about being a cowboy and how to care for others. The conflict increases when the city decides to close down the stable and take back the property to build new apartments. His father seems to give up, but Cole leads the fight to preserve the cowboy way.

It was strange to read about cowboys in Philadelphia taking care of old horses among the apartment buildings. The author did a nice job of slowly developing Cole's character and having him become a part of this new way of life. I found the climax with the city and his father rather easy to predict, so the plot was easy to follow. It had a happy ending too!

The lexile level from lexile.com is 660.

George Washington, Spymaster by Thomas Allen

This book is a historical novel, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. The plot is based on actual people and events that have been researched by the author. It follows George Washington's life starting at age 21, as a major in the Virginia army, until America's victory in the Revolutionary War. The focus of the story surrounds his use of spies to gain information and guide his strategies. It describes methods used to collect the information, but it also talks about ways that he communicated misinformation to the enemy. The names of spies, moles, and double agents are shared. Secret codes, invisible ink, and other techniques are found in the book. The author shares different examples about how spying had a major influence on the outcome of the war.

History buffs will enjoy the description of different battles in the Revolutionary War and the famous leaders mentioned. I enjoyed the mystery of the codes and the strategies used to share information with fellow soldiers without giving away information to the enemy. I really liked the parts where the British most certainly would have won battles, but they never launhed the attacks due to trickery on the part of Washington and his spies.

The lexile level from lexile.com is 1100.

The Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy by Diane Stanley

I found this book on the summer reading list at my local library and gave it a rating of four out of five. Franny and her twin siblings are accepted into the Allbright Academy, a school for gifted children that will train the become future leaders of America. Actually, Zoe, Franny's sister, is recruited for the school and Franny and the twin are accepted as part of the package. The school and students almost seem too perfect to be real, and Franny later discovers why. The school leaders have some tricks up their sleeves and a plan to create influential people in society. They even have a former student in line to run for president of the United States. The school seems so perfect, but what will Franny and her friends do when they discover the truth?

I wondered about those brownies when they were first introduced into the plot. The organization of the school seemed ideal which made me wonder about what was actually going on. The author did a nice job of introducing clues throughout the plot and created a clever mystery. It became one of those stories where kids discover a problem but will have a hard time getting adults to believe them. The students had a big surprise when they thought they found an adult to help, but many characters needed to come together in the end to resolve the conflict.

Lexile level from lexile.com 830.

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos

This book is the first in a series, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Joey is a hyper, impulsive, energetic boy who simply can't control himself. He literally tries to spin himself like a top after being sent into the hallway by his teacher. He leaps from the rafters of a barn after eating a whole pie at an Amish farm. And, of course, he actually swallows his house key for a dollar. His teachers are concerned about his disruptions, but they are also worried about the safety of the other students. Can Joey control himself before someone gets seriously hurt, or are more drastic actions needed to get a grip on his life?

Joey is a very likable person, but he's that hyperactive kid we've all seen running out of control. The author does a nice job of describing Joey's thoughts and the difficulty he has with staying focused. He also shows how Joey's character affects other people, like the teachers, students, and Joey's grandmother and mother. The book has many run-on sentences to symbolize the way ideas race through his mind. The plot was a good reminder to me, as a teacher, of the medical difficulties some students face in trying to control their behaviors.

Lexile level from lexile.com 970

Storm Runners by Roland Smith

I found this title on another blog, and I gave it a rating of three out of five. Chase and his father travel the country to help people prepare and recover from huge storms. In this book, they are in Florida to face a category five hurricane named Emily, the same name as the deceased mother. They stay at a circus ranch where they can store their trucks and belongings, but the ranch also has a ferocious lion, dangerous leopard, and a pregnant elephant. Chase and two classmates are trapped in a school bus when Hurricane Emily flips it over. They manage to escape, but they are exposed to the full force of the storm and wild alligators. It's a dangerous journey to safety as they battle heavy rains, flooding, one-hundred and fifty mile per hour winds, and the man-eating beasts.

One of my pet peeves is when authors end their stories without resolving the conflict. The plot of this book ended at the climax, so you should plan to read the sequel, The Surge, if you want to read the entire story. Also, the hurricane didn't hit until halfway into the book, so there was a great deal of anticipation before there was much action. I kept expecting the circus animals to become a big part of the plot, but the characters mostly battled the alligators, wind, and rain. I didn't understand why the author took the time to point out the dangers surrounding the circus farm and then didn't make them part of the conflict. The circus animals did not reenter the plot until there were three pages left in the book! The book had potential, but it didn't work for me.

Lexile level from lexile.com 700