Son of the Mob by Gordan Korman

I gave this book a rating of four out of five. Vince's father is the head of a "vending business", but it's actually the mob. Vince doesn't want to become part of his father's business but finds it hard to separate it from his own. He becomes associated with a couple of people who are in trouble with his father's organization. He wants to stay out of the mob business, but he doesn't want to see these men get hurt. To complicate Vince's life even further, he falls for a girl at school who happens to be the daughter of the FBI agent trying to put his father in prison. Vince and Kendra become a modern day Romeo and Juliet.

This was an entertaining plot, and I enjoyed Vince's internal conflict between a nice guy and staying out of his father's business. He can't say he wants to stay out of it and then turn around and get involved. I also liked Vince and Kendra's relationship. Vince does everything he can to avoid her parents, but this makes Kendra suspicious of him. He tries to date Kendra like a normal couple, but he needs to avoid attention. He's very concerned about what might happen if either set of parents find out what's going on. Vince also discovers secrets about his mother and another man he respects. His mother's secret was very surprising.

Lexile level from lexile.com 690

Word Nerd by Susin Nielsen

I found this book on the shelf of recommended reading at my local library, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Ambrose is a twelve-year-old boy, with an over-protective mother, who doesn't seem to get along with anyone. He has trouble with his appearance and social interactions, so he's always a target for the school's three bullies. Ambrose starts taking correspondence classes from home and meets the son of the landlords. Cosmo has just been released from jail, but he shares an interest in Scrabble with Ambrose. Cosmo sneaks Ambrose off to weekly meetings of a Scrabble club, and this results in changes for both of them. There's also an element of danger looming in the background.

Ambrose is a very interesting character who doesn't have a filter for his thoughts. He says what he thinks, which may result in humor, or it may create problems. He's learning how to grow up despite his mom's efforts to shield him from the world. I appreciated the change in Cosmo's character too. I enjoy stories where characters start as antagonists but become friends in the end.

Lexile level from lexile.com 800

Mare's War by Tanita S. Davis

This is a historical, multicultural novel, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Tali and Octavia are taking a cross-country trip with their grandmother, Mare. Mare likes to drive fast and live her life any way she likes. During the trip, Mare shares her life story with her granddaughters, and they learn that there's more to her than the brash exterior. Mare ran away from her drunken mother and her abusive boyfriends to join the WAC during WW II. The kids learn about her struggles to survive basic training, the prejudice she experienced, and her time in Europe near the end of the war. The kids make a new connection with their grandmother when they learn about her colorful past.

The chapters of this novel are alternately written during the car ride and through flashbacks to Mare's life in the 1940's. The majority of the plot revolves around Mare's time as a WAC. The car ride has the girls reflecting on Mare's story along with their interesting interactions Mare. For example, Tali and Mare strike up an agreement regarding Mare's smoking and Tali's music that is challenged throughout the trip. Some funny scenes describe Octavia learning to drive, and Tali's texts, phone calls, and letters as she tries to maintain her social life back home. Very "dramatic". Even though I'm a middle-aged man and most of the characters in this novel are black females, I still enjoyed the story. I also appreciated the historical references to segregation and important events during the war.

Lexile level from lexile.com 830

Take Me With You by Carolyn Marsden

This is a historical, multicultural novel, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. The plot revolves around the lives of Susanna and Pina, two girls without families who are being raised by nuns. They live in an Italian institution during one of the world wars; I'm assuming World War II. The greatest dream for all of the girls is to be adopted. Susanna discovers that she has a father, and he ends up visiting with her on several occasions. She has a conflict between the comfort of her "normal" life and the possibility that she might be taken to America by this stranger. Pina learns that she has a mother living nearby, but her situation is more complicated than Susanna's

This is not a novel everyone will enjoy. It's not full of action, and it centers around the thoughts and feelings of two young, Italian girls. I found it interesting, because the topic is not a common one. There are many books written about kids trying to find families, but few books deal with the orphans of war. Nina is especially desperate, even obsessed, to become adopted and will do almost anything to make it happen. I don't recall reading any other historical books with settings in Italy, so I learned a bit about that culture. There's a glossary in the back for Italian words used throughout the book.

Lexile level from lexile.com 640

Extra Credit by Andrew Clements

This is a multicultural novel, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Abby, a sixth-grader, discovers in February that she will not be passing to seventh grade with her classmates unless she makes some drastic changes to her study habits. She creates a contract with her teachers to complete all of her homework and earn grades of at least B on all of her remaining quizzes and tests. However, the big change is an extra-credit pen pal assignment. She writes to a girl named Amira, from Afghanistan, but Amira's brother, Sadeed, must translate the letters and write the replies. Sadeed secretly writes his own replies to Abby, since the village elders think it's inappropriate for a boy to write to a girl. Abby and Sadeed exchange a number of letters with interesting ideas about their cultures, but Sadeed encounters trouble when a member of an anti-American group, not the Taliban, stops him at gun-point on the way home from school.

This was an easy novel to read, and it had a great deal of interesting information about the contrasting cultures. One of the first differences shared was in regards to the viewpoints of the characters about their landscapes. Abby, from the flat state of Iowa, loved the idea of being around mountains, but Sadeed explained how his mountains were dangerous due to the cold, rock slides, and storms. The Taliban lurked in them too, although Sadeed said that it had been six months since there had been any shooting or bombs in his village. He told Abby about a time when the house across the street from his own home was blown up, and this made quite an impression on Abby and her classmates.

Readers who are reluctant learners can probably identify with Abby's character, since she doesn't like to do any work. She could be a good student; she just want to put the required effort into learning. Readers who enjoy learning about other cultures will also appreciate this book.

Lexile level from lexile.com 830

The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood

This is the first book in a series, and I gave it a rating of five out of five. Widge is an orphan who has been purchased by Simon Bass for his ability to write in charactery, a form of short-hand. Widge is sent to London to copy the script of one of Shakespeare's plays. Bass sends Falconer, a threatening, hooded man, to make sure Widge completes his mission. However, Widge fails twice for different reasons and decides to join Shakespeare's group. He is now stuck with the problem or whether to steal from his new friends or face the wrath of Falconer. A couple of surprises pop up along the way, but you may not be as surprised if you're able to notice the foreshadowing.

This is a historical fiction, and I enjoyed the information about life in Shakespeare's time, the theater, and the conflicts created by the author. Falconer is always in the back of your mind, and you keep wondering when he'll pop up again. He seems to know his way around London, but he's not comfortable around Shakespeare's Globe Theater. The book is not full of constant action, but it has its moments as Widge tries to adapt to the actors, to find his way through the unsavory parts of London, and to avoid confrontations with Falconer. You kind of expect that Falconer is not going to go away without a fight. The sequels to this novel are very good too.

Lexile level from lexile.com 840

The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson

I've liked this book for a long time, and I give it a rating of five out of five. Gilly is a foster child, and her only wish is to live with her mother. Because of this attitude, Gilly is a very difficult foster child. She tries her best to be as bad as she can be so that she'll be sent back to her mom. Gilly swears, is prejudiced, steals, fights, and is insulting. She terrorizes her foster brother, W.E., and verbally abuses her "friend" Agnes. She tries to run away, but things really change when she writes a letter to her mom describing the terrible foster home she's been put into. Actually, Gilly's foster mother,Mamie Trotter, is the most loving and kind person that Gilly will ever meet. As the plot unfolds in this book, I'm reminded of the old saying, "Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it."

This book has wonderful, descriptive language; and I'm not talking about Gilly's mild profanity. I enjoy the character development and the way Gilly changes throughout the plot. The reader will probably hate her in the beginning but feel sorry for her in the end. It's amusing to be in Gilly's mind as she faces the other characters and deals with situations. Trotter, W.E., Agnes, and Mr. Randolph are excellent supporting characters and help Gilly learn about the meaning of family.

Lexile level from lexile.com 800